Impact of going beyond the Maxwell distribution in direct dark matter detection rates
- University of Cyprus, Nicosia, CY-1678 (Cyprus)
- Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)
We consider direct dark matter detection rates and investigate the difference between a standard Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution and a ''realistic'' distribution like the ones extracted from numerical N-body simulations. Sizable differences are observed when such results are compared to the standard Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. For a light target both the total rate and the annual modulation are reduced by {approx}25%. For a heavy target the total rate is virtually unchanged, whereas the annual modulation is modified by up to 50%, depending on the weakly interacting massive particle mass and detector energy threshold. We also consider the effect of a possible velocity anisotropy, and the effect is found to be largest for a light target. For the realistic velocity distribution the anisotropy may reduce the annual modulation, in contrast to the Maxwell-Boltzmann case.
- OSTI ID:
- 21035797
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 77, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.77.023509; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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