Probing Benchmark Models of Hidden-Sector Dark Matter with DAMIC-M
K. Aggarwal, I. J. Arnquist, N. Ávalos, X. Bertou, N. Castelló-Mor, Á. Chavarría, J. Cuevas-Zepeda, A. Dastgheibi-Fard, C. De Dominicis, Olivier Deligny, J. Duarte-Campderros, E. Estrada, R. Gaïor, E. L. Gkougkousis, T. W. Hossbach, L. Iddir, Bradley J. Kavanagh, B. Kilminster, A. Lantero-Barreda, I. Lawson, A. Letessier‐Selvon, H. Lin, P. Loaiza, A. Lopez-Virto, Renze Lou, Kellie McGuire, Sravan Munagavalasa, J. R. Noonan, D. Norcini, S. Paul, P. Privitera, P. Robmann, Brandon Roach, M. Settimo, R. Smida, M. Traina, R. Vilar, R. Yajur, D. Venegas-Vargas, C. Zhu, Yan Zhu
Abstract
We report on a search for sub-GeV dark matter (DM) particles interacting with electrons using the DAMIC-M prototype detector at the Modane Underground Laboratory. The data feature a significantly lower detector single e^{-} rate (factor 50) compared to our previous search, while also accumulating a 10 times larger exposure of ∼1.3 kg-day. DM interactions in the skipper charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are searched for as groups of two or three adjacent pixels with a total charge between 2 and 4 e^{-}. We find 144 candidates of 2 e^{-} and 1 candidate of 4 e^{-}, where 141.5 and 0.071, respectively, are expected from background. With no evidence of a DM signal, we place stringent constraints on DM particles with masses between 1 and 1000 MeV/c^{2} interacting with electrons through an ultralight or heavy mediator. For large ranges of DM masses below 1 GeV/c^{2}, we exclude theoretically motivated benchmark scenarios where hidden-sector particles are produced as a major component of DM in the Universe through the freeze-in or freeze-out mechanisms.