Seminarium Fizyki Wielkich Energii

Friday 26 Oct 2018, 10:15 → 11:30 Europe/Warsaw

Room: B2.38 (Wydział Fizyki UW)

Aleksander Filip Żarnecki (IFD UW), Jan Królikowski (IFD UW), Katarzyna Grzelak (IFD UW)

10:15 → 11:15 Detecting DM via paleo-detectors

The different experiments attempting direct detection of Dark Matter candidates (DM) provides divergent results. DAMA-LIBRA observed the annual modulation in count rate which suggest existence of DM with M_DM = O(10 GeV). However, other (mostly l. Xenon detectors) put impressive limits on DM in mass range of 15 GeV < M_DM < 500 GeV. There is still possibility that DM are WIMPs, they are either low mass, M_DM < 15 GeV or very heavy.

We propose new DM detectors based on coherent scattering of neutrinos or DM in ancient crystals. Such crystals are available from deepest holes drilled for diverse purposes (depth > 8 km or > 20 km water equivalent). Thus the background due to CR is negligible (with exception of neutrinos). In this new detectors, the target is multi-elemental (up to 10 elements) which provides the signature and improve S/B.

We elucidate the principles of paleo-detectors and describe a few promising methods of the signal detection. We also provide the first estimates of sensitivities, which for low mass DM (LM-DM) extends below the current definition of the “neutrino floor”. For example, for M_DM = 10 GeV our sensitivity is about thousand fold better than for Ge-based or l. Xenon detectors. The problems of backgrounds will be discussed, including the trade-offs when one try use ice from Antarctica as paleo-detector.

Speaker: Andrzej K. Drukier (Stockholm University)

gran_sasso.pdf