Descrizione del progetto
Migliorare la sensibilità dei rivelatori di materia oscura
I rivelatori Micromegas sono rivelatori di particelle gassose ampiamente utilizzati nell’ambito di esperimenti di fisica nucleare e delle particelle. Di recente sono stati impiegati nella ricerca di importanti candidati alla materia oscura (assioni e particelle massive debolmente interagenti) nel corso di due esperimenti (TREX-DM e IAXO). Finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto LOBRES si propone di introdurre nuove architetture Micromegas e di sviluppare una nuova elettronica radiopura per ridurre ulteriormente i livelli di fondo sperimentale e la soglia energetica per aumentare la possibilità di rilevare la materia oscura. I risultati del progetto potrebbero avere enormi implicazioni nel campo in quanto dispongono delle potenzialità di stabilire la linea di riferimento per la progettazione e la costruzione di rivelatori a bassissimo fondo per molte applicazioni diverse.
Obiettivo
The nature of the Dark Matter (DM) is one of major open questions in modern physics with two interesting candidates: axions and Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). Axions arise from extensions of the Standard Model (SM) implementing the Peccei-Quinn mechanism. On the other hand, WIMPs appear in well-motivated extensions of the SM, like supersymmetry. Axions and WIMPs could have been produced in an early stage of the Universe and have been extensively searched during last decades.
The use of Micromegas (MICROMesh GAs Structure) readouts has been recently introduced for axion and WIMPs searches and proposed for different experiments: TREX-DM and IAXO. TREX-DM is located in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory and is looking for low-mass WIMPs, in a mass range that is attracting the interest of the experiments. On the other hand, IAXO is a proposed new generation solar axion helioscope with enhanced sensitivity. The low counting rates expected in these experiments require to bring down the experimental background to the lowest levels possible. Another important aspect to enhance the physics potential is to reduce the low energy threshold, that would increase TREX-DM sensitivity to even lower WIMP masses. Moreover, it would make IAXO sensitive to axion-electron coupling values.
The goal of this proposal is to reduce the background levels in order to reach sensitivity scenarios with discovery potential for axions and low-mass WIMPs and secondarily to reduce the low energy threshold. These objectives can be achieved by the use of some innovative aspects like the introduction of new Micromegas architectures and the use of new radiopure electronics. If the objectives are fulfilled, the advancements in the field would be tremendous, it will set the baseline for the design and construction of ultra-low background detectors for many different applications. Moreover, these new developments could be extrapolated to different kind of particle detectors.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinatore
50009 Zaragoza
Spagna