Abstract
Directional detection of Dark Matter particles (DM) in the MeV mass range could be accomplished by studying electron recoils in large arrays of parallel carbon nanotubes. In a scattering process with a lattice electron, a DM particle might transfer sufficient energy to eject it from the nanotube surface. An external electric field is added to drive the electron from the open ends of the array to the detection region. The anisotropic response of this detection scheme, as a function of the orientation of the target with respect to the DM wind, is calculated, and it is concluded that no direct measurement of the electron ejection angle is needed to explore significant regions of the light DM exclusion plot. A compact sensor, in which the cathode element is substituted with a dense array of parallel carbon nanotubes, could serve as the basic detection unit.
Highlights
Two-dimensional targets for directional dark matter searches have been recently studied in [1] and [2]
In this note we follow the suggestion by Hochberg et al [2] of using electron recoils from both π and sp2-orbitals in graphene, but again we resort to the wrapped configuration provided by carbon nanotubes
Following [2], we consider the collision of Dark Matter particles (DM) particles with graphene electrons in both π and sp2-orbitals, with cross section given by Eq (10), in the Appendix
Summary
Two-dimensional targets for directional dark matter searches have been recently studied in [1] and [2]. In this note we follow the suggestion by Hochberg et al [2] of using electron recoils from both π and sp2-orbitals in graphene, but again we resort to the wrapped configuration provided by carbon nanotubes (single-wall carbon nanotubes are essentially graphene sheets wrapped on a cylindrical surface). This allows to reach a higher density of target material, i.e. smaller detectors, which in turn could be more handled and oriented in the DM wind direction. With carbon nanotubes we find the same directional behavior of electron recoils it is found in [2] for graphene layers
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