EDELWEISS-III experiment: Status and first low WIMP mass results

The EDELWEISS-III collaboration is operating an experiment for the direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMPs) dark matter in the low radioactivity environment of the Modane Underground Laboratory. It consists of 24 advanced high-purity germanium detectors operating at 18 mK in a dilution refrigerator in order to identify rare nuclear recoils induced by elastic scattering of WIMPs from our Galactic halo. The current EDELWEISS-III program, including improvements of the background, data-acquisition and the current installation will be detailed. Sources of background along with the rejection techniques will be discussed. Detector performances and a first low WIMP mass (Boosted Decision Tree) BDT- based analysis of data acquired in a long-term campaign will be presented as well

Performance of the EDELWEISS-III experiment for direct dark matter searches

We present the results of measurements demonstrating the efficiency of the EDELWEISS-III array of cryogenic germanium detectors for direct dark matter searches. The experimental setup and the FID (Fully Inter-Digitized) detector array is described, as well as the efficiency of the double measurement of heat and ionization signals in background rejection. For the whole set of 24 FID detectors used for coincidence studies, the baseline resolutions for the fiducial ionization energy are mainly below 0.7 keV$_{ee}$ (FHWM) whereas the baseline resolutions for heat energies are mainly below 1.5 keV$_{ee}$ (FWHM). The response to nuclear recoils as well as the very good discrimination capability of the FID design has been measured with an AmBe source. The surface $\beta$- and $\alpha$-decay rejection power of $R_{\rm surf} < 4 \times 10^{-5}$ per $\alpha$ at 90% C.L. has been determined with a $^{210}$Pb source, the rejection of bulk $\gamma$-ray events has been demonstrated using $\gamma$-calibrations with $^{133}$Ba sources leading to a value of $R_{\gamma{\rm -mis-fid}} < 2.5 \times 10^{-6}$ at 90% C.L.. The current levels of natural radioactivity measured in the detector array are shown as the rate of single $\gamma$ background. The fiducial volume fraction of the FID detectors has been measured to a weighted average value of $(74.6 \pm 0.4)\%$ using the cosmogenic activation of the $^{65}$Zn and $^{68,71}$Ge isotopes. The stability and uniformity of the detector response is also discussed. The achieved resolutions, thresholds and background levels of the upgraded EDELWEISS-III detectors in their setup are thus well suited to the direct search of WIMP dark matter over a large mass range

Model Independent Form Factors for Spin Independent Neutralino-Nucleon Scattering from Elastic Electron Scattering Data

Theoretical calculations of neutralino-nucleon interaction rates with various nuclei are of great interest to direct dark matter searches such as CDMS, EDELWEISS, ZEPLIN, and other experiments since they are used to establish upper bounds on the WIMP-proton cross section. These interaction rates and cross sections are generally computed with standard, one or two parameter model-dependent nuclear form factors, which may not exactly mirror the actual form factor for the particular nucleus in question. As is well known, elastic electron scattering can allow for very precise determinations of nuclear form factors and hence nuclear charge densities for spherical or near-spherical nuclei. We use charge densities derived from elastic electron scattering data to calculate model independent, analytic form factors for various target nuclei important in dark matter searches, such as Si, Ge, S, Ca and others. We have found that for nuclear recoils in the range of 1-100 keV significant differences in cross sections and rates exist when the model independent form factors are used: at 30 keV nuclear recoil the form factors squared differ by a factor of 1.06 for $^{28}$Si, 1.11 for $^{40}$Ca, 1.27 for $^{70}$Ge, and 1.92 for $^{129}$Xe. We show the effect of different form factors on the upper limit on the WIMP-proton cross section obtained with a hypothetical $^{70}$Ge detector during a 100 kg-day effective exposure. Helm form factors with various parameter choices differ at most by 10--20% from the best (Fourier Bessel) form factor, and can approach it to better than 1% if the parameters are chosen to mimic the actual nuclear density.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure

Can annihilating Dark Matter be lighter than a few GeVs?

We estimate the gamma ray fluxes from the residual annihilations of Dark Matter particles having a mass mdm \in [MeV, O(GeV)] and compare them to observations. We find that particles lighter than O(100 MeV) are excluded unless their cross section is S-wave suppressed.Comment: 4 pages. No figure. Values corrected (last column Table.1). Text clarified. Conclusions unchange

Lower limit on the neutralino mass in the general MSSM

We discuss constraints on SUSY models with non-unified gaugino masses and R_P conservation. We derive a lower bound on the neutralino mass combining the direct limits from LEP, the indirect limits from gmuon, bsgamma, Bsmumu and the relic density constraint from WMAP. The lightest neutralino (mneutralino=6GeV) is found in models with a light pseudoscalar with MA<200GeV and a large value for $tan\beta$. Models with heavy pseudoscalars lead to mneutralino>18(29)GeV for $\tan\beta=50(10)$. We show that even a very conservative bound from the muon anomalous magnetic moment can increase the lower bound on the neutralino mass in models with mu<0 and/or large values of $\tan\beta$. We then examine the potential of the Tevatron and the direct detection experiments to probe the SUSY models with the lightest neutralinos allowed in the context of light pseudoscalars with high $\tan\beta$. We also examine the potential of an e+e- collider of 500GeV to produce SUSY particles in all models with neutralinos lighter than the W. In contrast to the mSUGRA models, observation of at least one sparticle is not always guaranteed.Comment: 37 pages, LateX, 16 figures, paper with higher resolution figures available at http://wwwlapp.in2p3.fr/~boudjema/papers/bound-lsp/bound-lsp.htm

