Electromagnetic Signals of Inelastic Dark Matter Scattering

Understand

Light dark sectors in thermal contact with the Standard Model naturally produce the observed relic dark matter abundance and are the targets of a broad experimental search program.

• A key light dark sector model is the pseudo-Dirac fermion with a dark photon mediator.
• The dynamics of the fermionic excited states are often neglected.
• We consider scenarios in which a nontrivial abundance of excited states is produced and their subsequent de-excitation yields interesting electromagnetic signals in direct detection experiments.