Measurement of the directional sensitivity of Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber detectors

作者:Deaconu Cosmin; Leyton Michael; Corliss Ross; Druitt Gabriela; Eggleston Richard; Guerrero Natalia; Henderson Shawn; Lopez Jeremy; Monroe Jocelyn; Fisher Peter*
来源:PHYSICAL REVIEW D, 2017, 95(12): 122002.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevD.95.122002

摘要

The dark matter time projection chamber (DMTPC) is a direction-sensitive detector designed to measure the direction of recoiling F-19 and C-12 nuclei in low-pressure CF4 gas using optical and charge readout systems. In this paper, we employ measurements from two DMTPC detectors, with operating pressures of 30-60 torr, to develop and validate a model of the directional response and performance of such detectors as a function of recoil energy. Using our model as a benchmark, we formulate the necessary specifications for a scalable directional detector with sensitivity comparable to that of current-generation counting (nondirectional) experiments, which measure only recoil energy. Assuming the performance of existing DMTPC detectors, as well as current limits on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleus cross section, we find that a 10-20 kg scale direction-sensitive detector is capable of correlating the measured direction of nuclear recoils with the predicted direction of incident dark matter particles and providing decisive (3 sigma) confirmation that a candidate signal from a nondirectional experiment was indeed induced by elastic scattering of dark matter particles off of target nuclei.

  • 出版日期2017-6-14
  • 单位MIT