Accurate electron-recoil ionization factors for dark matter direct detection in xenon, krypton and argon

Understand

While most scintillation-based dark matter experiments search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), a sub-GeV WIMP-like particle may also be detectable in these experiments.

• While dark matter of this type and scale would not leave appreciable nuclear recoil signals, it may instead induce ionization of atomic electrons.
• Accurate modelling of the atomic wavefunctions is key to investigating this possibility, with incorrect treatment leading to a large suppression in the atomic excitation factors.
• We have calculated these atomic factors for argon, krypton and xenon and present the tabulated results for use with a range of dark matter models.