Improving Dark Matter Searches by Measuring the Nucleon Axial Form Factor: Perspectives from MicroBooNE

Abstract

The MicroBooNE neutrino experiment at Fermilab is constructing a liquid-argon time-projection chamber for the Booster Neutrino Beam to study neutrino oscillations and interactions with nucleons and nuclei, starting in 2014. We describe the experiment and focus on its unique abilities to measure cross sections at low values of $Q^2$. In particular, the neutral-current elastic scattering cross section is especially interesting, as it is sensitive to the contribution of the strange sea quark spin to the angular-momentum of the nucleon, $\Delta s$. Implications for dark-matter searches are discussed.

Comments: Proceedings for 13th International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, Asilomar, California USA