Particle Theory Seminar - Probing dark matter-nucleon interactions with Sub-GeV dark matter direct detection strategies. - Kim Berghaus, Stony Brook

1:30 pm MCP 201

Probing dark matter-nucleon interactions with Sub-GeV dark matter direct detection strategies.

Sub-GeV dark matter is challenging to probe via traditional elastic recoils measurements, but can leave measurable signals via inelastic processes such as ionization and phonons in semiconductor detectors. Dark matter only coupling to nucleons can still give rise to ionization via the Migdal effect, where a small nuclear recoil is accompanied by a prompt electron emission. In this talk, I will discuss how to quantify the Migdal effect in semiconductors in the regime of low momentum transfer where the final state of the nucleus is no longer well described by a plane wave,  allowing the Migdal effect in semiconductors to be evaluated even for the lightest dark matter candidates (m_{dm} ~ 1 MeV) that can kinematically excite electrons. I will also discuss the phonon background from gamma rays in semiconductors which will be relevant for next generation detectors aiming to probe dark matter scattering events by measuring single and multiphonon excitations in the 1 meV - 100 meV regime. 

Event Type

Seminars

Nov 9