UK Involvement in Direct Dark Matter Searches
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Future direct dark matter searches will require instruments with improved sensitivity and complementary targets and techniques in order to claim a discovery, and then move to more detailed studies of the particle properties and astrophysical parameters. UK researchers are in an excellent position to participate in the world leading experiments, with significant progress in sensitivity achieved by ZEPLIN-III (liquid xenon target) and EDELWEISS-II (cryogenic germanium), experiments with established UK participation, and with a recent recruitment to the UK bringing a new involvement in DEAP/CLEAN (liquid argon). We anticipate a leading UK role in scale up to a tonne fiducial mass and beyond, probing the majority of the parameter space favoured by the most credible WIMP dark matter models. This proposal focuses on the technical development work necessary to design the EURECA and LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiments, to mitigate technical risks and improving sensitivity. Meeting these goals will also facilitate the positioning of the UK teams for leadership roles in the construction, operation and exploitation of EURECA and LZ.
Planned Impact
The technologies being developed are state-of-the-art in terms of particle detection and identification. The detection of WIMPs requires technology which can also detect fast neutrons and even neutrinos. These are of interest to many security-related issues and some developments in this direction to look for neutron production and coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering could follow on. The subject of dark matter scores highly in the public interest. So far the public have followed avidly all the evidence and efforts to make detections, in spite of no credible evidence for discovery yet, but a convincing positive announcement would re-invigorate the interest and doubtless attract young people into following science as a career. For the national funding agencies, a detection would allow a new planning regime with clear and more targeted goals for future studies.
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Collaboration)
- University of Coimbra (Collaboration)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (Collaboration)
- Case Western Reserve University (Collaboration)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (Collaboration)
- Daresbury Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of Rochester (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- University of Maryland, College Park (Collaboration)
- University of California, Berkeley (Collaboration)
- University of Sheffield (Collaboration)
- Brown University (Collaboration)
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Collaboration)
- University of South Dakota (Collaboration)
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Stanford University (Collaboration)
- University of California, Davis (Collaboration)
- Yale University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- Texas A&M University (Collaboration)
Publications
Abdallah J
(2015)
Simplified models for dark matter searches at the LHC
in Physics of the Dark Universe
Akerib D
(2017)
Identification of radiopure titanium for the LZ dark matter experiment and future rare event searches
in Astroparticle Physics
Akerib D
(2020)
The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) radioactivity and cleanliness control programs
in The European Physical Journal C
Akerib D
(2021)
Simulations of events for the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter experiment
in Astroparticle Physics
Bailey Adam
(2016)
Dark matter searches and study of electrode design in LUX and LZ
Chepel V
(2013)
Liquid noble gas detectors for low energy particle physics
in Journal of Instrumentation
Malik S
(2015)
Interplay and characterization of Dark Matter searches at colliders and in direct detection experiments
in Physics of the Dark Universe
Rebel B
(2014)
High voltage in noble liquids for high energy physics
in Journal of Instrumentation
Reichhart L
(2013)
Measurement and simulation of the muon-induced neutron yield in lead
in Astroparticle Physics
Scovell P
(2018)
Low-background gamma spectroscopy at the Boulby Underground Laboratory
in Astroparticle Physics
| Description | This was a coordinated R&D award which started out by including separate activities related to LUX-ZEPLIN and to EURECA, two competing next-generation dark matter experiments based on liquid xenon and cryogenic technology, respectively. Early on in this period, and under the auspices of DMUK, the groups involved in this R&D consolidated their effort to work together on LZ. There were also a number of technical developments, including, specifically at Imperial, our study of spurious electron and photon emission from thin cathodic wires at high field in liquid xenon. This work improved significantly our understanding of high-field phenomena in the noble liquids, allowing us to mitigate a significant and long-standing problem related to high voltage delivery to these detectors. |
| Exploitation Route | This work has allowed us to develop effective chemical and electrochemical treatments for the wire-grid electrodes which will be used in LZ (and by others in similar detectors). It is our expectation that these electrodes will have much higher electrical resilience allowing better overall performance. |
| Sectors | Other |
| Description | By scientific community and the media. |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Brown University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Case Western Reserve University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Daresbury Laboratory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
| Department | Particle Physics Department |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Stanford University |
| Department | SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Texas A&M University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of California, Berkeley |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of California, Davis |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Coimbra |
| Department | LIP Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particles Physics |
| Country | Portugal |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Maryland |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Rochester |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Department | Department of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of South Dakota |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | LZ Collaboration |
| Organisation | Yale University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Collaborator Contribution | Management, experimental design, R&D, construction-phase deliverables |
| Impact | Project in design/construction phase, no significant outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | HEP Masterclass |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Attended by some 100 A-Level students and their Physics teachers; included above presentation plus Q&A session and informal discussion. Continual (national) effort to engage students and continue to improve numbers studying Physics (and HEP) in Higher Education |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 |
| URL | http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/naturalsciences/highenergyphysics/even... |
| Description | Imperial News feature (LZ approval) |
| 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 | "New dark matter detector gets green light" - Imperial News feature on the approval of the LZ experiment by the US funding agencies. This was disseminated to UK media organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_18-8-2014-9-47-25 |
| Description | Imperial News feature - First LUX results (online) |
| 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 | "New dark matter detector sends first data from gold mine 1.5km underground" - announcement of LUX results in 2013. This was disseminated to UK media organisations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_30-10-2013-15-31-20 |
| Description | Institute of Physics Astroparticle Physics Newsletter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Article entitled "LUX Draws a Line Under (Some) Light WIMPs" in IOP APP Newsletter |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.iop.org/activity/groups/subject/ap/news/file_40599.pdf |
| Description | ZEPLIN-III detector exhibit & Public Lecture at "Whitby & the Cosmos" exhibition, Whitby, UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector, which operated at the Boulby Underground Laboratory between 2007 and 2011, was adapted for public display at Imperial College London and donated to the Whitby Museum in late 2018 -- where it became the centrepiece of the topical exhibition "Whitby & the Cosmos". I gave a public lecture entitled "Searching for WIMPs under the Moors" on 15 Feb 2019 to open the event. The ZEPLIN-III instrument will be moved to the permanent collection of the Museum once the exhibition comes to an end in July 2019. Both the exhibition and the public lecture were widely publicised in the local media. The Museum received further support from the Royal Society for this event. The exhibition will receive many thousand of visitors over the coming months. We had the opportunity to donate the instrument to the Science Museum in London, but we chose the Whitby Museum instead to honour a town which hosted the ZEPLIN collaboration for two decades. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://whitbymuseum.org.uk/2019/01/09/whitby-and-the-cosmos/ |