Spin-dependent WIMP scattering off nuclei

J. Menéndez*, D. Gazit, A. Schwenk

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

108 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chiral effective field theory provides a systematic expansion for the coupling of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) to nucleons at the momentum transfers relevant to direct cold dark matter detection. We derive the currents for spin-dependent WIMP scattering off nuclei at the one-body level and include the leading long-range two-body currents, which are predicted in chiral effective field theory. As an application, we calculate the structure factor for spin-dependent WIMP scattering off Xe129,131 nuclei, using nuclear interactions that have been developed to study nuclear structure and double-beta decays in this region. We provide theoretical error bands due to the nuclear uncertainties of WIMP currents in nuclei.

Original languageEnglish
Article number103511
JournalPhysical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Volume86
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 7 Nov 2012

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