Collaborative Research: DRIFT-III: Engineering for A Large Directional Dark Matter Detector

合作研究：DRIFT-III：大型定向暗物质探测器的工程

• 批准号: 1103511
• 负责人: Daniel Snowden-Ifft
• 金额: $ 84万
• 依托单位: Occidental College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-15 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1103511&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; DRIFT; III; Engineering

In this era of precision cosmology, measurements suggest that ordinary matter (protons and neutrons) represents only a fraction of the total matter density in the Universe. The rest, whose effect we can see only gravitationally, is unknown in its nature and is termed Dark Matter. Particle physics models suggest that dark matter is composed of relic Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) left over from the Big Bang. Experimental efforts to directly detect WIMPs are challenging due to the predicted small interaction probabilities and the existence of large backgrounds that mimic the expected signal. However, a number of unique dark matter signatures exist that can be used to discriminate against backgrounds and decisively identify WIMP interactions. The largest and most robust signature is the predicted dependence of the WIMP flux on the Sun-Earth velocity through the galaxy, yielding a day-night modulation of the nuclear recoil direction in the laboratory. Of current searches with directional detectors, the Directional Recoil Identification From Tracks (DRIFT) experiment is a leader, having a decade of experience. The intellectual merit of this proposal resides in DRIFT's unique and powerful capabilities being brought to bear on one of the most important questions in science today. These advances in background rejection, combined with the fact that further limit setting capabilities are hampered by the small volume of DRIFT-II, suggest that DRIFT should scale-up. This award will enable the collaboration to continue running DRIFT-II in the Boulby mine in England. In addition to running DRIFT-IId, these funds will provide hardware for a second detector, DRIFT-IIe.Broader impacts of this work include the training of a diverse set of undergraduates and graduate students (including underrepresented minorities) in increasingly rare small-scale experiments, giving them exposure to a wide range of hardware and software experience. Finally, the DRIFT detector technology has promising applications to Homeland Security and double-beta decay experiments.

在这个精确宇宙学的时代，测量结果表明普通物质（质子和中子）仅占宇宙总物质密度的一部分。其余的，我们只能在重力上看到其效果，其性质是未知的，被称为暗物质。粒子物理模型表明，暗物质由大爆炸中留下的遗物弱相互作用的巨大颗粒（WIMP）组成。由于预测的小相互作用概率以及模仿预期信号的较大背景的存在，直接检测WIMP的实验努力是具有挑战性的。但是，存在许多独特的暗物质签名，可用于区分背景并果断地识别WIMP相互作用。最大，最强大的签名是通过银河系的w夫通量对太阳 - 地球速度的预测依赖性，从而对实验室中的核后坐力方向进行了昼夜调节。在使用方向检测器的当前搜索中，轨道（漂移）实验的定向后坐力是领导者，具有十年的经验。该提案的智力优点在于Drift的独特而有力的能力，这是当今科学中最重要的问题之一。这些在背景拒绝中的进步，再加上进一步的限制设置功能受到少量漂移-II的阻碍，这表明漂移应该扩大。该奖项将使该合作能够继续在英格兰布尔比矿山（Boulby Mine）运行Drift-II。除了运行漂移IID外，这些资金还将为第二个检测器提供硬件，这项工作的行为影响包括对日益罕见的小规模实验的一组多样化的本科生和研究生（包括代表性不足的少数族裔）进行培训，从而使它们接触到了广泛的硬件和软件体验。最后，漂移探测器技术在国土安全性和双β衰减实验中已有希望的应用。