Collaborative Research: DarkSide-20k: A Global Program for the Direct Detection of Dark Matter Using Low-Radioactivity Argon

合作研究：DarkSide-20k：使用低放射性氩直接探测暗物质的全球计划

• 批准号: 1812547
• 负责人: Hanguo Wang
• 金额: $ 286万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1812547&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; DarkSide; 20k; Global

Multiple astronomical observations have established that about 85% of the matter in the universe is not made of normal atoms, but must be otherwise undetected elementary "dark matter" particles that do not emit or absorb light. 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. Direct detection of WIMP dark matter would solve a fundamental mystery in particle physics and cosmology, providing a unique window to learning about the primary matter constituent of the Universe and of physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. This award is to support the NSF-funded DarkSide (DS) groups for the construction and operation of DarkSide-20k (DS-20k), a direct WIMP search using a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) with an active (fiducial) mass of 23 tons (20 tons).The LAr TPC relies heavily on the utilization of argon obtained from underground sources, or UAr. The planned Aria project for UAr purification may improve the worldwide availability of valuable stable rare isotopes such as O-18, N-15, and C-13, used for various medical, industrial and energy generation applications. The production of hundreds of tonnes of low-radioactivity UAr for DS-20k and for other technical uses requiring detection of Ar-37 for nuclear test ban verification, and Ar-39, for radiometric dating. Special E&O programs are planned with focus on educating K-12 teachers about basic physics and how it relates to dark matter detection, re-starting a summer school experience for high-school and undergraduate students, as well giving research opportunities to undergraduate students at participating underrepresented-minority serving institutions.DS-20k builds on the success of DarkSide-50 (DS-50), operating at LNGS since 2013, which produced two zero-background science results using atmospheric argon (AAr) and then underground argon (UAr) fills. DS-50 demonstrated an 39Ar reduction of 1400 in the UAr. Electron recoil (ER) background was shown to be completely suppressed in the region of interest, with discrimination better than 1 part in 1.5 x 10^7. These results demonstrated the ability of large LAr TPCs to operate in an "instrumental background-free mode" - a mode in which less than 0.1 events (other than actual nuclear recoils from elastic scattering of atmospheric and diffuse supernova background neutrinos) are expected in the region of interest for the planned exposure of DS-20k. DS-20k will have ultra-low backgrounds, with the ability to measure its backgrounds in situ, and sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon cross sections of 1.2 x 10^-47 cm2 (1.1 x 10^-46 cm2) for WIMPs of 1 TeV/c2 (10 TeV/c2) mass, to be achieved during a 5 yr run with exposure of 100 t yr.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

多项天文观测已经确定，宇宙中大约85%的物质不是由正常原子组成的，而是不发射或吸收光的未被检测到的基本“暗物质”粒子。破译这种所谓的暗物质的性质对宇宙学、天体物理学和高能粒子物理学具有根本的重要性。一个主要的假设是，它是由弱相互作用大质量粒子（WIMP）组成的，这些粒子是在大爆炸后产生的。如果WIMP是暗物质，那么它们在我们星系中的存在可能是通过位于地下深处的探测器中的原子核散射来检测的，以帮助排除宇宙射线造成的背景。对WIMP暗物质的直接探测将解决粒子物理学和宇宙学中的一个基本谜团，为了解宇宙的主要物质组成和粒子物理学标准模型之外的物理学提供了一个独特的窗口。该奖项是为了支持NSF资助的DarkSide（DS）小组建造和运行DarkSide-20 k（DS-20 k），这是一种直接WIMP搜索，使用有效（基准）质量为23吨（20吨）的液体氩时间投影室（LAr TPC）。LAr TPC在很大程度上依赖于利用从地下来源获得的氩气或UAr。计划中的Aria UAr纯化项目可能会改善全球范围内有价值的稳定稀有同位素的可用性，如O-18，N-15和C-13，用于各种医疗，工业和能源生产应用。生产数百吨低放射性铀氩，用于DS-20 k和其他技术用途，需要检测用于核禁试核查的Ar-37和用于放射性测年的Ar-39。特殊的E& O计划计划重点是教育K-12教师关于基础物理及其与暗物质探测的关系，重新开始高中和本科生的暑期学校体验，以及为参与的少数民族服务机构的本科生提供研究机会。DS-20 k建立在DarkSide-50（DS-50）的成功基础上，自2013年以来在LNGS运行，其使用大气氩（AAr）和地下氩（UAr）填充产生了两个零背景科学结果。DS-50证明在UAr中39 Ar还原为1400。电子反冲（ER）背景在感兴趣的区域被完全抑制，分辨力优于1/1.5 × 10^7。这些结果表明，大型LAr TPC有能力在“无仪器背景模式”下运行，在这种模式下，预计DS-20 k计划曝光的感兴趣区域内的事件（除了大气和弥漫超新星背景中微子弹性散射的实际核反冲）少于0.1。DS-20 k将具有超低背景，能够原位测量其背景，对WIMP-核子截面的灵敏度为1.2 x 10^-47 cm 2（1.1 x 10^-46 cm 2），对于1 TeV/c2的WIMP（10 TeV/c2）质量，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

