Searching for Dark Matter with the RES-NOVA detector

The RES-NOVA project detects cosmic neutrinos (i.e., Supernovae) via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CENS) using archaeological Pb-based cryogenic detectors. The high CENS cross-section, due to the Pb’s large atomic mass, and ultra-high radiopurity of archaeological Pb enable a highly sensitive, cm-scale observatory equally sensitive to all neutrino flavors. These features are also key for dark matter (DM) direct detection. RES-NOVA plans to conduct a direct detection campaign while waiting for neutrinos of astrophysical origin. Its sensitivity to low-energy nuclear recoils makes it excellent for detecting DM from our galactic halo. Under conventional WIMPs assumptions we project the expected sensitivity to DM particles with masses spanning over 4 orders of magnitude, revealing a complementary role to other existing ton-scale direct searches. Additionally, the relatively high natural abundance of Pb-207 enables RES-NOVA to detect spin-dependent interactions, making it suitable for a wide range of theoretical well-motivated dark matter candidates. This dual capability allows for the search of dark matter particles directly scattering off nuclei in earth-based detectors and, at the same time, their possible imprint in astrophysical neutrinos, opening new intriguing possibilities for the search and characterization of dark matter particles.