Status Of Dark Matter Searches Research Articles

Status of dark matter searches in the Boulby Mine

Status of dark matter searches in the Boulby Mine

Status of dark matter searches in the boulby mine

We present the current status and future plans for dark matter searches in the Boulby Mine. A 50 kg array of NaI(Tl) crystals is under construction and a method of suppressing anomalous, fast signals in such detectors is described. Liquid Xe based detectors, with improved background rejection, are under development. The first of these, ZEPLIN I, is already deployed and uses pulse shape discrimination. ZEPLIN II and III measure the ratio of ionisation to scintillation by use of an electric field to extract ionisation from the liquid into a gas phase. Finally a low pressure gas drift chamber with directional sensitivity has been installed, larger versions of which will enable a search for correlations between any WIMP signal and galactic motion.

Study and suppression of anomalous fast events in inorganic scintillators for dark matter searches

The status of dark matter searches with inorganic scintillator detectors at Boulby mine is reviewed and the results of tests with a CsI(Tl) crystal are presented. The objectives of the latter experiment were to study anomalous fast events previously observed and to identify ways to remove this background. Clear indications were found that these events were due to surface contamination of crystals by alphas, probably from radon decay. A new array of unencapsulated NaI(Tl) crystals immersed either in liquid paraffin or pure nitrogen atmosphere is under construction at Boulby. Such an approach allows complete control of the surface of the crystals and the ability to remove any surface contamination. First data from the unencapsulated NaI(Tl) do not show the presence of anomalous fast events.