Abstract
We study dark matter that inelastically scatters and deexcites in direct detection experiments, as an interpretation of the CDMS-Si events in light of the recent LUX data. The constraints from LUX and XENON10 require the mass splitting between the DM excited and deexcited states to be . At the same time, the CDMS-Si data themselves do not allow for a consistent DM interpretation for mass splittings larger than . We find that a low-threshold analysis will be needed to rule out this interpretation of the CDMS-Si events. In a simple model with a kinetically mixed dark photon, we show that the CDMS-Si rate and the thermal relic abundance can both be accommodated.
- Received 9 January 2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.051701
© 2014 American Physical Society