The Tevatron at the Frontier of Dark Matter Direct Detection

TL;DR

The study analyzes how Tevatron mono‑jet searches constrain dark matter interactions in a model‑independent fermionic framework, distinguishing heavy‑mediator (effective four‑fermion operators O₁–O₄) from light‑mediator scenarios. It translates collider bounds into direct‑detection cross sections, highlighting strong sensitivity for light DM ($m_ ext{χ} \\lesssim 5$ GeV) and spin‑dependent couplings, while showing that light mediators can substantially weaken collider limits and require new dark‑sector states to reconcile signals. The work demonstrates that collider and direct‑detection probes are complementary, with Tevatron data providing some of the strongest constraints in certain regions of parameter space and offering guidance for future analyses and LHC prospects. Overall, mono‑jet channels and spectral information can meaningfully improve DM bounds, and any direct‑detection signal conflicting with collider limits would imply a light mediator in the dark sector.

Abstract

Direct detection of dark matter (DM) requires an interaction of dark matter particles with nucleons. The same interaction can lead to dark matter pair production at a hadron collider, and with the addition of initial state radiation this may lead to mono-jet signals. Mono-jet searches at the Tevatron can thus place limits on DM direct detection rates. We study these bounds both in the case where there is a contact interaction between DM and the standard model and where there is a mediator kinematically accessible at the Tevatron. We find that in many cases the Tevatron provides the current best limit, particularly for light dark matter, below 5 GeV, and for spin dependent interactions. Non-standard dark matter candidates are also constrained. The introduction of a light mediator significantly weakens the collider bound. A direct detection discovery that is in apparent conflict with mono-jet limits will thus point to a new light state coupling the standard model to the dark sector. Mono-jet searches with more luminosity and including the spectrum shape in the analysis can improve the constraints on DM-nucleon scattering cross section.

Figures (8)

• Figure 1: The constraints on the cutoffs of different operators from the CDF mono-jet search data at 90% C.L..
• Figure 2: Left panel: the constraints on the spin-indepedent DM-proton scattering cross section. Relevant experimental bounds are shown as labeled. Right panel: the same as the left panel but for the constraints on the spin-indepedent DM-neutron scattering cross section.
• Figure 3: Left panel: the constraints on the spin-dependent DM-proton scattering cross section for the up, down and strange (bottom to top solid lines) axial-vector operators. Relevant experimental bounds are also shown. Right panel: the same as the left panel but for the constraints on the spin-indepedent DM-neutron scattering cross section.
• Figure 4: The constraints on iDM and exoDM with the DAMA best fit region for iDM as given in Ref. Kopp:2009qt (green, dotted), and in Ref. Chang:2008gdChang:2008xa (black, solid). The DAMA best fit regions for exothermic DM taken from Ref. Graham:2010ca is shown in red (small lower region) and from Ref. Essig:2010ye in blue (small upper region), note that this model uses a light mediator, which will weaken the mono-jet constraints.
• Figure 5: Left panel: constraints on the spin-independent DM-neutron scattering cross sections for different mediator masses. Right panel: the same as the left panel but for the constraints on the spin-dependent DM-neutron scattering cross section.