Introduction to directional detection of Dark Matter

• Frédéric Mayet (LPSC)

Short review on directional detection

Progress with DRIFT II and DRIFT III

• Neil Spooner (University of Sheffield)

We present latest progress with the DRIFT II detector and DRIFT III scale-up design. This includes spin-dependent sensitivity results and progress with suppression of radon daughter backgrounds.

Status of the DMTPC Experiment

• Jocelyn Monroe (MIT)

The DMTPC directional dark matter detection experiment is a low-pressure CF4 gas time projection chamber, instrumented with charge and scintillation photon readout. This detector design strategy emphasizes reconstruction of WIMP-induced nuclear recoil tracks in order to determine the direction of incident dark matter particles. This talk will review the experimental technique, and recent surface and underground results from the 10L DMTPC detector.

Status of the MIMAC project for directional detection of Dark Matter

• Daniel Santos (LPSC Grenoble)

NEWAGE

• Kentaro Miuchi (Kyoto University)

NEWAGE is a uPIC-based "CYGNUS-type" DM experiment. I'll cover the NEWAGE detector system, underground measurement status , R&Ds in surface lab.

The Directional Dark Matter Detector (D^3)

• Sven Vahsen (University of Hawaii)

We present work towards a new direction-sensitive WIMP Dark Matter search experiment. The Directional Dark Matter Detector (D^3) will search for WIMP-induced nuclear recoils in gas-filled Time Projection Chambers (TPCs). By reading out the TPC drift charge with Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) and pixel electronics, the primary ionization in the target gas is detected with low noise, good position and time resolution, and high efficiency. These features may allow Dark Matter searches with improved sensitivity, particularly for low-mass WIMP candidates. We will review past experimental results, ongoing construction of second- generation prototypes, and speculate on the prospects of using our detector concept to build a large scale cost-effective experiment. We will also comment briefly on other possible applications of TPCs with GEMs and pixel electronics.

R&D Status of Nuclear Emulsion for Directional Dark Matter Search

• Tatsuhiro Naka (Nagoya University)

Higher resolution nuclear emulsion is possible to detect the nuclear recoil tracks in principle. We are advancing the R&D of nuclear emulsion experiment for directional dark matter search. Especially, new technique for readout of recoil tracks was developed, we did the test of readout of tracks induced by neutron. Moreover we are advancing the development of X-ray microscope system for the analysis of recoiled tracks. In this talk, I will report about the above R&D status and future planning.

Review on non-directional detection

• Benjamin Censier (IPN Lyon)

An overview of non-directional direct detection methods is given. The currently leading experiments for spin independent WIMPs interactions are using simultaneous measurement of two quantities for event-by-event background discrimination in cryogenic bolometers and noble gas like xenon. Besides these, several interesting techniques have been developped, each having a specific advantage concerning e.g energy threshold lowering or strong immunity to ionizing radiations background. Technologies used and most recent results about spin-dependent and spin-independant cases are presented.

Proceedings of CYGNUS 2011

• Frédéric Mayet (LPSC)

Information on the Proceedings of CYGNUS 2011 to be published in EAS Publications Series (EDP Sciences).

Exclusion, Discovery and Identification of Dark Matter with Directional Detection

• Julien Billard (LPSC Grenoble)

In this talk, I will present some of the most interesting apsects of Directional Detection in order to interpret Dark Matter runs.

AMIDAS for Direct Dark Matter Detection Experiments

• Chung-Lin Shan (Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University)

In this talk I will discuss the model-independent methods for analyzing (future) data from direct Dark Matter detection experiments to extracting properties of halo WIMPs. Demonstrations for using the AMIDAS online simulation/data analysis system will also given.

MIMAC potential discovery and exclusion of Supersymmetric neutralinos

• Daniel Albornoz Vasquez (Lapth)

I show results from scans in the MSSM and NMSSM with a neutralino dark matter candidate, analyzed in light of expected MIMAC discovery and exclusion regions. A perspective on other dark matter detection techniques is drawn.

