Searches for electron interactions induced by new physics in the EDELWEISS-III germanium bolometers

Abstract

We make use of the EDELWEISS-III array of germanium bolometers to search for electron interactions at the keV scale induced by phenomena beyond the Standard Model. A 90% C.L. lower limit is set on the electron lifetime decaying to invisibles, τ>1.2×1024 years. We investigate the emission of axions or axionlike particles (ALPs) by the Sun, constraining the coupling parameters gae<1.1×10-11 and gae×gaNeff<3.5×10-17 at 90% C.L. in the massless limit. We also directly search for the absorption of bosonic dark matter particles that would constitute our local galactic halo. Limits are placed on the couplings of ALPs or hidden photon dark matter in the mass range 0.8-500 keV/c2. Prospects for searching for dark matter particles with masses down to 150 eV/c2 using improved detectors are presented.