Detection of WIMP Dark Matter

WIMP 暗物质的探测

• 批准号: 0855525
• 负责人: Richard Schnee
• 金额: $ 39万
• 依托单位: Syracuse University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0855525&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Detection; WIMP; Dark; Matter

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).It will fund the Syracuse University group to participate in the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment and research to develop and test detectors for possible future Dark Matter detection experiments. Observations indicate that 80% of the matter in the Universe is not made of normal atoms, but must be otherwise undetected elementary Dark Matter particles that do not emit or absorb light. Particle physics theories predict the existence of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with just the right properties to be this dark matter. If WIMPs are the dark matter, they may be detectable when they scatter in Earth-based detectors. To detect the low expected WIMP interaction rate, experiments must provide exquisite rejection of interactions from background radioactivity. For most experiments, radioactive contamination on the detector surfaces provides the dominant background. SuperCDMS work concentrates on removing these backgrounds through two methods. First, they will achieve better rejection of surface interactions by event reconstruction aided by detailed simulations of the detector response. Second, the group will reduce the amount of surface contamination, aided by the world's most sensitive detector of radioactive surface contamination, the BetaCage, being constructed with a group at Caltech. Among the broader impacts, the technological development of phonon-mediated detectors has widespread applications in astronomy and physics. Operation and improvement of the BetaCage screener has broader impacts on other rare-event searches and even on the Si-chip industry. Its use for trace radioactive counting applications such as 14-C and tritium radioisotope dating has applications to other scientific fields, many with significant benefits to society. Furthermore, as part of the SuperCDMS collaboration, the group will develop and participate actively in the public outreach programs at the Soudan Mine, which hosts 60,000 visitors and tens of classes each year. Finally, the project will support the planning, development, and construction of a museum exhibit at Syracuse's Museum of Science and Technology that will introduce dark matter to the general public, increasing their understanding of modern science through their appreciation of the wonders of the Universe.

该奖项是根据2009年的《美国复苏与再投资法》（公法111-5）资助的。它将为锡拉丘兹大学集团提供资金，以参与低温暗物质搜索（CDMS）实验和研究，以开发和测试检测器，以获取可能未来的暗物质检测实验。观察结果表明，宇宙中80％的物质不是由正常原子制成的，但必须是未发现的基本暗物质颗粒，不会发出或吸收光。粒子物理学理论预测存在弱相互作用的巨大颗粒（WIMP），其正确的特性就是这种暗物质。如果wim是暗物质，则当它们散布在基于地球的探测器中时，它们可能是可以检测到的。为了检测低预期的WIMP相互作用率，实验必须从背景放射性中提供精美的拒绝相互作用。对于大多数实验，检测器表面上的放射性污染提供了主要的背景。 SuperCDMS的工作集中于通过两种方法删除这些背景。首先，通过详细的探测器响应模拟，他们将通过事件重建来更好地拒绝表面相互作用。其次，该组将减少世界上最敏感的放射性表面污染探测器，Betacage，该betacage由Caltech的一组构造。在更广泛的影响中，声子介导的探测器的技术发展在天文学和物理学中广泛应用。 Betacage筛选器的操作和改进对其他罕见事件搜索甚至对Si-Chip行业都有更广泛的影响。它用于痕量放射性计数应用程序，例如14-C和trip tripium放射性同位素约会，在其他科学领域中应用，许多科学领域对社会有很大的好处。此外，作为SuperCDMS合作的一部分，该小组将在Soudan Mine的公共外展计划中积极发展和参与，该计划每年将举办60,000名游客和数十堂课。最后，该项目将支持锡拉丘兹（Syracuse）科学技术博物馆博物馆展览的计划，开发和建设，该博物馆将向公众介绍暗物质，从而通过对宇宙奇迹的欣赏来增强他们对现代科学的理解。