Mineral Detection of Cosmic-Ray Boosted Dark Matter
Abstract
We present the first dedicated analysis of cosmic-ray boosted dark matter (CRDM) in paleo detectors. Owing to their large kinetic energies, CRDM particles generate nuclear-recoil tracks that extend to substantially larger lengths than those produced by dominant backgrounds from neutrinos and intrinsic radioactivity. Combined with the ultra-large effective geological exposure of O(105)~t\,yr, paleo detectors provide a uniquely sensitive probe of sub-GeV DM. Considering both constant and vector-mediator interactions, we find that paleo detectors improve the sensitivity to the DM--proton scattering cross section by one to two orders of magnitude compared with the latest XENONnT limits.
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