DMDIST

A code to calculate CMB spectral distortions from dark matter interactions

DMDIST computes the CMB μ-distortion resulting from interactions of non-relativistic dark matter particles with Standard Model particles, including elastic scattering and annihilations.
Please cite the companion paper when using this code as part of any published work: Ali-Haïmoud, PRD 103, 043541 (2021) (arXiv:2101.04070)
Please consider also citing the following paper, presenting the original idea: Ali-Haïmoud, Chluba and Kamionkowski, PRL 115, 071304 (2015) (arXiv:1506.04745)
Note that this code is provided "as is" and no guarantees are given regarding its accuracy.
This work was supported by the NSF through award number 1820861 and NASA through grant number 80NSSC20K0532.
  • Python source code: DMDIST

  • Example use: iPython notebook (plus external data) used to make the figures in the companion paper, and the output files below.

  • DMDIST output files for spectral-distortion upper limits and sensitivity forecasts for DM scattering with a single scatterer.
    Columns are DM mass in MeV and "coupling" = σ* in cm2, for μ = 9e-5 (FIRAS limit), 1e-7, 1e-8, 1e-9 (see first 2 lines in file for description):
    proton_minus2.txt: DM-proton scattering with cross section σχp(v) = σ* v-2
    proton_0.txt: .......................................................................... σχp(v) = σ* v0
    proton_2.txt: .......................................................................... σχp(v) = σ* v2
    proton_4.txt: .......................................................................... σχp(v) = σ* v4
    proton_6.txt: .......................................................................... σχp(v) = σ* v6
    electron_minus2.txt: DM-electron scattering with cross section σχe(v) = σ*v-2
    electron_0.txt: ............................................................................. σχe(v) = σ* v0
    electron_2.txt: ............................................................................. σχe(v) = σ* v2
    electron_4.txt: ............................................................................. σχe(v) = σ* v4
    electron_6.txt: ............................................................................. σχe(v) = σ* v6
    photon_0.txt: DM-photon scattering with cross section σχγ(Eγ) = σ*
    photon_2.txt: ................................................................. σχγ(Eγ) = σ*(Eγ/mχ)2
    photon_4.txt: ................................................................. σχγ(Eγ) = σ*(Eγ/mχ)4

  • DMDIST output files for spectral-distortion upper limits and sensitivity forecasts for a DM particle with a dipole moment.
    Columns are DM mass in MeV and "coupling" = αE or αM, for μ = 9e-5 (FIRAS limit), 1e-7, 1e-8, 1e-9 (see first 2 lines in file for description):
    EDM.txt: DM with electric dipole moment 𝒟 = αE e/mχ
    MDM.txt: DM with magnetic dipole moment ℳ = αM e/mχ

    Yacine Ali-Haïmoud
    yah2 at nyu dot edu
    Last revised: January 8th, 2021