2018 CAP Congress / Congrès de l'ACP 2018

Detection of proton recoils with the PICO-0.1 test bubble chamber (G)*

13 Jun 2018, 12:00

15m

Dunn 101 (cap.82) (Dalhousie University)

Oral Competition (Graduate Student) / Compétition orale (Étudiant(e) du 2e ou 3e cycle) Particle Physics / Physique des particules (PPD) W2-3 Particle Physics VII (PPD) | Physique des particules VII (PPD)

Speaker

Frédéric Tardif (Université de Montréal)

Description

PICO is a bubble chamber experiment for the direct detection of dark matter, and currently holds the world-leading limits in the spin-dependant WIMP (dark matter particle candidate) interaction sector. In order to search for low mass WIMPs (~ GeV scale), scattering on light target nuclei - especially protons - would substantially improve the sensitivity reach of PICO.

In this talk I will present work done with the PICO-0.1 calibration chamber for the detection of proton recoils in this type of detector. First, using C2ClF5 as the active fluid, the reaction ^{35}Cl (n_th, p) ^{35}S was studied by detecting the 600 keV protons via their acoustic signature. In a follow-up experiment using superheated C2H2F4, we could observe for the first time the elastic scattering of low energy 22 keV neutrons and protons. Finally, I shall discuss the sensitiviy reach of the PICO-40L detector filled with hydrogenated target fluids.