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Cosmic Ray Boosted Dark Matter in COSINUS: Modeling and Constraints

G. Angloher, M. R. Bharadwaj, A. Böhmer, M. Cababie, I. Colantoni, I. Dafinei, N. Di Marco, C. Dittmar, F. Ferella, F. Ferroni, S. Fichtinger, A. Filipponi, T. Frank, M. Friedl, D. Fuchs, L. Gai, M. Gapp, M. Heikinheimo, M. N. Hughes, K. Huitu, M. Kellermann, R. Maji, M. Mancuso, L. Pagnanini, F. Petricca, S. Pirro, F. Pröbst, G. Profeta, A. Puiu, F. Reindl, K. Schäffner, J. Schieck, P. Schreiner, C. Schwertner, P. Settembri, K. Shera, M. Stahlberg, A. Stendahl, M. Stukel, C. Tresca, S. Yue, V. Zema, Y. Zhu, N. Zimmermann

Abstract

Direct detection of nuclear recoils due to sub-GeV dark matter is challenging because of the small kinetic energy of the light dark matter particles. Although limits down to a few hundred MeV have been reached using specially designed low threshold detectors, further improvements are now constrained more by background event rates than by energy thresholds. However, constraints down to sub-MeV dark matter masses can still be obtained through the boosted dark matter framework. In this scenario, high-energy cosmic rays or neutrinos scatter off dark matter particles, imparting additional kinetic energy and boosting them beyond the typical velocities expected from the non-relativistic dark matter halo. These boosted dark matter particles can then be detected even by experiments with higher energy thresholds. In this work, we present a catalog of dark matter - nucleon scattering cross sections corresponding to a heavy mediator limit for spin zero, one half and one dark matter and for scalar and vector mediators with even or odd parity. Based on these results, we present projected constraints on the dark matter - nucleon cross section for the COSINUS experiment, assuming an exposure of 100 kg d, demonstrating the potential sensitivity to sub-GeV boosted dark matter.

Cosmic Ray Boosted Dark Matter in COSINUS: Modeling and Constraints

Abstract

Direct detection of nuclear recoils due to sub-GeV dark matter is challenging because of the small kinetic energy of the light dark matter particles. Although limits down to a few hundred MeV have been reached using specially designed low threshold detectors, further improvements are now constrained more by background event rates than by energy thresholds. However, constraints down to sub-MeV dark matter masses can still be obtained through the boosted dark matter framework. In this scenario, high-energy cosmic rays or neutrinos scatter off dark matter particles, imparting additional kinetic energy and boosting them beyond the typical velocities expected from the non-relativistic dark matter halo. These boosted dark matter particles can then be detected even by experiments with higher energy thresholds. In this work, we present a catalog of dark matter - nucleon scattering cross sections corresponding to a heavy mediator limit for spin zero, one half and one dark matter and for scalar and vector mediators with even or odd parity. Based on these results, we present projected constraints on the dark matter - nucleon cross section for the COSINUS experiment, assuming an exposure of 100 kg d, demonstrating the potential sensitivity to sub-GeV boosted dark matter.
Paper Structure (16 sections, 44 equations, 16 figures)

This paper contains 16 sections, 44 equations, 16 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Boosted Dark matter flux
  3. Boosted Dark matter scattering in the detector
  4. Event rate
  5. Attenuation effects
  6. Statistical Evaluation
  7. Results
  8. Fermion Dark matter constrains
  9. Scalar Dark matter constrains
  10. Vector Dark matter constrains
  11. Boosted Dark matter from DSNB
  12. Conclusion
  13. Cross section formalism
  14. Fermion DM
  15. Scalar DM
  16. ...and 1 more sections

Figures (16)

  • Figure 1: BDM flux for fermion DM considering the different heavy mediator cases as well as the energy independent interaction (blue). The mediators include scalar (red), vector(green), pseudoscalar (beige) and axial vector (brown). The BDM flux are obtained from equations \ref{['eq:constCrossSection']} - \ref{['eq:FMAVBCrossSection']} and \ref{['eq:fluxBDM']}. The reference cross section is chosen as $\bar{\sigma}_{\chi i} = 10^{-30}\,\mathrm{cm}^2$ and the DM mass $m_\chi = 0.1GeV$.
  • Figure 2: Expected light fermion DM bounds for COSINUS with 100 kg d exposure for energy independent (blue) and heavy mediator interactions. The latter is for scalar (red), vector (green), pseudoscalar (beige) and axial vector (brown) mediators, respectively. The shaded areas show the 90% confidence level uncertainty in the expected limit, as explained in section \ref{['sec:StatEval']}. The results are portrayed in comparison to the strongest BDM results, obtained by LZ LZ:2025iaw. In addition, we include the limits obtained by CRESST-III CRESST:2024cpr.
  • Figure 3: Expected light scalar DM bounds for COSINUS with 100 kg d exposure for energy independent (blue) and heavy mediator interactions. The latter is for scalar (red), vector (green), pseudoscalar (beige) and axial vector (brown) mediators, respectively. The shaded areas show the 90% uncertainty in the expected limit. The results are portrayed in comparison to the strongest BDM results, obtained by LZ LZ:2025iaw. In addition, we include the limits obtained by CRESST-III CRESST:2024cpr.
  • Figure 4: Expected light vector DM bounds for COSINUS with 100 kg d exposure for energy independent (blue) and heavy mediator interactions. The latter is for scalar (red), vector (green), pseudoscalar (beige) and axial vector (brown) mediators, respectively. The shaded areas show the 90% uncertainty in the expected limit. The results are portrayed in comparison to the strongest BDM results, obtained by LZ LZ:2025iaw. In addition, we include the limits obtained by CRESST-III CRESST:2024cpr.
  • Figure 5: Same as figure \ref{['fig:fluxBDMNucleons']} but in addition with DSNB contributions, labelled by $\nu$. The cross section is chosen to be $\bar{\sigma}_{\chi i} = \bar{\sigma}_{\chi \nu} = 10^{-30}\,\mathrm{cm}^2$ and the DM mass $m_\chi = 0.1GeV$.
  • ...and 11 more figures