Principal properties of the velocity distribution of dark matter particles on the outskirts of the Solar System

• Anton Baushev (DESY Zeuthen)

Velocity distribution of the dark matter particles on the outskirts of the Solar System remains unclear. We show that under very common assumptions it should be highly anisotropic and have a sharp maximum near $\upsilon\sim 500$~{km/s}. The distribution is totally different from the Maxwell one. We analyze the influence of the distribution function on the results of dark matter detection experiments. It is found that the direct detection signal should differ noticeably from the one calculated from the Maxwell distribution with $\langle \upsilon\rangle \simeq 220$~{km/s}, which is conventional for direct detection experiments. Moreover, the sharp distinction from the Maxwell distribution can be very essential to the observations of dark matter annihilation.

Astrophysical constraints on Dark Matter

• Charling TAO (CPPM and Tsinghua U)

DMTPC R&D

• James Battat (MIT)

The recent underground result from the DMTPC 10L detector made use of images from a ccd camera to reconstruct tracks in two dimensions, and to locate them in the amplification region. No information about the third dimension of the track or the location of the event along the drift dimension was obtained. The use of photomultiplier tubes and charge readout electronics enable both the reconstruction of the third dimension of tracks, and the full 3D position information of events. In this talk, I'll describe our collaboration's recent work in this area, including 3D fiducialization with charge readout alone, and a measurement of the extent of the track along the drift direction using both charge readout and PMTs. In addition, I'll describe recent results from a 20L volume detector that is read out with four CCD cameras, three PMTs, as well as charge amplifiers.

Simulation of the Directional Dark Matter Detector (D3) and Directional Neutron Observer (DiNO)

• Igal Jaegle (University of Hawaii)

We present simulation studies of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs), where the drift charge is amplified with Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) and detected with pixel electronics. The ionization in the target gas is detected with low noise, good position and time resolution, and high efficiency. These features are promising for improved detection of charged particles and fast neutrons, and may allow dark matter searches with improved sensitivity, particularly for low-mass WIMP candidates. We will present ongoing simulation studies, including first sensitivity-estimates for a Directional Dark Matter Detector (D3) and a Directional Neutron Observer (DiNO) based on these technologies.

Quenching factor measurement for Dark Matter Search.

• Olivier Guillaudin (LPSC)

The measurement of the ionization produced by particles in a medium presents a great interest in Dark Matter search. The ionization quenching factor is defined as the fraction of energy released by ionization by a recoil in a medium compared with its kinetic energy. We have developed an experimental setup devoted to the measurement of low energy (keV) ionization quenching factor for the MIMAC project. The ionization produced in the gas has been measured with a Micromegas detector filled with different gas mixtures (He, CF4,...). A new compact and portable ion source will be presented.

Dedicated front-end and readout electronics developments for real time 3D directional detection with MIMAC

• Olivier Bourrion (LPSC Grenoble)

Directional detection of non-baryonic dark matter requires 3D reconstruction of low energy nuclear recoils tracks. A gaseous micro-TPC matrix, filled with either 3He, CF4 or C4H10 has been developed within the MIMAC project. The prototype micro TPC is composed of a pixelized anode featuring 2 orthogonal series of 256 strips of pixels (X and Y) and a micromesh grid defining the delimitation between the amplification (grid to anode) and the drift space (cathode to drift). The location of the pixels fired is obtained by using the coincidence between the x and y strips (the pixel pitch is 350 µm). A front end ASIC able to monitor 64 strips of pixels and to provide their individual “Time Over Threshold” information has been designed. This 64 bit digital information, sampled at a rate of 50 MHz, can be transferred at 400 MHz by 8 LVDS serial links to a processing unit (FPGA). Eight ASIC are used to equip a dedicated auto-triggered acquisition electronics. It is built around a FPGA that provides embedded processing to reduce the data transfer to its useful part only, i.e. decoded coordinates of hit tracks and corresponding energy measurements. The energy measurement is performed, using a flash ADC, by acquiring the output of a CSP monitoring the grid signal. While keeping a very good energy resolution, it offers the possibility to get useful information for track sense recognition by deriving off-line the digitized CSP signal, which is an approximation of the charge deposit as a function of time. The electronics designs, acquisition software and the results obtained will be presented.

