Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics with Cryogenic Detectors

使用低温探​​测器的暗物质和中微子物理

• 批准号: 1408089
• 负责人: Enectali Figueroa-Feliciano
• 金额: $ 33.75万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-09-01 至 2015-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1408089&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dark; Matter; Neutrino; Physics; Cryogenic

Multiple astronomical observations have established that about 85% of the matter in the universe is not made of known particles. Deciphering the nature of this so-called Dark Matter is 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 galaxy may be detectable via scattering from atomic nuclei in detectors located deep underground to help reject backgrounds due to cosmic rays.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 distinguish them from backgrounds. This work will have a broad impact which extends beyond the dark matter search. The technical developments will further advance phonon-mediated detectors, which have already found many applications in science and technology.This award will provide funds for three activities:-- The SuperCDMS Soudan experiment is currently taking data which will have world-leading sensitivity to dark matter for masses below 5 gigaelectronvolt (GeV). The experiment will continue taking data next year, and the full set of different analyses of the data will take place over the next two years. MIT has taken a leadership role in the low-threshold analysis, and will continue to do so. -- Play a central role in the design, prototyping, testing, and commissioning of the next-generation experiment. -- Develop and prototype new low-threshold, low-background detectors with enough sensitivity to cover all the available dark matter parameter space for masses between 1-10 GeV down to the irreducible background from solar neutrinos.This award will contribute to the training of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, continuing the group's strong involvement in mentoring undergraduates from underrepresented groups by participating in the MIT Summer Research Program.

多项天文观测证实，宇宙中约 85% 的物质并非由已知粒子组成。破译这种所谓的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位于地下深处的探测器中原子核的散射来探测到，以帮助排除宇宙射线造成的背景。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探测 WIMP 在原子核上的罕见散射，并将其与背景区分开来。这项工作将产生广泛的影响，超越暗物质搜索。这项技术的发展将进一步推进声子介导的探测器，该探测器已经在科学和技术领域得到了许多应用。该奖项将为三项活动提供资金：-- SuperCDMS Soudan 实验目前正在获取的数据对于质量低于 5 吉电子伏 (GeV) 的暗物质具有世界领先的灵敏度。该实验将于明年继续采集数据，并将在未来两年内对数据进行全套不同的分析。麻省理工学院在低阈值分析中发挥了领导作用，并将继续这样做。 ——在下一代实验的设计、原型制作、测试和调试中发挥核心作用。 -- 开发新的低阈值、低背景探测器并制作原型，其灵敏度足以覆盖质量在 1-10 GeV 之间的所有可用暗物质参数空间，直至太阳中微子的不可约背景。该奖项将有助于本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员的培训，通过参与 麻省理工学院夏季研究计划。