Results on the Spin-Dependent Scattering of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles on Nucleons from the Run 3 Data of the LUX Experiment

Abstract

We present the first experimental constraints on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon elastic cross sections from LUX data acquired in 2013. LUX is a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Lead, South Dakota), which is designed to observe the recoil signature of galactic WIMPs scattering from xenon nuclei. A profile likelihood ratio analysis of $1.4\times 10^4\text{kg}\cdot \text{days}$ of fiducial exposure allows 90% CL upper limits to be set on the WIMP-neutron (WIMP-proton) cross section of ${\sigma }_n=9.4\times 10^{-41}{\text{cm}}^2$ (${\sigma }_p=2.9\times 10^{-39}{\text{cm}}^2$) at 33 GeV/c${}^2$. The spin-dependent WIMP-neutron limit is the most sensitive constraint to date.

Comments: 6 pages, 2 figures