Searching for Afterglow: Light Dark Matter Boosted by Supernova Neutrinos

Yen-Hsun Lin*, Wen-Hua Wu, Meng-Ru Wu*, and Henry Tsz-King Wong
Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 111002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.111002

We identified a novel concept of using “afterglows” of supernova explosions due to Dark Matter (DM) interactions in detectors as new experimental signatures to Direct DM searches. The conventional approach of DM detection via its elastic scattering with the nucleus is restricted by small observable energies and the lack of complementary information. Supernova neutrinos (SNν) can transfer their kinetic energy to the DM in the cosmos. Upon arrival on Earth, these boosted-DM (BDM) would produce distinctive observables in large detectors. In addition, the Time-of-Flight distribution of the BDM events relative to the initial SNs neutrino burst are smoking-gun signatures for DM. A positive detection of SNνBDM can provide powerful constraints to DM masses and interaction cross-sections.
Limits derived by this analysis on SN1987a with data from the Super-Kamiokande experiment exceed the current bounds from BDM due to cosmic-rays by several orders of magnitude. The sensitivity reach of future detections of BDM due to SNν from the Galactic Center is projected, indicating potentials to probe a vast parameter space not previously accessible in DM searches.