Neutrino Backgrounds to Dark Matter Searches

Abstract

Neutrino coherent scattering cross sections can be as large as 10^{-39} cm^2, while current dark matter experiments have sensitivities to WIMP coherent scattering cross sections five orders of magnitude smaller; future experiments plan to have sensitivities to cross sections as small as 10^{-48} cm^2. With large target masses and few keV recoil energy detection thresholds, neutral current coherent scattering of solar neutrinos becomes an irreducible background in dark matter searches. In the current zero-background analysis paradigm, neutrino coherent scattering will limit the achievable sensitivity to dark matter scattering cross sections, at the level of 10^{-46} cm^2.