Extended maximum likelihood halo-independent analysis of dark matter direct detection data
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, 115 South 1400 East #201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112 (United States)
We extend and correct a recently proposed maximum-likelihood halo-independent method to analyze unbinned direct dark matter detection data. Instead of the recoil energy as independent variable we use the minimum speed a dark matter particle must have to impart a given recoil energy to a nucleus. This has the advantage of allowing us to apply the method to any type of target composition and interaction, e.g. with general momentum and velocity dependence, and with elastic or inelastic scattering. We prove the method and provide a rigorous statistical interpretation of the results. As first applications, we find that for dark matter particles with elastic spin-independent interactions and neutron to proton coupling ratio f{sub n}/f{sub p}=−0.7, the WIMP interpretation of the signal observed by CDMS-II-Si is compatible with the constraints imposed by all other experiments with null results. We also find a similar compatibility for exothermic inelastic spin-independent interactions with f{sub n}/f{sub p}=−0.8.
- OSTI ID:
- 22525169
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2015, Issue 11; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1475-7516
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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