Can Heavy WIMPs Be Captured by the Earth?

Details Can Heavy WIMPs Be Captured by the Earth? Can Heavy WIMPs Be Captured by the Earth?

1999-11-16

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9911288v1

Astrophys.J. 549 (2001) 72-75

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

8 pages + 1 figure. Submitted to ApJ

Scientific paper

10.1086/319040

If weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) in bound solar orbits are systematically driven into the Sun by solar-system resonances (as Farinella et al. have shown is the case for many Earth-crossing asteroids), then the capture of high-mass WIMPs by the Earth would be affected dramatically because high-mass WIMPs are captured primarily from bound orbits. WIMP capture would be eliminated for M_x>630 GeV and would be highly suppressed for M_x>~150 GeV. Annihilation of captured WIMPs and anti-WIMPs is expected to give rise to neutrinos coming from the Earth's center. The absence of such a neutrino signal has been used to place limits on WIMP parameters. At present, one does not know if typical WIMP orbits are in fact affected by these resonances. Until this question is investigated and resolved, one must (conservatively) assume that they are. Hence, limits on high-mass WIMP parameters are significantly weaker than previously believed.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Can Heavy WIMPs Be Captured by the Earth? does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Can Heavy WIMPs Be Captured by the Earth?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Can Heavy WIMPs Be Captured by the Earth? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-304161