项目成果

Low-Mass Dark Matter Search with the DarkSide-50 Experiment

使用 DarkSide-50 实验进行低质量暗物质搜索

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.121.081307
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Physical Review Letters
• 影响因子: 8.6
• 作者: Agnes, P.;Albuquerque, I. F.;Alexander, T.;Alton, A. K.;Araujo, G. R.;Asner, D. M.;Ave, M.;Back, H. O.;Baldin, B.;Batignani, G.
• 通讯作者: Batignani, G.

SiPM-matrix readout of two-phase argon detectors using electroluminescence in the visible and near infrared range

• DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-08801-2
• 发表时间: 2020-04
• 期刊: The European Physical Journal C
• 作者: T. M. C. C. Aalseth-T.-M.-C.-C.-Aalseth-1490633423;S. Abdelhakim;P. Agnes;R. Ajaj;I. Albuquerque;T. Alexander;A. Alici;A. Alton;P. Amaudruz;F. Ameli;J. Anstey;P. Antonioli;M. Arba;S. Arcelli;R. Ardito;I. Arnquist;P. Arpaia;D. Asner;A. Asunskis;M. Ave;H. Back;V. Barbaryan;A. B. Olmedo;G. Batignani;M. G. Bisogni;V. Bocci;A. Bondar;G. Bonfini;W. Bonivento;E. Borisova;B. Bottino;M. Boulay;R. Bunker;S. Bussino;A. Buzulutskov;M. Cadeddu;M. Cadoni;A. Caminata;N. Canci;A. Candela;C. Cantini;M. Caravati;M. Cariello;F. Carnesecchi;A. Castellani;P. Castello;P. Cavalcante;D. Cavazza;S. Cavuoti;S. Cebrián;J. M. C. Ruiz;B. Celano;R. Cereseto;S. Chashin;Wei Cheng;A. Chepurnov;C. Cicalò;L. Cifarelli;M. Citterio;F. Coccetti;V. Cocco;M. Colocci;E. Vidal;L. Consiglio;F. Cossio;G. Covone;P. Crivelli;I. D'Antone;M. D’Incecco;M. Rolo;O. Dadoun;M. Daniel;S. Davini;S. Cecco;M. Deo;A. Falco;D. Gruttola;G. D. Guido;G. Rosa;G. Dellacasa;P. Demontis;S. Pasquale;A. Derbin;A. Devoto;F. D. Eusanio;L. Noto;G. D. Pietro;P. D. Stefano;C. Dionisi;G. Dolganov;F. Dordei;M. Downing;F. Edalatfar;A. Empl;M. Diaz;C. Filip;G. Fiorillo;K. Fomenko;A. Franceschi;D. Franco;E. Frolov;G. Froudakis;N. Funicello;F. Gabriele;A. Gabrieli;C. Galbiati;M. Garbini;P. G. Abia;D. G. Fora;A. Gendotti;C. Ghiano;A. Ghisi;P. Giampa;R. A. Giampaolo;C. Giganti;M. Giorgi;G. Giovanetti;M. Gligan;O. Gorchakov;M. Grab;R. Diaz;M. Grassi;J. Grate;A. Grobov;M. Gromov;M. Guan;M. Guerra;M. Guerzoni;M. Gulino;R. Haaland;B. Hackett;A. Hallin;M. Harańczyk;B. Harrop;E. Hoppe;S. Horikawa;B. Hosseini;F. Hubaut;P. Humble;E. Hungerford;A. Ianni;A. Ilyasov;V. Ippolito;C. Jillings;K. Keeter;C. Kendziora;I. Kochanek;K. Kondo;G. Kopp;D. Korablev;G. Korga;A. Kubankin;R. Kugathasan;M. Kuss;M. Commara;L. Delfa;M. Lai;M. Lebois;B. Lehnert;N. Levashko;X. Li;Q. Liqiang;M. Lissia;G. Lodi;G. Longo;R. Lussana;L. Luzzi;A. Machado;I. Machulin;A. Mandarano;S. Manecki;L. Mapelli;A. Margotti;S. Mari;M. Mariani;J. Maricic;M. Marinelli;D. Marras;M. Mart'inez;A. Rojas;M. Mascia;J. Mason;A