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The DarkSide Multiton Detector for the Direct Dark Matter Search

Profile image of Vladislav KobychevVladislav Kobychev

2015, Advances in High Energy Physics

https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/541362
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Abstract

Although the existence of dark matter is supported by many evidences, based on astrophysical measurements, its nature is still completely unknown. One major candidate is represented by weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which could in principle be detected through their collisions with ordinary nuclei in a sensitive target, producing observable low-energy (<100 keV) nuclear recoils. The DarkSide program aims at the WIPMs detection using a liquid argon time projection chamber (LAr-TPC). In this paper we quickly review the DarkSide program focusing in particular on the next generation experiment DarkSide-G2, a 3.6-ton LAr-TPC. The different detector components are described as well as the improvements needed to scale the detector from DarkSide-50 (50 kg LAr-TPC) up to DarkSide-G2. Finally, the preliminary results on background suppression and expected sensitivity are presented.

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Light yield in DarkSide-10: A prototype two-phase argon TPC for dark matter searches
A. Etenko, L. Ludhova, P. Cavalcante, C. Ghiano, Vladislav Kobychev, F. Calaprice

Astroparticle Physics, 2013

As part of the DarkSide program of direct dark matter searches using liquid argon TPCs, a prototype detector with an active volume containing 10 kg of liquid argon, DarkSide-10, was built and operated underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. A critically important parameter for such devices is the scintillation light yield, as photon statistics limits the rejection of electron-recoil backgrounds by pulse shape discrimination. We have measured the light yield of DarkSide-10 using the readily-identifiable full-absorption peaks from gamma ray sources combined with single-photoelectron calibrations using low-occupancy laser pulses. For gamma lines of energies in the range 122-1275 keV, we get consistent light yields averaging 8.887±0.003(stat)±0.444(sys) p.e./keV ee . With additional purification, the light yield measured at 511 keV increased to 9.142±0.006(stat) p.e./keV ee .

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Building on the successful experience in operating the DarkSide-50 detector, the Dark-Side Collaboration is going to construct DarkSide-20k, a direct WIMP search detector using a two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) with an active (fiducial) mass of 23 t (20 t). The DarkSide-20k LAr TPC will be deployed within a shield/veto with a spherical Liquid Scintillator Veto (LSV) inside a cylindrical Water Cherenkov Veto (WCV). Operation of DarkSide-50 demonstrated a major reduction in the dominant 39 Ar background when using argon extracted from an underground source, before applying pulse shape analysis. Data from DarkSide-50, in combination with MC simulation and analytical modeling, shows that a rejection factor for discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils of >3 × 10 9 is achievable. This, along with the use of the veto system, is the key to unlocking the path to large LAr TPC detector masses, while maintaining an "instrumental background-free" experiment, an experiment in which less than <0.1 events (other than ν-induced nuclear recoils) is expected to occur within the WIMP search region during the planned exposure. DarkSide-20k will have ultra-low backgrounds than can be measured in situ. This will give sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon cross sections of 1.2 × 10 −47 cm 2 (1.1 × 10 −46 cm 2) for WIMPs of 1 TeV/c 2 (10 TeV/c 2) mass, to be achieved during a 5 yr run producing an exposure of 100 t yr free from any instrumental background. DarkSide-20k could then extend its operation to a decade, increasing the exposure to 200 t yr, reaching a sensitivity of 7.4 × 10 −48 cm 2 (6.9 × 10 −47 cm 2) for WIMPs of 1 TeV/c 2 (10 TeV/c 2) mass.

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