Abstract

The CRESST (Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers) dark matter search experiment aims for the detection of dark matter particles via elastic scattering off nuclei in mathrm {CaWO_4} crystals. To understand the CRESST electromagnetic background due to the bulk contamination in the employed materials, a model based on Monte Carlo simulations was developed using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The results of the simulation are applied to the TUM40 detector module of CRESST-II phase 2. We are able to explain up to (68 pm 16),mathrm {%} of the electromagnetic background in the energy range between 1 and 40,mathrm {keV}.

Highlights

  • The average background rate previously determined in the crystal used for the TUM40 detector module in the region 1– 40 keV of about 3.51 kg−1keV−1day−1 [4] is significantly lower compared to crystals of the same material with different origin

  • In this paper we present an analysis of the electromagnetic background sources and their composition [5] for the data taken during CRESST-II phase 2 with the TUM40 detector module [3,4]

  • This complicates the dark matter (DM) analysis: since the expected rate of DM particle interactions is low compared to the background rate, a potential signal may be covered by the leakage, or an unknown background can be mistaken for a potential DM signal

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Summary

Introduction

The average background rate previously determined in the crystal used for the TUM40 detector module in the region 1– 40 keV of about 3.51 kg−1keV−1day−1 [4] is significantly lower compared to crystals of the same material with different origin. J. C (2019) 79:881 improvements are only possible by identifying and reducing components of this background or lowering the detection threshold. In this paper we present an analysis of the electromagnetic background sources and their composition [5] for the data taken during CRESST-II phase 2 with the TUM40 detector module [3,4]. We present the CRESST experiment in Sect. 2. Section 3 focuses on the simulation method and Sect.

The working principle
The detector setup
Potential background sources
Cosmogenic activation
Ambient γ -radiation
Internal contamination of CaWO4
The reference data sets
Simulation of the background spectra
Implementation of detector geometry and physics
Emulation of the detector response
Simulation of spectral templates
Normalisation of background contributions
Determination of the internal radiogenic background components
Near external radiogenic background components
Additional external radiogenic background components
Determination of internal cosmogenic background components
Discussion of the results
Self-consistency of the simulation
Background reproduction at low energies
Findings
Summary and outlook
Background

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