ABSTRACT
We report direct-detection constraints on light dark matter particles interacting with electrons. The results are based on a method that exploits the extremely low levels of leakage current of the DAMIC detector at SNOLAB of 2-6×10^{-22} A cm^{-2}. We evaluate the charge distribution of pixels that collect <10e^{-} for contributions beyond the leakage current that may be attributed to dark matter interactions. Constraints are placed on so-far unexplored parameter space for dark matter masses between 0.6 and 100 MeV c^{-2}. We also present new constraints on hidden-photon dark matter with masses in the range 1.2-30 eV c^{-2}.
ABSTRACT
We present direct detection constraints on the absorption of hidden-photon dark matter with particle masses in the range 1.2-30 eV c^{-2} with the DAMIC experiment at SNOLAB. Under the assumption that the local dark matter is entirely constituted of hidden photons, the sensitivity to the kinetic mixing parameter κ is competitive with constraints from solar emission, reaching a minimum value of 2.2×10^{-14} at 17 eV c^{-2}. These results are the most stringent direct detection constraints on hidden-photon dark matter in the galactic halo with masses 3-12 eV c^{-2} and the first demonstration of direct experimental sensitivity to ionization signals <12 eV from dark matter interactions.
