Constraining dark matter-proton scattering from molecular cloud ionization

Blanco, Carlos; Harris, Ian; Kahn, Yonatan; Prabhu, Anirudh

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.110.035006

Title: Constraining dark matter-proton scattering from molecular cloud ionization

Journal Article · 06 August 2024 · Physical Review. D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.035006 · OSTI ID:2427019

Blanco, Carlos;

; Kahn, Yonatan; Prabhu, Anirudh

Optically dense clouds in the interstellar medium composed predominantly of molecular hydrogen, known as molecular clouds, are sensitive to energy injection in the form of photon absorption, cosmic-ray scattering, and dark matter (DM) scattering. The ionization rates in dense molecular clouds are heavily constrained by observations of abundances of various molecular tracers. Recent studies have set constraints on the DM-electron scattering cross section using measurements of ionization rates in dense molecular clouds. Here we calculate the analogous bounds on the DM-proton cross section using the molecular Migdal effect, recently adapted from the neutron scattering literature to the DM context. These bounds may be the strongest limits on a strongly coupled DM subfraction, and represent the first application of the Migdal effect to astrophysical systems. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0015655

OSTI ID:: 2427019

Journal Information:: Physical Review. D., Journal Name: Physical Review. D. Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 110; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 2470-0010

Publisher:: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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