Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Neutron production in ($\alpha$,n) reactions in SOURCES4

  Vitaly A. Kudryavtsev, Piotr Krawczun, Rayna Bocheva

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 018 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Neutrons produced in spontaneous fission and ($\alpha,n$) reactions can induce background events in underground experiments looking for rare processes. A number of computer codes are available to calculate cross-sections of ($\alpha,n$) reactions, branching ratios to various states and neutron yields. SOURCES4 code has been used in this work to calculate neutron yields and energy spectra with input cross-sections and branching ratios taken from experimental data and models from EMPIRE2.19/3.2.3 and TALYS1.9 codes. A comparison of SOURCES4 calculations with experimental data from alpha beams and radioactive decay chains is presented.

• Reduction in radioactivity-induced backgrounds using a novel active veto detector for rare event search experiments

  Mouli Chaudhuri, Andrew Jastram, Glenn Agnolet, Samir Banik, Hao Chen, Vijay Iyer, Varchaswi K. S. Kashyap, Andrew Kubik, Matthew Lee, Rupak Mahapatra, Sandro Maludze, Nader Mirabolfathi, Nityasa Mishra, Bedangadas Mohanty, Himangshu Neog, Mark Platt

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 017 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The results of a newly developed annular cryogenic phonon-mediated active veto detector are discussed which shows a significant reduction of radioactivity-induced backgrounds in rare event search experiments. The veto detector is made up of germanium weighing $\sim$500 g with an outer diameter of 76 mm and an inner diameter of 28 mm. The detector can host a 25 mm diameter germanium inner target detector of mass $\sim$10 g. A GEANT4 simulation with the active veto and inner target detector shows a gamma background reduction of 50 - 80% which is further improved (> 90%) with 4$\pi$ veto coverage. Experimental measurements with the detector assembly agree well with the simulation.

• DELight: A Direct search Experiment for Light dark matter with superfluid helium

  Belina von Krosigk, Klaus Eitel, Christian Enss, Torben Ferber, Loredana Gastaldo, Felix Kahlhoefer, Sebastian Kempf, Markus Klute, Sebastian Lindemann, Marc Schumann, Francesco Toschi, Kathrin Valerius

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 016 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  To reach ultra-low detection thresholds necessary to probe unprecedentedly low Dark Matter masses, target material alternatives and novel detector designs are essential. One such target material is superfluid $^4$He which has the potential to probe so far uncharted light Dark Matter parameter space at sub-GeV masses. The new "Direct search Experiment for Light dark matter", DELight, will be using superfluid helium as active target, instrumented with magnetic micro-calorimeters. It is being designed to reach sensitivity to masses well below 100 MeV in Dark Matter-nucleus scattering interactions.

  9 citations

• Measurement of low-energy Compton and neutron scattering in Si CCDs for dark matter searches

  Radomir Smida for the DAMIC-M Collaboration

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 015 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  For optimal sensitivity to low-mass dark matter candidates experiments like DAMIC-M employ skipper charged-coupled devices (CCDs) with detection threshold of just a few ionization charges. Ionization signals from small-angle Compton scatters of environmental $\gamma$-rays, an important component of the background in dark matter searches, must thus be characterized down to $O$(10 eV) energy. Using a $^{241}$Am $\gamma$-ray source, we report a precise measurement of scattering on Si atomic shell electrons in a skipper CCD with single-electron resolution. Notable differences are observed between data and theoretical expectations in the L-shell energy region ($<$150 eV). We also present preliminary data from a skipper CCD exposed to low-energy neutrons ($<$24 keV) from a $^{124}$Sb$^9$Be photoneutron source, demonstrating a measurement of the nuclear recoil ionization efficiency in Si down to few ionization charges.

• The DAMIC-M experiment: Status and first results

  Isaac J. Arnquist, Nicolas Avalos, Philippe Bailly, David Baxter, Xavier Bertou, Mircea Bogdan, Christian Bourgeois, J. Brandt, Arnaud Cadiou, Nuria Castelló-Mor, Alvaro E. Chavarria, Marcel Conde, Nicholas J. Corso, J. C. Gutiérrez, Julian Cuevas-Zepeda, Ali Dastgheibi-Fard, Claudia De Dominicis, Olivier Deligny, R. Desani, Marc Dhellot, Jean-Jacques Dormard, Jordi Duarte-Campderros, E. Estrada, D. Florin, N. Gadola, R. Gaïor, J. González Sánchez, Todd W. Hossbach, Michael Huehn, Latifa Khalil, Ben Kilminster, Agustin Lantero-Barreda, Ian Lawson, Hervé Lebbolo, Steven Lee, Pascal Leray, Antoine Letessier-Selvon, Pia Loaiza, Amparo Lopez-Virto, David Martin, Ariel Matalon, Kellie McGuire, T. Milleto, Pitam Mitra, David M. Martin, S. Munagavalasa, Danielle Norcini, Cory T. Overman, Giorgos Papadopoulos, S. Paul, David Peterson, Alexander Piers, Olivier Pochon, Paolo Privitera, Karthik Ramanathan, Denis Reynet, Peter Robmann, Ryan Roehnelt, Mariangela Settimo, Radomir Smida, Ben Stillwell, Ryan Thomas, Michelangelo Traina, Philippe Vallerand, Tim Van Wechel, Ivan Vila, Rocio V. Cortabitarte, Achim Vollhardt, Guillaume Warot, D. Wolf, Rachana Yajur, J-P. Zopounidis

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 014 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The DAMIC-M (DArk Matter In CCDs at Modane) experiment employs thick, fully depleted silicon charged-coupled devices (CCDs) to search for dark matter particles with a target exposure of 1 kg-year. A novel skipper readout implemented in the CCDs provides single electron resolution through multiple non-destructive measurements of the individual pixel charge, pushing the detection threshold to the eV-scale. DAMIC-M will advance by several orders of magnitude the exploration of the dark matter particle hypothesis, in particular of candidates pertaining to the so-called "hidden sector." A prototype, the Low Background Chamber (LBC), with 20g of low background Skipper CCDs, has been recently installed at Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane and is currently taking data. We will report the status of the DAMIC-M experiment and first results obtained with LBC commissioning data.

