Direct Detection of Dark Photon Dark Matter with the James Webb Space Telescope

Kavli Affiliate: Jia Liu

| First 5 Authors: Haipeng An, Shuailiang Ge, Jia Liu, Zhiyao Lu,

| Summary:

In this study, we propose an investigation into dark photon dark matter
(DPDM) within the infrared frequency band, utilizing highly sensitive infrared
light detectors commonly integrated into space telescopes, such as the James
Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The presence of DPDM induces electron oscillations
in the reflector of these detectors. Consequently, these oscillating electrons
can emit monochromatic electromagnetic waves with a frequency almost equivalent
to the mass of DPDM. By employing the stationary phase approximation, we can
demonstrate that when the size of the reflector significantly exceeds the
wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, the contribution to the electromagnetic
wave field at a given position primarily stems from the surface unit
perpendicular to the relative position vector. This simplification results in
the reduction of electromagnetic wave calculations to ray optics. By applying
this concept to JWST, our analysis of observational data demonstrates the
potential to establish constraints on the kinetic mixing between the photon and
dark photon within the range [10, 500] THz. Despite JWST not being optimized
for DPDM searches, our findings reveal constraints comparable to those obtained
from the XENON1T experiment in the laboratory, as well as astrophysical
constraints from solar emission. Additionally, we explore strategies to
optimize future experiments specifically designed for DPDM searches.

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