The ZEPLIN-III Galactic Dark Matter Search

Lead Research Organisation: University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

Please also see the PPARC publicity and leaflets on dark matter. From the earliest times, observations have been made of the Universe. Since 1933 and the measurements of Fritz Zwicky, it has become apparent that the stars, planets, gas and everything else we know of in space, is only a few percent of the total content of the Universe. The overwhelming evidence now suggests that about 1/4 of the Universe is in the form of so called dark matter, and about 2/3-3/4 is dark energy. What the dark matter and dark energy are has become one of the most important questions in science. The best candidate comes from particle physics. Here, our fundamental understanding of the basic building blocks of Nature suggests that all the particles we have ever seen, such as electrons, quarks and neutrinos, are in fact only half of all the particles that are 'out there'. In addition, there are 'supersymmetric' particles, and one of these, the lightest, is predicted to have precisely the properties needed to explain the dark matter. Hence, the prediction is that the stars we see when we look up at the night sky are in fact only a small component of the Galaxy, the content in fact being dominated by a diffuse halo of very weakly interacting particles, known as WIMPs, through which the Sun and Earth are moving. It is the goal of the ZEPLIN-III collaboration to make the World's first direct detection of dark matter and these new particles. The ZEPLIN-III detector comprises an active target volume of 8 kg of xenon, kept cold enough to be a liquid. Occasionally, one of the WIMP particles of the dark matter through which the Earth is moving will scatter off a nucleus of the xenon, and when it does it will generate a small flash of light and the liberation of a small amount of electrical charge. ZEPLIN-III is designed to be able to see these small signals, revealing the presence of the dark matter. The natural radiation of space (cosmic rays) could also do this, and so the detector has to be buried deep underground in a mine. The collaboration proposing the ZEPLIN-III project have great experience in this field. They have already completed the ZEPLIN-I project, are presently analysing data from the ZEPLIN-II detector, and have designed ZEPLIN-III to be the most sensitive dark matter experiment ever. The detector itself has already been built and tested, having been funded through previous PPARC grants. This grant application is to provide funds to complete the required underground infrastructure, shielding and veto systems, and to allow deployment in the Boulby mine and exploitation over a period of 30 months.

Publications

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Akimov D (2010) The ZEPLIN-III anti-coincidence veto detector in Astroparticle Physics

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Akimov D (2010) The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

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Akimov D (2010) Limits on inelastic dark matter from ZEPLIN-III in Physics Letters B

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Araújo H (2009) Performance results from the first science run of ZEPLIN-III in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

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Lebedenko, {V. N.} And Araujo, {H. M.} And Barnes, {E. J.} And A. Bewick And R. Cashmore And V. Chepel And A. Currie And D. Davidge And J. Dawson And T. Durkin And B. Edwards And C. Ghag And M. Horn And Howard, {A. S.} And Hughes, {A. J.} And Jones, {W. G.} And M. Joshi And Kalmus, {G. E.} And Kovalenko, {A. G.} And A. Lindote And I. Liubarsky And Lopes, {M. I.} And R. Luescher And K. Lyons And P. Majewski And Murphy, {A. StJ.} And F. Neves And {da Cunha}, {J. Pinto} And R. Preece And Quenby, { (2009) Limits on the Spin-Dependent WIMP-Nucleon Cross Sections from the First Science Run of the ZEPLIN-III Experiment in Physical Review Letters

 
Description We built and operated an instrument designed to search for the missing 'dark matter' that is thought to constitute about 85% of the matter in our galaxy. Proving the existence of this material would advance both astronomy and fundamental particle physics. Our results are among the best in the world.
Exploitation Route Dark matter searches are a major theme of international research. The leading technique is built upon the work we did in this grant.
Sectors Education

 
Description ITEP 
Organisation State Science Centre of Russian Federation Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics
Country Russian Federation 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We converted the raw plastic scintillator in to a very successful anti-coincidence veto detector upgrade for the project
Collaborator Contribution ITEP contributed ~1 tonne of plastic scintillator. They were also full partners in the project, providing support in operations, analysis, data reduction, etc.
Impact In addition to papers, there is the veto detector itself.
Start Year 2007
 
Description British Science Festival 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Approx 100 people attended a British Science festival event

non known
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Discover channel Canada 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Article in online magazine

none known
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2006,2007
 
Description IOP regional lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Typically IOP regional groups inviting me to give public lectures. Also includes Sellafield. Typical audience 100 people.

Subsequent invitations to British Science Festivals and Lord Kelvin Award (see other entries)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010
 
Description Lord Kelvin Award Lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I was awarded the 2010 Lord Kelvin Award (maths and physical sciences) of the British Association, for my public outreach work, most of which was in the area dark matter. The award includes presenting at the annual British science festival.

Articles in Physics World, and an interview on BBC R4.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Lord Kelvin Award lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation Keynote/Invited Speaker
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Award lecture for the Lord Kelvin Prize of the British Association

Lots of talks, article in physics world, etc.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009
 
Description News paper articles relating to first science run 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Multiple Newspaper articles and interview on dark matter and ZEPLIN-III

This was one of many newspaper articles: Metro Scotland, Edinburgh Evening News; Scottish Daily Express; Vesti (russian online); BBC Radio Scotland live interview; The Herald; The Scotsman; the Northern Echo
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
 
Description THES 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article on the search for dark matter at Boulby Mine in the THES

none known
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
 
Description The Millennium lecture 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Invited public lecture at the University of Bath, part of the Millennium lecture series. Approximately 200 people.

none known
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description radio new zealand 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Interviewed by National Radio New Zealand

Follow up interview with reporter
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2006,2007,2014