SuperCDMS 25 kg Experiment

SuperCDMS 25公斤实验

• 批准号: 0705052
• 负责人: Daniel Akerib
• 金额: $ 380万
• 依托单位: Case Western Reserve University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0705052&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SuperCDMS; 25; kg; Experiment

Observations of galaxies, superclusters, distant supernovae and the cosmic microwave background radiation, tell us that ~85% of the matter in the universe is not made of ordinary particles. Deciphering the nature of this dark matter would be of fundamental importance to cosmology, astrophysics, and high-energy particle physics. A leading hypothesis is that it is comprised of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs, that were produced moments after the Big Bang. If WIMPs are the dark matter, then their presence in our Milky Way may be detectable via scattering from atomic nuclei in a terrestrial detector. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) Collaboration has pioneered the use of low temperature phonon-mediated detectors to detect the rare scattering of WIMPs on nuclei and to distinguish them from backgrounds. With this powerful technology, operating deep underground in the Soudan mine in Minnesota, this is the most sensitive WIMP search in the world, and their reach is projected to grow by factor of eight by the end of 2007.This proposal requests funding for the SuperCDMS 25 kg Experiment that will extend the direct-detection reach for WIMP dark matter by an additional two orders of magnitude. The collaboration will combine their preparation for moving to SNOLAB, to reduce the cosmogenic neutron level, with continued running of the CDMS detectors at the Soudan facility. The technical development will push the envelope of phonon-mediated detectors, which have increasing applications. The project will expand its public outreach program at Soudan, transfer its experience to SNOLAB, will continue their involvement in K-12, collaborate with teachers and support promising high school students from underserved backgrounds.

对星系、超星系团、遥远超新星和宇宙微波背景辐射的观测告诉我们，宇宙中约 85% 的物质不是由普通粒子组成的。破译这种暗物质的本质对于宇宙学、天体物理学和高能粒子物理学至关重要。一个主要的假设是，它由大爆炸后不久产生的弱相互作用大质量粒子（WIMP）组成。如果 WIMP 是暗物质，那么它们在银河系中的存在可以通过地面探测器中原子核的散射来检测到。低温暗物质搜索 (CDMS) 合作组织率先使用低温声子介导探测器来检测原子核上罕见的 WIMP 散射，并将其与背景区分开来。凭借这项在明尼苏达州 Soudan 矿井地下深处运行的强大技术，这是世界上最灵敏的 WIMP 搜索，其范围预计到 2007 年底将增长八倍。该提案要求为 SuperCDMS 25 kg 实验提供资金，该实验将把 WIMP 暗物质的直接探测范围再扩大两个数量级。 此次合作将把他们为转移到 SNOLAB 所做的准备工作结合起来，以降低宇宙成因中子水平，并继续在苏丹设施运行 CDMS 探测器。技术的发展将推动声子介导探测器的发展，其应用不断增加。该项目将扩大在苏丹的公共外展计划，将其经验转移到 SNOLAB，将继续参与 K-12，与教师合作，并支持来自服务不足背景的有前途的高中生。