UK INVOLVEMENT IN DIRECT DARK MATTER SEARCHES
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Physics and Astronomy
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.
People |
ORCID iD |
Alexander Murphy (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Akerib D
(2015)
Radiogenic and muon-induced backgrounds in the LUX dark matter detector
in Astroparticle Physics
Akerib D
(2016)
FPGA-based trigger system for the LUX dark matter experiment
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Akerib D
(2017)
Signal yields, energy resolution, and recombination fluctuations in liquid xenon
in Physical Review D
Akerib D
(2015)
The LUX Experiment
in Physics Procedia
Akerib D
(2017)
Identification of radiopure titanium for the LZ dark matter experiment and future rare event searches
in Astroparticle Physics
Akerib D
(2018)
Chromatographic separation of radioactive noble gases from xenon
in Astroparticle Physics
Akerib DS
(2014)
First results from the LUX dark matter experiment at the Sanford underground research facility.
in Physical review letters
Bradley A
(2015)
Radon-related Backgrounds in the LUX Dark Matter Search
in Physics Procedia
Horn M
(2015)
Results from the LUX dark matter experiment
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Mount B. J.
(2017)
LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Technical Design Report
in arXiv e-prints
Description | Work conducted in this award was key to the successful development of the LZ dark matter search project. |
Exploitation Route | Improved techniques and methodologies |
Sectors | Other |
Description | IPPP Senior Experimental Fellowship |
Organisation | Durham University |
Department | Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I aim to provide a bridge between the theoretical and experimental community, to the particular benefit of my group. |
Collaborator Contribution | They will provide technical and specialist expertise in helping us make the best use of our data. We have carried out workshops on statistical approaches, for the benefit of the UK community of scientists working in rare event searches. |
Impact | We are developing novel approaches to the analysis of direct dark matter search data. In particular, we are exploring the usage of the profile likelihood ratio analysis techniques, as used in the LUX 2013 resit paper, for non standard dark matter velocity distributions and for more sophisticated interactions than the usual 'spin dependent' and 'spin independent' options - explicitly, we are exploring the impact of various EFT approaches. |
Start Year | 2014 |
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 | AAAS |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The AAAS Annual Meeting is a widely recognized global science gathering, bringing thousands of scientists, engineers, policymakers, educators, and journalists together to discuss the most recent developments in science and technology. Together with the IOP, I organises a specialist session on astroparticle physics. I spoke on 'astroparticle physics - on the cusp of discovery', and explicitly on dark matter searches with LUX and LZ. The conference overall has many thousands attending. My session was to around 150 people. In a separate event (Family Science Day), I gave a talk directed at high-school and younger children. A large number of media reports came form this work. {http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/uoe-dms020516.php http://www.science20.com/news_articles/are_dark_matter_scientists_about_to_prove_its_existence-165746 http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/science-technology/story/196140.html http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/we-maybe-closing-in-on-dark-matter-116021400079_1.html http://science.einnews.com/article/311599879/VlkmFMjCD8Z6thTX http://www.htsyndication.com/htsportal/article/We-maybe-closing-in-on-dark-matter/11474750 http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113412594/we-are-on-the-verge-of-discovering-dark-matter-scientists-say-021516/ http://dudetimes.ga/race-is-on-for-next-breakthrough-as-physicists-target-dark-matter-the-guardian/ http://www.kolkata24x7.com/content/we-maybe-closing-dark-matter http://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/156882/dark-matter-scientists-on-brink-of-discovering-elusive-particles.html} |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2016/webprogram/Session11629.html |
Description | Media item from AAAS |
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 | Media report from a presentation at the AAAS. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://dudetimes.ga/race-is-on-for-next-breakthrough-as-physicists-target-dark-matter-the-guardian/ |