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Investigating sub-MeV dark matter annihilation to neutrinos using direct detection experiments

Boris Betancourt Kamenetskaia1,2,3,*, Jong-Chul Park4,†, Merlin Reichard2,‡, and Gaurav Tomar5,§

  • *Contact author: laybors@ibs.re.kr
  • †Contact author: jcpark@cnu.ac.kr
  • ‡Contact author: m.reichard@tum.de
  • §Contact author: tomar@ktu.edu.in
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 055019 – Published 15 September, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/tzv8-53rz

Abstract

Dark matter (DM) could self-annihilate into neutrinos in dense regions of the Universe. We consider the resulting flux of neutrinos from the Milky Way DM halo and derive exclusion limits on the annihilation cross section using XENONnT electron recoil data. Assuming a J factor independent of the annihilation cross section, we find leading limits for DM masses below O(MeV). Self-annihilating DM affects the DM halo via dissolution, introducing a cross-section dependency on the halo profile and thus the J factor. We discuss such a situation in more detail, finding that the signal rate is below the experimental sensitivity of XENONnT, leaving the annihilation cross section unconstrained.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 055019– Published 15 September, 2025
  • Received 20 May 2025
  • Accepted 21 August 2025
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