The Sun as a sub-GeV Dark Matter Accelerator

Understand

Sub-GeV halo dark matter that enters the Sun can potentially scatter off hot solar nuclei and be ejected much faster than its incoming velocity.

• We derive an expression for the rate and velocity distribution of these reflected particles taking into account the Sun's temperature and opacity.
• We further demonstrate that future direct detection experiments could use these energetic reflected particles to probe light dark matter in parameter space that cannot be accessed via ordinary halo dark matter.