Technique for WIMP dark matter detection using pulse-shape discrimination in noble liquids – Mark Boulay

Date: Tue. March 29th, 2005, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: Rockefeller 221

It has long been known that a large fraction of our universe is composed of non-luminous or dark matter. The effects of dark matter have been observed since the 1930’s by studying velocity dipersions in galaxy clusters, and several direct searches for particle dark matter are ongoing. In this seminar I will present studies for the design of novel detectors for particle dark matter using scintillation pulse shape discrimination in noble liquids. Design of a dual-purpose liquid neon detector (CLEAN) for dark matter and low-energy solar neutrino interactions evaluated with Monte Carlo simulations will be discussed. The projected sensitivity for CLEAN is less than 10^-46 cm² for the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-section, and 1% uncertainty for the pp solar neutrino flux measurement. The general technique of using scintillation pulse-shape discrimination in noble liquids will be discussed, and progress on a small-scale argon WIMP- dark matter experiment (DEAP) will be presented.