First Results on the Scalar WIMP-Pion Coupling, Using the XENON1T Experiment

(XENON Collaboration)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present first results on the scalar coupling of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) to pions from 1 t yr of exposure with the XENON1T experiment. This interaction is generated when the WIMP couples to a virtual pion exchanged between the nucleons in a nucleus. In contrast to most nonrelativistic operators, these pion-exchange currents can be coherently enhanced by the total number of nucleons and therefore may dominate in scenarios where spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interactions are suppressed. Moreover, for natural values of the couplings, they dominate over the spin-dependent channel due to their coherence in the nucleus. Using the signal model of this new WIMP-pion channel, no significant excess is found, leading to an upper limit cross section of 6.4×10-46 cm2 (90% confidence level) at 30 GeV/c2 WIMP mass.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number071301
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume122
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 21 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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