Impact of astrophysical uncertainties on direct dark matter detection

Nassim Bozorgnia, Max-Planck-Institut für KernPhysik at Heidelberg.

In analyzing data from dark matter direct detection experiments, usually the Standard Halo Model with a Maxwellian velocity distribution is assumed. However, very little is known about the dark matter velocity distribution, and this results in significant uncertainty in interpreting direct dark matter detection data. In this talk I will present two different approaches to address this problem. In the first part of my talk I will discuss astrophysics independent methods, focusing on the consistency of the inelastic scattering interpretation of the DAMA annual modulation signal and its tension with the bound from XENON100. In the second part, I will discuss how to use information from kinematical data on the Milky Way to constrain the properties of the dark matter phase space distribution, based on assumptions motivated by the results of N-body simulations. Finally, I will discuss the impact of astrophysical uncertainties on the interpretation of direct detection data.