Neutrino backgrounds to dark matter searches

Abstract

Neutrino coherent scattering cross sections can be as large as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}39}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, while current dark matter experiments have sensitivities to WIMP coherent scattering cross sections 5 orders of magnitude smaller; future experiments plan to have sensitivities to cross sections as small as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}48}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. With large target masses and few keV recoil energy detection thresholds, neutral current coherent scattering of solar neutrinos becomes an irreducible background in dark matter searches. In the current zero-background analysis paradigm, neutrino coherent scattering will limit the achievable sensitivity to dark matter scattering cross sections, at the level of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}46}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.