Reconciling Neutralino Relic Density with Yukawa Unified Supersymmetric Models

Supersymmetric grand unified models based on the gauge group SO(10) are especially attractive in light of recent data on neutrino masses. The simplest SO(10) SUSY GUT models predict unification of third generation Yukawa couplings in addition to the usual gauge coupling unification. Recent surveys of Yukawa unified SUSY GUT models predict an inverted scalar mass hierarchy in the spectrum of sparticle masses if the superpotential mu term is positive. In general, such models tend to predict an overabundance of dark matter in the universe. We survey several solutions to the dark matter problem in Yukawa unified supersymmetric models. One solution-- lowering the GUT scale mass value of first and second generation scalars-- leads to u_R and c_R squark masses in the 90-120 GeV regime, which should be accessible to Fermilab Tevatron experiments. We also examine relaxing gaugino mass universality which may solve the relic density problem by having neutralino annihilations via the Z or h resonances, or by having a wino-like LSP.Comment: 21 page file plus 9 figures; updated version to coincide with published versio

Final results of the EDELWEISS-II WIMP search using a 4-kg array of cryogenic germanium detectors with interleaved electrodes

The EDELWEISS-II collaboration has completed a direct search for WIMP dark matter with an array of ten 400-g cryogenic germanium detectors in operation at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane. The combined use of thermal phonon sensors and charge collection electrodes with an interleaved geometry enables the efficient rejection of gamma-induced radioactivity as well as near-surface interactions. A total effective exposure of 384 kg.d has been achieved, mostly coming from fourteen months of continuous operation. Five nuclear recoil candidates are observed above 20 keV, while the estimated background is 3.0 events. The result is interpreted in terms of limits on the cross-section of spin-independent interactions of WIMPs and nucleons. A cross-section of 4.4x10^-8 pb is excluded at 90%CL for a WIMP mass of 85 GeV. New constraints are also set on models where the WIMP-nucleon scattering is inelastic.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures; matches published versio

A search for low-mass WIMPs with EDELWEISS-II heat-and-ionization detectors

We report on a search for low-energy (E < 20 keV) WIMP-induced nuclear recoils using data collected in 2009 - 2010 by EDELWEISS from four germanium detectors equipped with thermal sensors and an electrode design (ID) which allows to efficiently reject several sources of background. The data indicate no evidence for an exponential distribution of low-energy nuclear recoils that could be attributed to WIMP elastic scattering after an exposure of 113 kg.d. For WIMPs of mass 10 GeV, the observation of one event in the WIMP search region results in a 90% CL limit of 1.0x10^-5 pb on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-section, which constrains the parameter space associated with the findings reported by the CoGeNT, DAMA and CRESST experiments.Comment: PRD rapid communication accepte

Background studies for the EDELWEISS dark matter experiment

The EDELWEISS-II collaboration has completed a direct search for WIMP dark matter using cryogenic Ge detectors (400 g each) and 384 kg$\times$days of effective exposure. A cross-section of $4.4 \times 10^{-8}$ pb is excluded at 90% C.L. for a WIMP mass of 85 GeV. The next phase, EDELWEISS-III, aims to probe spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-sections down to a few $\times10^{-9}$ pb. We present here the study of gamma and neutron background coming from radioactive decays in the set-up and shielding materials. We have carried out Monte Carlo simulations for the completed EDELWEISS-II setup with GEANT4 and normalised the expected background rates to the measured radioactivity levels (or their upper limits) of all materials and components. The expected gamma-ray event rate in EDELWEISS-II at 20-200 keV agrees with the observed rate of 82 events/kg/day within the uncertainties in the measured concentrations. The calculated neutron rate from radioactivity of 1.0-3.1 events (90% C.L.) at 20-200 keV in the EDELWEISS-II data together with the expected upper limit on the misidentified gamma-ray events ($\le0.9$), surface betas ($\le0.3$), and muon-induced neutrons ($\le0.7$), do not contradict 5 observed events in nuclear recoil band. We have then extended the simulation framework to the EDELWEISS-III configuration with 800 g crystals, better material purity and additional neutron shielding inside the cryostat. The gamma-ray and neutron backgrounds in 24 kg fiducial mass of EDELWEISS-III have been calculated as 14-44 events/kg/day and 0.7-1.4 events per year, respectively. The results of the background studies performed in the present work have helped to select better purity components and improve shielding in EDELWEISS-III to further reduce the expected rate of background events in the next phase of the experiment.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Astroparticle Physic