  3 citations

• Latest observations on the low energy excess in CRESST-III

  G. Angloher, S. Banik, G. Benato, A. Bento, A. Bertolini, R. Breier, C. Bucci, L. Canonica, A. D'Addabbo, S. Di Lorenzo, L. Einfalt, A. Erb, F. von Feilitzsch, N. Ferreiro Iachellini, S. Fichtinger, D. Fuchs, A. Fuss, A. Garai, V. M. Ghete, S. Gerster, P. Gorla, P. V. Guillaumon, S. Gupta, D. Hauff, M. Ješkovský, J. Jochum, M. Kaznacheeva, A. Kinast, H. Kluck, H. Kraus, A. Langenkämper, M. Mancuso, L. Marini, L. Meyer, V. Mokina, A. Nilima, M. Olmi, T. Ortmann, C. Pagliarone, L. Pattavina, F. Petricca, W. Potzel, P. Povinec, F. Pröbst, F. Pucci, F. Reindl, J. Rothe, K. Schäffner, J. Schieck, D. Schmiedmayer, S. Schönert, C. Schwertner, M. Stahlberg, L. Stodolsky, C. Strandhagen, R. Strauss, I. Usherov, F. Wagner, M. Willers, V. Zema

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 013 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The CRESST experiment observes an unexplained excess of events at low energies. In the current CRESST-III data-taking campaign we are operating detector modules with different designs to narrow down the possible explanations. In this work, we show first observations of the ongoing measurement, focusing on the comparison of time, energy and temperature dependence of the excess in several detectors. These exclude dark matter, radioactive backgrounds and intrinsic sources related to the crystal bulk as a major contribution.

  11 citations

• Sub-GeV dark matter searches with EDELWEISS: New results and prospects

  Hugues Lattaud on behalf of the EDELWEISS collaboration

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 012 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The Edelweiss collaboration performs light Dark Matter (DM) particles searches with germanium bolometer collecting charge and phonon signals. Thanks to the Neganov-Trofimov-Luke (NTL) effect, a RMS resolution of 4.46 electron-hole pairs was obtained on a massive (200g) germanium detector instrumented with a NbSi Transition Edge Sensor (TES) operated underground at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM). This sensitivity made possible a search for WIMP using the Migdal effect down to 32 MeV/C$^{2}$ and exclude cross-sections down to 10$^{-29}$ cm$^2$. It is the first measurement in cryogenic germanium with such thermal sensor, proving the high relevance of this technology. Furthermore, such TES have shown sensitivity to out-of-equilibrium phonons, paving the way for EDELWEISS new experience CRYOSEL. This is an important step in the development of Ge detectors with improved performance in the context of the EDELWEISS-SubGeV program.

  2 citations

• The low-energy spectrum in DAMIC at SNOLAB

  Alvaro E. Chavarria

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 011 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The DAMIC experiment employs large-area, thick charge-coupled devices (CCDs) to search for the interactions of low-mass dark matter particles in the galactic halo with silicon atoms in the CCD target. From 2017 to 2019, DAMIC collected data with a seven-CCD array (40-gram target) installed in the SNOLAB underground laboratory. We report dark-matter search results, including a conspicuous excess of events above the background model below 200$V_{ee}$, whose origin remains unknown. We present details of the published spectral analysis, and update on the deployment of skipper CCDs to perform a more precise measurement by early 2023.

• Energy loss due to defect creation in solid state detectors

  Matti Heikinheimo, Sebastian Sassi, Kimmo Tuominen, Kai Nordlund, Nader Mirabolfathi

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 010 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The threshold displacement energy in solid state detector materials varies from several eV to $\lesssim$ 100 eV. If a stable or long lived defect is created as a result of a nuclear recoil event, some part of the recoil energy is stored in the deformed lattice and is therefore not observable in a phonon detector. Thus, an accurate model of this effect is necessary for precise calibration of the recoil energy measurement in low threshold phonon detectors. Furthermore, the sharpness of the defect creation threshold varies between materials. For a hard material such as diamond, the sharp threshold will cause a sudden onset of the energy loss effect, resulting in a prominent peak in the observed recoil spectrum just below the threshold displacement energy. We describe how this effect can be used to discriminate between nuclear and electron recoils using just the measured recoil spectrum.

  1 citation

• Dark matter searches and energy accumulation and release in materials

  Sergey Pereverzev

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 009 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Efforts to identify dark matter by detecting nuclear recoils produced by dark matter particles reveal low-energy backgrounds of unknown origin in different types of detectors. In many cases, energy accumulation and delayed burst-like releases of stored energy could provide an explanation. These dynamics follow Prigogine's ideas on systems with energy flow and the general Self-Organized Criticality scenario. We compare these models with properties of excess backgrounds in cryogenic solid-state detectors, relaxation processes in glasses and crystals, our observations of delayed luminescence in NaI(Tl), and make predictions for more phenomena present in these systems and in superconducting photon detectors and qubits. Experiments to create accurate phenomenological models are needed.