Abstract:

I will present a dynamical alternative to inelastic dark matter as a way of reconciling the modulating signal at DAMA with null results at other direct detection experiments. The essential ingredient is a new form factor which introduces momentum dependence in the interaction of dark matter with nuclei. The role of the form factor is to suppress events at
low momentum transfer.As an example, I will present a class of models where the necessary momentum dependence arises from interference of GeV mass gauge bosons coupling to nuclei. I will also show that much simpler form factors
become viable in the presence of a moderate "channeling" effect in the DAMA detector. This effect comes from a hypothetical increase in the energy detected from nuclei recoiling along special axes in the detector.