123 research outputs found
Probing the structure of the cold dark matter halo with ancient mica
Mica can store (for >1 Gy) etchable tracks caused by atoms recoiling from
WIMPs. Ancient mica is a directional detector despite the complex motions it
makes with respect to the WIMP "wind". We can exploit the properties of
directionality and long integration time to probe for structure in the dark
matter halo of our galaxy. We compute a sample of possible signals in mica for
a plausible model of halo structure.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
Simulations of the Nuclear Recoil Head-Tail Signature in Gases Relevant to Directional Dark Matter Searches
We present the first detailed simulations of the head-tail effect relevant to
directional Dark Matter searches. Investigations of the location of the
majority of the ionization charge as being either at the beginning half (tail)
or at the end half (head) of the nuclear recoil track were performed for carbon
and sulphur recoils in 40 Torr negative ion carbon disulfide and for fluorine
recoils in 100 Torr carbon tetrafluoride. The SRIM simulation program was used,
together with a purpose-written Monte Carlo generator, to model production of
ionizing pairs, diffusion and basic readout geometries relevant to potential
real detector scenarios, such as under development for the DRIFT experiment.
The results clearly indicate the existence of a head-tail track asymmetry but
with a magnitude critically influenced by two competing factors: the nature of
the stopping power and details of the range straggling. The former tends to
result in the tail being greater than the head and the latter the reverse.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Astroparticle Physic
Comments on "Limits on Dark Matter Using Ancient Mica"
To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. together with the author's Reply.Comment: Compressed PostScript (filename.ps.Z), 3 pages, no figure
Track Reconstruction and Performance of DRIFT Directional Dark Matter Detectors using Alpha Particles
First results are presented from an analysis of data from the DRIFT-IIa and
DRIFT-IIb directional dark matter detectors at Boulby Mine in which alpha
particle tracks were reconstructed and used to characterise detector
performance--an important step towards optimising directional technology. The
drift velocity in DRIFT-IIa was [59.3 +/- 0.2 (stat) +/- 7.5 (sys)] m/s based
on an analysis of naturally-occurring alpha-emitting background. The drift
velocity in DRIFT-IIb was [57 +/- 1 (stat) +/- 3 (sys)] m/s determined by the
analysis of alpha particle tracks from a Po-210 source. 3D range reconstruction
and energy spectra were used to identify alpha particles from the decay of
Rn-222, Po-218, Rn-220 and Po-216. This study found that (22 +/- 2)% of Po-218
progeny (from Rn-222 decay) are produced with no net charge in 40 Torr CS2. For
Po-216 progeny (from Rn-220 decay) the uncharged fraction is (100 +0 -35)%.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and
Methods in Physics Research, Section A. Subj-class: Instrumentation and
Detector
Unique Signature of Dark Matter in Ancient Mica
Mica can store (for >1 Gy) etchable tracks caused by atoms recoiling from
WIMPs. Because a background from fission neutrons will eventually limit this
technique, a unique signature for WIMPs in ancient mica is needed. Our motion
around the center of the Galaxy causes WIMPs, unlike neutrons, to enter the
mica from a preferred direction on the sky. Mica is a directional detector and
despite the complex rotations that natural mica crystals make with respect to
this WIMP ``wind,'' there is a substantial dependence of etch pit density on
present day mica orientation.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX, 2 figures. Accepted for publication at Phys. Rev.
Let
First Results from the DRIFT-IIa Dark Matter Detector
Data from the DRIFT-IIa directional dark matter experiment are presented,
collected during a near continuous 6 month running period. A detailed
calibration analysis comparing data from gamma-ray, x-ray and neutron sources
to a GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations reveals an efficiency for detection of
neutron induced recoils of 94+/-2(stat.)+/-5(sys.)%. Software-based cuts,
designed to remove non-nuclear recoil events, are shown to reject 60Co
gamma-rays with a rejection factor of better than 8x10-6 for all energies above
threshold. An unexpected event population has been discovered and is shown here
to be due to the alpha-decay of 222Rn daughter nuclei that have attached to the
central cathode. A limit on the flux of neutrons in the Boulby Underground
Laboratory is derived from analysis of unshielded and shielded data.Comment: 43 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Astroparticle Physic
Measurement of the Range Component Directional Signature in a DRIFT-II Detector using 252Cf Neutrons
The DRIFT collaboration utilizes low pressure gaseous detectors to search for
WIMP dark matter with directional signatures. A 252Cf neutron source was placed
on each of the principal axes of a DRIFT detector in order to test its ability
to measure directional signatures from the three components of very low energy
(~keV/amu) recoil ranges. A high trigger threshold and the event selection
procedure ensured that only sulfur recoils were analyzed. Sulfur recoils
produced in the CS2 target gas by the 252Cf source closely match those expected
from massive WIMP induced sulfur recoils. For each orientation of the source a
directional signal from the range components was observed, indicating that the
detector is directional along all 3 axes. An analysis of these results yields
an optimal orientation for DRIFT detectors when searching for a directional
signature from WIMPs. Additional energy dependent information is provided to
aid in understanding this effect.Comment: 14 pages, 1 Table, 8 Figure
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