Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches

Simulations of the neutron background for future large-scale particle dark matter detectors are presented. Neutrons were generated in rock and detector elements via spontaneous fission and (α,n) reactions, and by cosmic-ray muons. The simulation techniques and results are discussed in the context of the expected sensitivity of a generic liquid xenon dark matter detector. Methods of neutron background suppression are investigated. A sensitivity of 10⁻⁹–10⁻¹⁰ pb to WIMP-nucleon interactions can be achieved by a tonne-scale detector.     

Performance of a lithium fluoride bolometer for Tokyo dark matter search experiment

The performance of a 21-g lithium fluoride bolometer is presented. The background spectrum was measured in the surface laboratory. We derive an exclusion plot for the spin-dependent coupled Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) cross section.     

A WIMP detector with two-phase xenon

We describe an important new technique to search for WIMPs. This technique employs a method of background discrimination using double phase xenon as detector target. We describe the construction of a two-phase, 1-kg xenon detector. The detector will be installed at the underground laboratory in the Mt. Blanc tunnel, which provides a low background rate. A comparison between the sensitivity curve of our detector and the theoretical events limit from SUSY calculations is presented.     

Analysis of the XENON100 dark matter search data

The XENON100 experiment, situated in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, aims at the direct detection of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), based on their interactions with xenon nuclei in an ultra low background dual-phase time projection chamber. This paper describes the general methods developed for the analysis of the XENON100 data. These methods have been used in the 100.9 and 224.6 live days science runs from which results on spin-independent elastic, spin-dependent elastic and inelastic WIMP-nucleon cross-sections have already been reported.     

Ionization yield from nuclear recoils in liquid-xenon dark matter detection

The ionization yield in a two-phase liquid xenon dark-matter detector has been studied in keV nuclear recoil energy region. The newly obtained nuclear quenching as well as the average energy required to produce an electron–ion pair from the measurement in Seguinot (1992) are used to calculate the total electric charges produced. To estimate the fraction of the electron charges collected, the Thomas-Imel model is generalized to describe the field dependence for nuclear recoils in liquid xenon. With free parameters fitted to experimentally measured 56.5 keV nuclear recoils, the energy dependence of ionization yield for nuclear recoils is predicted, which increases as recoil energy decreases and reaches the maximum value at 2∼3 keV. This prediction agrees well with existing data and may help to lower the energy detection threshold for nuclear recoils to ∼1 keV.     

Scintillation efficiency for low energy nuclear recoils in liquid xenon dark matter detectors

We perform a theoretical study of the scintillation efficiency of the low energy region crucial for liquid xenon dark matter detectors. We develop a computer program to simulate the cascading process of the recoiling xenon nucleus in liquid xenon and calculate the nuclear quenching effect due to atomic collisions. We use the electronic stopping power extrapolated from experimental data to the low energy region, and take into account the effects of electron escape from electron–ion pair recombination using the generalized Thomas-Imel model fitted to scintillation data. Our result agrees well with the experiments from neutron scattering and vanishes rapidly as the recoil energy drops below 3 keV.     

Performances and prospects of the “ROSEBUD” dark matter search experiment

A cryogenic search for WIMP Dark Matter with small sapphire bolometers through the WIMP scattering off Al₂O₃ nuclei, the ROSEBUD (Rare Objects SEarch with Bolometers UndergrounD) experiment, is being installed in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (Spain) at 2450 m water equivalent. The performances of the bolometers, the radioactive background expected from the measurement of the radiopurity of the ROSEBUD components and the estimated sensitivity of the experiment for low mass WIMP detection are presented.