Track reconstruction: expected performance for the MIMAC detector

• Julien Billard (LPSC Grenoble)

In this talk, I will present a new track analysis dedicated to MIMAC DAQ. Expected performances about 3D reconstruction (angular and spatial resolutions) and Head-Tail will be discussed.

Future of Directional detection : round table

Status of R&D on microbulk Micromegas for low background applications: the T-REX project

• Igor Irastorza (Universidad de Zaragoza)

T-REX is a transversal ERC-funded project aiming at exploring and enhancing the features of modern TPC readouts for application in Rare Events, like their radioactivity content, topological information, energy resolution, etc... Microbulk Micromegas are leading candidates for these searches for reasons like their lightness and radiopurity, as well as their highly homogeneous response. The latests achievements will be presented, specially those regarding their application to axion physics (the CAST experiment and the future new generation axion helioscope) or double beta decay (the NEXT project). For the former low background, low threshold and high granularity are required, and good energy resolution for the latter. The radiopurity of the microbulk Micromegas have been measured and plans for improvement are underway. Most of these studies are of interest for eventual application in WIMP dark matter detection, although further specific tests are planned in this direction.

Low X-ray background measurements at the Underground Canfranc Laboratory

• Javier Galan (University of Zaragoza)

Micromegas detectors, thanks to the good spatial and temporal discrimination capabilities, are good candidates for rare event search experiments. Recent X-ray background levels achieved by these detectors in the CAST experiment have motivated further studies in the nature of the background levels achieved. In particular, different shielding configurations have been tested at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, using a microbulk type detector which was previously running at the CAST experiment. The first results underground show that this Micromegas technology, which is made of low radiactive materials, is able to reach background levels up to 2*10^{-7} keV^{-1} s^{-1} cm^{-2} with a proper shielding. Moreover, the experimental background measured are complemented with Geant4 simulations which allow to understand the origin of the background, and to optimize future shielding set-ups.

Micromegas detector developments for MIMAC

• Esther Ferrer Ribas (IRFU/CEA)

The aim of the MIMAC project is to detect non-baryonic Dark Matter with a directional TPC. The recent Micromegas efforts towards building a large size detector will be described, in particular the characterization measurements of a prototype detector of 10x10 cm^2 with a 2 dimensional readout plane. Track reconstruction and background rejection at low energies will be shown.

The Modane underground laboratory

• Pia Loaiza (LSM)

Production and measurement of neutron reference fields: the AMANDE facility and MIMAC prototype as neutron detection system.

• Lena Lebreton (IRSN)

The AMANDE facility produces mono-energetic neutron fields from 2 keV to 20 MeV with a metrological quality [1]. To be considered as a standard facility, fluence and energy distributions of neutron fields have to be mastered, i.e. measured by primary detector standards. For this purpose, a new gaseous Time Projection Chamber (µTPC) is being developed within the MIMAC project devoted to directional Dark Matter search [2]. The µTPC is dedicated to measure neutron fields from 2 keV up to 1 MeV. The measurement strategy requires track reconstruction of recoiling nuclei down to a few keV, which can be achieved with low pressure gaseous detectors. Hence the energy must be measured precisely and the track of the recoiling nucleus must be 3D reconstructed. This is achieved with a low pressure micropattern gaseous detector (a pixelized bulk micromegas) equipped with a self triggered electronics able to perform the anode sampling at a 50 MHz frequency. Methods to measure fluence and neutron energy with the µTPC have been determined and confirmed with Monte Carlo simulations using realistic neutron fields produced by AMANDE. Detection efficiency and energy resolution of the µTPC have also been estimated. Preliminary experimental results will be shown. 1. V. Gressier et al, Rad. Prot. Dos. 110, 46-52 (2004). 2. J. Billard et al, Phys. Lett. B 691, 156-162 (2010).

Conclusion and CYGNUS 2013

• Daniel Santos (LPSC)

Discussion about the next workshop : CYGNUS 2013

Guided tour of the Modane underground laboratory (bus will be back at Aussois at 4pm30)