Resonant enhancements in weakly interacting massive particle capture by the earth

TLDR

The paper derives exact formulas for capturing weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) by massive bodies, emphasizing the importance near iron masses where previous limits were weak. It finds that WIMP capture by Earth is greatly enhanced when the WIMP mass matches that of abundant terrestrial nuclei, boosting capture rates for Dirac neutrino WIMPs by up to 300× and producing stronger annihilation signals than the Sun alone across a wide mass range. Published in The Astrophysical Journal (Oct 1987, DOI 10.1086/165653).

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (489) References (15) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Resonant Enhancements in Weakly Interacting Massive Particle Capture by the Earth Gould, Andrew Abstract The exact formulas for the capture of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) by a massive body are derived. Capture by the earth is found to be significantly enhanced whenever the WIMP mass is roughly equal to the nuclear mass of an element present in the earth in large quantities. For Dirac neutrino WIMPs of mass 10-90 GeV, the capture rate is 10-300 times that previously believed. Capture rates for the sun are also recalculated and found to be from 1.5 times higher to 3 times lower than previously believed, depending on the mass and type of WIMP. The earth alone or the earth in combination with the sun is found to give a much stronger annihilation signal from Dirac neutrino WIMPs than the sun alone over a very large mass range. This is particularly important in the neighborhood of the mass of iron where previous analyses could not set any significant limits. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: October 1987 DOI: 10.1086/165653 Bibcode: 1987ApJ...321..571G Keywords: Capture Effect; Earth Environment; Elementary Particle Interactions; Particle Mass; Resonance; Weak Interactions (Field Theory); Dirac Equation; Neutrinos; Solar Temperature; Space Radiation; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; NEUTRINOS full text sources ADS |