. Masoni;A. McDonald;A. Messina;T. Miletić;R. Milincic;A. Moggi;S. Moioli;J. Monroe;M. Morrocchi;T. Mroz;W. Mu;V. Muratova;S. Murphy;C. Muscas;P. Musico;R. Nania;T. Napolitano;A. N. Agasson;M. Nessi;I. Nikulin;V. Nosov;J. Nowak;A. Oleinik;V. Oleynikov;M. Orsini;F. Ortica;L. Pagani;M. Pallavicini;S. Palmas;L. Pandola;E. Pantic;E. Paoloni;F. Pazzona;S. Peeters;P. Pegoraro;K. Pelczar;L. Pellegrini;C. Pellegrino;N. Pelliccia;F. Perotti;V. Pesudo;E. Picciau;F. Pietropaolo;A. Pocar;T. Pollmann;D. Portaluppi;S. Poudel;P. Pralavorio;D. Price;B. Radics;F. Raffaelli;F. Ragusa;M. Razeti;C. Regenfus;A. Renshaw;S. Rescia;M. Rescigno;F. Retière;L. Rignanese;C. Ripoli;A. Rivetti;J. Rode;A. Romani;L. Romero;N. Rossi;A. Rubbia;P. Sala;P. Salatino;O. Samoylov;E. Garc'ia;E. Sandford;S. Sanfilippo;M. Sant;D. Santone;R. Santorelli;C. Savarese;E. Scapparone;B. Schlitzer;G. Scioli;E. Segreto;A. Seifert;D. Semenov;A. Shchagin;A. Sheshukov;S. Siddhanta;M. Simeone;P. Singh;P. Skensved;M. Skorokhvatov;O. Smirnov;G. Sobrero;A. Sokolov;A. Sotnikov;R. Stainforth;A. Steri;S. Stracka;V. Strickland;G. B. Suffritti;S. Sulis;Y. Suvorov;A. Szelc;R. Tartaglia;G. Testera;T. Thorpe;A. Tonazzo;A. Tosi;M. Tuveri;E. Unzhakov;G. Usai;A. Vacca;E. V'azquez-J'auregui;T. Viant;S. Viel;F. Villa;A. Vishneva;R. Vogelaar;J. Wahl;J. Walding;H. Wang;Y. Wang;S. Westerdale;R. Wheadon;R. Williams;J. Wilson;M. Wójcik;M. Wójcik;S. Wu;X. Xiao;C. Yang;Z. Ye;M. Zuffa;G. Zuzel

Effective field theory interactions for liquid argon target in DarkSide-50 experiment

DarkSide-50 实验中液氩靶的有效场论相互作用

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.101.062002
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Physical Review D
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: Agnes, P.;Albuquerque, I. F. M.;Alexander, T.;Alton, A. K.;Ave, M.;Back, H. O.;Batignani, G.;Biery, K.;Bocci, V.;Bonfini, G.
• 通讯作者: Bonfini, G.

Electroluminescence pulse shape and electron diffusion in liquid argon measured in a dual-phase TPC

双相 TPC 中测量的电致发光脉冲形状和液氩中的电子扩散

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2018.06.077
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Detectors and Associated Equipment
• 作者: Agnes, P.;Albuquerque, I.F. M.;Alexander, T.;Alton, A.K.;Asner, D.M.;Ave, M.P.;Back, H.O.;Baldin, B.;Batignani, G.;Biery, K.
• 通讯作者: Biery, K.

Design and construction of a new detector to measure ultra-low radioactive-isotope contamination of argon

• DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/15/02/p02024
• 发表时间: 2020-02-01
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF INSTRUMENTATION
• 影响因子: 1.3
• 作者: Aalseth, C. E.;Abdelhakim, S.;Zuzel, G.
• 通讯作者: Zuzel, G.