Brack, J., Daw, E., Dorofeev, A. et al. (26 more authors) (2014) Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment. Journal of Instrumentation, 9. P07021. ISSN 1748-0221
Abstract
Low-pressure gas Time Projection Chambers being developed for directional dark matter searches offer a technology with strong particle identification capability combined with the potential to produce a definitive detection of Galactic Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. A source of events able to mimic genuine WIMP-induced nuclear recoil tracks arises in such experiments from the decay of radon gas inside the vacuum vessel. The recoils that result from associated daughter nuclei are termed Radon Progeny Recoils (RPRs). We present here experimental data from a long-term study using the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment at the Boulby Underground Laboratory of the RPRs, and other backgrounds that are revealed by relaxing the normal cuts that are applied to WIMP search data. By detailed examination of event classes in both spatial and time coordinates using 3.5 years of data, we demonstrate the ability to determine the origin of 4 specific background populations and describe development of new technology and mitigation strategies to suppress them.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd and Sissa Medialab srl. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Instrumentation. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Wire chambers(MWPC, Thin-gap chambers, drift chambers, drift tubes, proportional chambers etc); Time projection Chambers (TPC); Gaseous imaging and tracking detectors; Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.) |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Physics and Astronomy (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 14 Nov 2016 16:41 |
Last Modified: | 21 Mar 2018 13:40 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | IOP Publishing |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:106999 |