Speaker
Description
The search for dark matter with liquid argon detectors critically depends on a precise modeling of the ionization response to nuclear recoils. We present a unified analysis of ionization data from the ReD experiment, in combination with existing measurements from DarkSide-50, ARIS, and SCENE. This combined approach allows us to place stronger constraints on electron-ion recombination and screening effects, refining the ionization response model for nuclear recoils. Integrating this improved model into the DarkSide analysis framework leads to significantly enhanced sensitivity to low-mass WIMPs. In particular, we report updated exclusion limits that improve upon previous DarkSide-50 results, setting new world-leading constraints in the 1–3 GeV/c$^2$ mass range. Additionally, we present updated sensitivity projections for the next-generation DarkSide-20k detector, highlighting its enhanced potential for probing low-mass dark matter interactions.
