We report results on the searches of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with sub-GeV masses (mχ) via WIMP-nucleus spin-independent scattering with Migdal effect incorporated. Analysis on ...time-integrated (TI) and annual modulation (AM) effects on CDEX-1B data are performed, with 737.1 kg day exposure and 160 eVee threshold for TI analysis, and 1107.5 kg day exposure and 250 eVee threshold for AM analysis. The sensitive windows in mχ are expanded by an order of magnitude to lower DM masses with Migdal effect incorporated. New limits on σχNSI at 90% confidence level are derived as 2×10−32∼7×10−35 cm2 for TI analysis at mχ∼50–180 MeV/c2, and 3×10−32∼9×10−38 cm2 for AM analysis at mχ∼75 MeV/c2–3.0 GeV/c2.
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Agyrotropic electron distributions are frequently taken as an indicator of electron diffusion regions of magnetic reconnection. However, they have also been found at electron‐scale boundaries of the ...non‐reconnecting magnetopause and are generated by the electron finite gyroradius effect. Here, we present magnetospheric multiscale observations of agyrotropic electron distributions in the foreshock region. These distributions are generated by the electron finite gyroradius effect after magnetic curvature scattering at a thin electron‐scale boundary. Meanwhile, the signatures of magnetic reconnection are absent at this boundary. The test‐particle simulation is adopted to verify the generation of the agyrotropic electron distributions by assuming one‐dimensional magnetic geometry. These observations suggest that agyrotropic electron distributions can be more widely formed at electron‐scale boundaries in space plasma environment.
Plain Language Summary
The agyrotropic electron distributions, which could be unstable to generate high frequency electrostatic waves, reveal valuable information of electron dynamics at electron scales. However, due to electron's small mass, the related observational study becomes only possible with the high‐resolution magnetospheric multiscale data. In this study, we show that the agyrotropic electron distributions can be also formed in the foreshock transients such as inside an hot flow anomaly, suggesting that agyrotropic electron distributions are ubiquitous in space plasma.
Key Points
We present the first magnetospheric multiscale observations of agyrotropic electron distributions in the foreshock transients
Accompanied with the agytropic electron distributions, clear signatures of magnetic reconnection are absent
The agytropic electron distributions are formed by the electron finite gyroradius effect at electron‐scale boundaries
In this study, we investigate detailed electron dynamics in strong guide‐field reconnection (the normalized guide field is ∼1.5). This reconnection event is observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale ...(MMS) spacecraft at the center of a flux rope in the magnetotail. With the presence of a large parallel electric field (E‖) in the electron current sheet, electrons are accelerated when streaming into this E‖ region from one direction, and decelerated from the other direction. Some decelerated electrons can reduce the parallel speed to ∼0 to form relatively isotropic electron distributions at one side of the electron current sheet, as the estimated acceleration potential satisfies the relation eΦ‖ ≥ kTe,‖, where Te,‖ is the electron temperature parallel to the magnetic field. Therefore, a large E‖ is generated to balance the parallel electron pressure gradient across the electron current sheet, since electrons at the other side of the current sheet are still anisotropic. Based on these observations, we further show that the electron beta is an important parameter in guide‐field reconnection, providing a new perspective to solve the large parallel electric field puzzle in guide‐field reconnection.
Plain Language Summary
Magnetic reconnection is a universal process that rapidly converts energy from the magnetic field to plasma. The energy conversion at kinetic scales is of particular interest to researchers, as it is directly related to reconnection process in the central diffusion region. In general, the reconnecting magnetic fields do not have to be antiparallel, and an additional magnetic component known as the guide field (Bg) can appear in the direction perpendicular to the reconnecting plane. Recently, observations from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission show a large electric field parallel to the local magnetic field, which is several times larger than the reconnection electric field, can appear in guide‐field reconnection, and impact electrons significantly. However, the generation of this large parallel electric field in strong guide‐field reconnection is still not fully understood. In this study, we suggest that the electron beta (ratio of the electron thermal pressure to the magnetic pressure) is an important parameter in guide‐field reconnection. Only within some proper electron beta range, a parallel pressure gradient across the electron current sheet can form to balance the large parallel electric field.
Key Points
We present detailed electron dynamics in guide‐field reconnection at the center of a flux rope
With eΦ‖ ≥ kTe,‖, the observed electron behaviors can be well explained
We suggest that electron beta is an important parameter for the generation of a large parallel electric field in guide‐field reconnection
We present improved germanium-based constraints on sub-GeV dark matter via dark matter-electron (χ-e) scattering using the 205.4 kg·day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. Using a novel calculation ...technique, we attain predicted χ-e scattering spectra observable in high-purity germanium detectors. In the heavy mediator scenario, our results achieve 3 orders of magnitude of improvement for m_{χ} larger than 80 MeV/c^{2} compared to previous germanium-based χ-e results. We also present the most stringent χ-e cross-section limit to date among experiments using solid-state detectors for m_{χ} larger than 90 MeV/c^{2} with heavy mediators and m_{χ} larger than 100 MeV/c^{2} with electric dipole coupling. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of a new χ-e detection method with high-purity germanium detectors in ultralow radioactive background.
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We report the first results of a light weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) search from the CDEX-10 experiment with a 10 kg germanium detector array immersed in liquid nitrogen at the China ...Jinping Underground Laboratory with a physics data size of 102.8 kg day. At an analysis threshold of 160 eVee, improved limits of 8×10^{-42} and 3×10^{-36} cm^{2} at a 90% confidence level on spin-independent and spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross sections, respectively, at a WIMP mass (m_{χ}) of 5 GeV/c^{2} are achieved. The lower reach of m_{χ} is extended to 2 GeV/c^{2}.
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We report constraints on the dark photon effective kinetic mixing parameter (κ) with data taken from two p-type point-contact germanium detectors of the CDEX-10 experiment at the China Jinping ...Underground Laboratory. The 90% confidence level upper limits on κ of solar dark photon from 205.4 kg-day exposure are derived, probing new parameter space with masses (m_{V}) from 10 to 300 eV/c^{2} in direct detection experiments. Considering dark photon as the cosmological dark matter, limits at 90% confidence level with m_{V} from 0.1 to 4.0 keV/c^{2} are set from 449.6 kg-day data, with a minimum of κ=1.3×10^{-15} at m_{V}=200 eV/c^{2}.
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We present results on light weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) searches with annual modulation (AM) analysis on data from a 1-kg mass p-type point-contact germanium detector of the CDEX-1B ...experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. Datasets with a total live time of 3.2 yr within a 4.2-yr span are analyzed with analysis threshold of 250 eVee. Limits on WIMP-nucleus (χ-N) spin-independent cross sections as function of WIMP mass (m_{χ}) at 90% confidence level (C.L.) are derived using the dark matter halo model. Within the context of the standard halo model, the 90% C.L. allowed regions implied by the DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT AM-based analysis are excluded at >99.99% and 98% C.L., respectively. These results correspond to the best sensitivity at m_{χ}<6 GeV/c^{2} among WIMP AM measurements to date.
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