Indirect Dark Matter Search with Solar Neutrinos in the DarkSide-20k Experiment

DarkSide-20k 实验中利用太阳中微子进行间接暗物质搜索

• 批准号: 2605169
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Royal Holloway University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2605169
• 关键词: Indirect; Dark; Matter; Search; Solar

The nature of dark matter is one of the fundamental questions about the universe today, at the forefront of physics research. Indirect detection experiments seek to observe evidence of interactions of dark matter particles with protons in the sun, leading ultimately to pair annihilation. DarkSide-20k is an international collaboration engaged in a staged program to develop the next generation of liquid argon (LAr) detectors for low-background searches. The 50 tonne DarkSide-20k detector is under construction in the LNGS laboratory, in Gran Sasso, Italy, first operations planned begin in 2023. DarkSide-20k will have unprecedented sensitivity to detect solar neutrinos, including both CNO and Be-7 components of the solar neutrino flux.This studentship project is to work on development of the first search for evidence of dark matter capture in the sun modifying heat transport within the star, by measuring the relative proportions of the Be-7 and CNO solar neutrino fluxes in the DarkSide-20k experiment. To gain sensitivity to CNO neutrinos, backgrounds need to be understood at levels never before achieved. To do so, world-leading photosensor technology and readout are being developed that will allow the identification of signal and background events whilst also minimising their own radioactive footprint, a key requirement to minimise background events to the dark matter search. This project will develop direction measurement of solar neutrino-induced electron recoils, in order to reduce backgrounds using directionality for the first time in a dark matter search. This project will contribute to building and commissioning the veto detector and develop analysis tools to analyse data. The goal is to develop an indirect dark matter search analysis with flexibility to search for signals of dark matter capture in the sun, including exotic dark matter candidates beyond the WIMP dark matter hypothesis.

暗物质的性质是当今宇宙的基本问题之一，处于物理学研究的前沿。间接探测实验试图观察到暗物质粒子与太阳中质子相互作用的证据，最终导致成对湮灭。Darkside-20K是一项国际合作计划，旨在开发用于低本底搜索的下一代液体氩(LAR)探测器。50吨重的Darkside-20K探测器正在意大利Gran Sasso的LNGS实验室建设中，计划于2023年开始第一次运行。Darkside-20k将具有前所未有的灵敏度来探测太阳中微子，包括太阳中微子通量的CNO和Be-7成分。这个学生项目致力于通过测量Darkside-20k实验中Be-7和CNO太阳中微子通量的相对比例，首次寻找太阳中的暗物质捕获改变恒星内部热传输的证据。为了获得对CNO中微子的敏感性，需要在前所未有的水平上了解背景。为此，正在开发世界领先的光电传感器技术和读数，以便在识别信号和背景事件的同时将其自身的放射性足迹降至最低，这是将暗物质搜索的背景事件降至最低的关键要求。该项目将开发太阳中微子诱导的电子反冲的方向测量，以便首次在暗物质搜索中利用方向性来减少背景。该项目将有助于建立和启用否决权探测器，并开发分析数据的分析工具。目标是开发一种具有灵活性的间接暗物质搜索分析，以搜索太阳中捕获的暗物质信号，包括超出WIMP暗物质假说的奇异暗物质候选。