Leptophilic Dark Matter in Direct Detection Experiments and in the Sun

Understand

Dark matter interacting predominantly with leptons instead of nuclear matter has received a lot of interest recently.

• In this talk, we investigate the signals expected from such 'leptophilic Dark Matter' in direct detection experiments and in experiments looking for Dark Matter annihilation into neutrinos in the Sun.
• In a model-independent framework, we calculate the expected interaction rates for different scattering processes, including elastic and inelastic scattering off atomic electron shells, as well as loop-induced scattering off atomic nuclei.
• In those cases where the last effect dominates, leptophilic Dark Matter cannot be distinguished from conventional WIMPs.