Small scale direct dark matter search experiments

Susana Cebrián

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1468/1/012033

Abstract

Experiments based on noble liquids and solid state cryogenic detectors have had a leading role in the direct detection of dark matter. But smaller scale projects can help to explore the new dark matter landscape with advanced, ultra-sensitive detectors based on recently developed technologies. Here, the physics case of different types of small scale dark matter experiments will be presented and many of them will be reviewed, highlighting the detection techniques and summarizing their properties, results and status.

Highlights

In the quest for the dark matter which can be pervading the galactic halo, many different experimental approaches have been followed for its direct detection [1, 2]
Summary and Outlook Other new ideas to directly detect dark matter particles have been proposed and some of them are at the R&D phase
Scintillating bubble chambers combine the advantages of a bubble chamber with the event-by-event energy resolution of a liquid scintillator; this technique has been established for a 30 g xenon bubble chamber [57]

Summary

Introduction

In the quest for the dark matter which can be pervading the galactic halo, many different experimental approaches have been followed for its direct detection [1, 2]. The direct detection of dark matter is challenging as it produces a rare signal, concentrated at very low energies with a continuum energy spectrum which appears entangled with background. Ultra low background conditions and very low energy threshold are a must and the identification of distinctive signatures, like the annual modulation of the interaction rates and the directionality of the signal, would be extremely helpful to assign a dark matter origin to a possible observation. 2 and 3 while those focused on exploring low mass dark matter and Spin-Dependent (SD) interactions will be discussed in Secs.

Annual modulation

Electron equivalent energy