233 research outputs found
Gas Gains Over 10 and Optimisation using Fe X-rays in Low Pressure SF with a Novel Multi-Mesh ThGEM for Directional Dark Matter Searches
The Negative Ion Drift (NID) gas SF has favourable properties for track
reconstruction in directional Dark Matter (DM) searches utilising low pressure
gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs). However, the electronegative nature of
the gas means that it is more difficult to achieve significant gas gains with
regular Thick Gaseous Electron Multipliers (ThGEMs). Typically, the maximum
attainable gas gain in SF and other Negative Ion (NI) gas mixtures,
previously achieved with an Fe X-ray source or electron beam, is on the
order of ; whereas electron drift gases like CF and similar mixtures
are readily capable of reaching gas gains on the order of or greater. In
this paper, a novel two stage Multi-Mesh ThGEM (MMThGEM) structure is
presented. The MMThGEM was used to amplify charge liberated by an Fe
X-ray source in 40 Torr of SF. By expanding on previously demonstrated
results, the device was pushed to its sparking limit and stable gas gains up to
50000 were observed. The device was further optimised by varying the
field strengths of both the collection and transfer regions in isolation.
Following this optimisation procedure, the device was able to produce a maximum
stable gas gain of 90000. These results demonstrate an order of magnitude
improvement in gain with the NID gas over previously reported values and
ultimately benefits the sensitivity of a NITPC to low energy recoils in the
context of a directional DM search
Molecular sieve vacuum swing adsorption purification and radon reduction system for gaseous dark matter and rare-event detectors
In the field of directional dark matter experiments, SF6 has emerged as an
ideal target gas. A critical challenge with this gas, and with other proposed
gases, is the effective removal of contaminant gases. This includes radon which
produce unwanted background events, but also common pollutants such as water,
oxygen, and nitrogen, which can capture ionisation electrons, resulting in loss
of detector gas gain over time. We present here a novel molecular sieve (MS)
based gas recycling system for the simultaneous removal of both radon and
common pollutants from SF6. The apparatus has the additional benefit of
minimising gas required in experiments and utilises a Vacuum Swing Adsorption
(VSA) technique for continuous, long-term operation. The gas system's
capabilities were tested with a 100 L low-pressure SF6 Time Projection Chamber
(TPC) detector. For the first time, we present a newly developed
low-radioactive MS type 5A. This material was found to emanate radon at 98%
less per radon captured compared to commercial counterparts, the lowest known
MS emanation at the time of writing. Consequently, the radon activity in the
TPC detector was reduced, with an upper limit of less than 7.2 mBq at a 95%
confidence level (C.L.). Incorporation of MS types 3A and 4A to absorb common
pollutants was found successfully to mitigate against gain deterioration while
recycling the target gas
Demonstration of ThGEM-multiwire hybrid charge readout for directional dark matter searches
Sensitivities of current directional dark matter search detectors using gas time projection chambers are now constrained by target mass. A ton-scale gas TPC detector will require large charge readout areas. We present a first demonstration of a novel ThGEM-Multiwire hybrid charge readout technology which combines the robust nature and high gas gain of Thick Gaseous Electron Multipliers with lower capacitive noise of a one-plane multiwire charge readout in SF6 target gas. Measurements performed with this hybrid detector show an ion drift velocity of 139 ± 12 ms−1 in a reduced drift field E/N of 93 Td (10−17 V cm2) at a gas gain of 2470±160 in 20 Torr of pure SF6 target gas
Charge amplification in sub-atmospheric CF4:He mixtures for directional dark matter searches
Low pressure gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) are a viable technology for directional Dark Matter (DM) searches and have the potential for exploring the parameter space below the neutrino fog [1,2]. Gases like CF4 are advantageous because they contain flourine which is predicted to have heightened elastic scattering rates with a possible Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) DM candidate [3,4,5]. The low pressure of CF4 must be maintained, ideally lower than 100 Torr, in order to elongate potential Nuclear Recoil (NR) tracks which allows for improved directional sensitivity and NR/Electron Recoil (ER) discrimination [6]. Recent evidence suggests that He can be added to heavier gases, like CF4, without significantly affecting the length of 12C and 19F recoils due to its lower mass. Such addition of He has the advantage of improving sensitivity to lower mass WIMPs [1]. Simulations can not reliably predict operational stability in these low pressure gas mixtures and thus must be demonstrated experimentally. In this paper we investigate how the addition of He to low pressure CF4 affects the gas gain and energy resolution achieved with a single Thick Gaseous Electron Multiplier (ThGEM)
Demonstration of radon removal from SF6 using molecular sieves
The gas SF6 has become of interest as a negative ion drift gas for use in directional
dark matter searches. However, as for other targets in such searches, it is important that radon
contamination can be removed as this provides a source of unwanted background events. In this
work we demonstrate for the first time filtration of radon from SF6 gas by using a molecular
sieve. Four types of sieves from Sigma-Aldrich were investigated, namely 3Ã…, 4Ã…, 5Ã… and 13X.
A manufactured radon source was used for the tests. This was attached to a closed loop system in
which gas was flowed through the filters and a specially adapted Durridge RAD7 radon detector.
In these measurements, it was found that only the 5Ã… type was able to significantly reduce the
radon concentration without absorbing the SF6 gas. The sieve was able to reduce the initial radon
concentration of 3875 ± 13 Bqm−3
in SF6 gas by 87% when cooled with dry ice. The ability of
the cooled 5Ã… molecular sieve filter to significantly reduce radon concentration from SF6 provides
a promising foundation for the construction of a radon filtration setup for future ultra-sensitive SF6
gas rare-event physics experiments
Directional dark matter readout with a novel multi-mesh ThGEM for SF6 negative ion operation
Direct searches for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter could greatly benefit from directional measurement of the expected induced nuclear recoils. Gas-based Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) offer potential for this, opening the possibility of measuring WIMP signals below the so-called neutrino floor but also of directional measurement of recoils induced by neutrinos from the Sun, for instance as proposed by the CYGNUS collaboration. Presented here for the first time are results from a Multi-Mesh Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (MM-ThGEM) using negative ion gases for operation with such a directional dark matter TPC. Negative ion drift gases are favoured for directionality due to their low diffusion characteristics. The multiple internal mesh structure is designed to provide a high gain amplification stage when coupled to future large area Micromegas, strip or pixel charge readout planes. Experimental results and simulations are presented of MM-ThGEM gain and functionality using low pressure pure CF4, SF6 and SF6:CF4 mixtures irradiated with alpha particles and 55Fe x-rays. The concept is found to work well, providing stable operation with gains over 103 in pure SF6
Lowering the energy threshold in COSINE-100 dark matter searches
COSINE-100 is a dark matter detection experiment that uses NaI(Tl) crystal
detectors operating at the Yangyang underground laboratory in Korea since
September 2016. Its main goal is to test the annual modulation observed by the
DAMA/LIBRA experiment with the same target medium. Recently DAMA/LIBRA has
released data with an energy threshold lowered to 1 keV, and the persistent
annual modulation behavior is still observed at 9.5. By lowering the
energy threshold for electron recoils to 1 keV, COSINE-100 annual modulation
results can be compared to those of DAMA/LIBRA in a model-independent way.
Additionally, the event selection methods provide an access to a few to sub-GeV
dark matter particles using constant rate studies. In this article, we discuss
the COSINE-100 event selection algorithm, its validation, and efficiencies near
the threshold
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