Collaborative Research: Continuation of the XENON100 Dark Matter Search at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory

该奖项解决了宇宙中暗物质（DM）的性质问题，并在XENON计划中使用两相氙探测器对弱相互作用大质量粒子（WIMP）进行了实验性直接探测搜索。这项合作目前是在意大利的Gran Sasso地下实验室（LNGS）进行100公斤质量规模的氙100实验。下一阶段将是吨级探测器（XENON1T），其灵敏度目标比XENON100目前的最佳极限高出两个数量级以上，XENON100是目前在地下运行的最低背景和最大质量的直接探测实验。这些资金将使这些小组能够继续进行XENON100实验，以达到自旋无关截面的设计灵敏度，并研究其他WIMP相互作用方案。他们计划在整个2011年至少连续采集一年的数据，以寻找自旋独立和自旋相关的DM，非弹性DM和低质量DM以及XENON100数据中的年度调制信号。更广泛的影响：XENON100科学，解决有关宇宙基本性质的问题，具有吸引学生和公众的兴趣和想象力的所有成分。与技术相关的工作可以通过多种方式影响社会：液体氙成像探测器和相关技术在粒子天体物理学之外的几个领域中找到应用，包括国家安全和医学成像研究。

This award addresses the question of the nature of Dark Matter (DM) in the Universe with an experimental direct detection search for Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs) using two-phase xenon detectors within the XENON program. This Collaboration is currently at the 100 kg mass scale with the XENON100 experiment at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. The next phase will be a detector at the ton scale (XENON1T) with a sensitivity goal of more than two orders of magnitude better than the current best limits from XENON100, currently the lowest background and largest mass direct detection experiment operating underground. These funds will enable these groups to continue the XENON100 experiment to reach the design sensitivity for the spin-independent cross-section and to study other WIMP interaction scenarios. They plan to take data for at least one continuous year throughout 2011 to search for both spin-independent and spin-dependent DM, for inelastic DM and low mass DM and for an annual modulation signal in the XENON100 data.Broader Impacts: The XENON science, addressing questions about fundamental properties of the Universe, has all the ingredients to captivate the interest and imagination of students and the general public alike. Technical-related work can impact society in a number of ways: liquid xenon imaging detectors and related technologies find applications in several fields outside particle astrophysics, including national security and medical imaging research.