37Ar source on-demand production and deployment for low-energy nuclear recoil measurement in ReD liquid Argon TPC

Abstract

The search for light dark matter (< 10 GeV/c 2) has become increasingly important, since no conclusive evidence has been found in the higher dark matter (DM) mass region. In order to explore this light mass range, it is necessary to accurately model the response of the noble liquid time projection chamber (TPC) detectors, used in many experiments aimed at the direct measurement of DM, to low energy (< 1 keV) nuclear recoils (NRs). In this respect, 37Ar provides an ideal calibration source in the low-energy region due to its two low-energy peaks at 0.27 and 2.82 keV following electron capture with a 35-day half-life. We propose a method to produce 37Ar without chemical or heating treatments by using the 40Ca(n,α)37Ar reaction. This can be achieved by irradiating nano-CaO powder with a neutron source (e.g. AmBe) and allowing the produced 37Ar to diffuse into the argon used inside a double-phase TPC. By measuring the NR yields relative to those two low-energy points in the Recoil Directionality (ReD) experiment, other detectors can be cross-calibrated with the same source deployed. In this talk, the 37Ar source production, its deployment, and preliminary results will be presented.