Exoplanets as Sub-GeV Dark Matter Detectors.

Leane, Rebecca K ORCID: 0000-0002-1287-8780 and Smirnov, Juri ORCID: 0000-0002-3082-0929 (2021) Exoplanets as Sub-GeV Dark Matter Detectors. Physical review letters, 126 (16). 161101-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.126.161101

Abstract

We present exoplanets as new targets to discover dark matter (DM). Throughout the Milky Way, DM can scatter, become captured, deposit annihilation energy, and increase the heat flow within exoplanets. We estimate upcoming infrared telescope sensitivity to this scenario, finding actionable discovery or exclusion searches. We find that DM with masses above about an MeV can be probed with exoplanets, with DM-proton and DM-electron scattering cross sections down to about 10^{-37} cm^{2}, stronger than existing limits by up to six orders of magnitude. Supporting evidence of a DM origin can be identified through DM-induced exoplanet heating correlated with galactic position, and hence DM density. This provides new motivation to measure the temperature of the billions of brown dwarfs, rogue planets, and gas giants peppered throughout our Galaxy.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2024 14:42
Last Modified:	16 Mar 2024 02:52
DOI:	10.1103/physrevlett.126.161101
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3177853