Germanium ionization detectors with sensitivities as low as 100 eVee (electron-equivalent energy) open new windows for studies on neutrino and dark matter physics. The relevant physics subjects are summarized. The detectors have to measure physics signals whose amplitude is comparable to that of pedestal electronic noise. To fully exploit this new detector technique, various experimental issues including quenching factors, energy reconstruction and calibration, signal triggering and selection as well as evaluation of their associated efficiencies have to be attended. The efforts and results of a research program to address these challenges are presented.
The p-type point-contact germanium detectors are novel techniques offering kg-scale radiation sensors with sub-keV sensitivities. They have been used for light Dark Matter WIMPs searches and may have potential applications in neutrino physics. There are, however, anomalous surface behaviour which needs to be characterized and understood. We describe the methods and results of a research program whose goals are to identify the bulk and surface events via software pulse shape analysis techniques, and to devise calibration schemes to evaluate the selection efficiency factors. Efficiencies-corrected background spectra from the low-background facility at Kuo-Sheng Neutrino Laboratory are derived.PACS numbers: 95.35.+d, 29.40.-n,
The p-type point-contact germanium detectors have been adopted for light dark matter WIMP searches and the studies of low energy neutrino physics. These detectors exhibit anomalous behavior to events located at the surface layer. The previous spectral shape method to identify these surface events from the bulk signals relies on spectral shape assumptions and the use of external calibration sources. We report an improved method in separating them by taking the ratios among different categories of in situ event samples as calibration sources. Data from CDEX-1 and TEXONO experiments are re-examined using the ratio method. Results are shown to be consistent with the spectral shape method.
There are recent interests with CsI(Tl) scintillating crystals for Dark Matter experiments. The scattering signatures by neutrons on a CsI(Tl) detector were studied using a neutron beam generated by a 13 MV Tandem accelerator. The energy spectra of nuclear recoils from 7 keV to 132 keV were measured, and their quenching factors for scintillating light yield were derived. The data confirms the Optical Model predictions on neutron elastic scatterings with a direct measurement of the nuclear recoils on heavy nuclei. The pulse shape discrimination techniques to differentiate nuclear recoils from γ-background were studied. Internal consistencies were obtained among the different methods of light yield measurements. The projected capabilities for Cold Dark Matter searches with CsI(Tl) crystals are presented.PACS Codes: 25.40. Dn, 95.35.+d, 29.40.Mc.
We report the performance and characterization of a custom-built hybrid detector consisting of BC501A liquid scintillator for fast neutrons and BC702 scintillator for thermal neutrons. The calibration and the resolution of the BC501A liquid scintillator detector are performed. The event identification via Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) technique is developed in order to distinguish gamma, fast and thermal neutrons. Monte Carlo simulation packages are developed in GEANT4 to obtain actual neutron energy spectrum from the measured recoil spectrum. The developed methods are tested by reconstruction of 241 AmBe(α, n) neutron spectrum.
Scintillating crystal detector may offer some potential advantages in the low-energy, low-background experiments. A 500 kg CsI(Tl) detector to be placed near the core of Nuclear Power Station II in Taiwan is being constructed for the studies of electron-neutrino scatterings and other keV−MeV range neutrino interactions. The motivations of this detector approach, the physics to be addressed, the basic experimental design, and the characteristic performance of prototype modules are described. The expected background channels and their experimental handles are discussed.
The inorganic crystal scintillator CsI(Tl) has been used for low energy neutrino and Dark Matter experiments, where the intrinsic radiopurity is an issue of major importance. Low-background data were taken with a CsI(Tl) crystal array at the Kuo-Sheng Reactor Neutrino Laboratory. The pulse shape discrimination capabilities of the crystal, as well as the temporal and spatial correlations of the events, provide powerful means of measuring the intrinsic radiopurity of 137 Cs as well as the 235 U, 238 U and 232 Th series. The event selection algorithms are described, with which the decay half-lives of 218 Po, 214 Po, 220 Rn, 216 Po and 212 Po were derived. The measurements of the contamination levels, their concentration gradients with the crystal growth axis, and the uniformity among different crystal samples, are reported. The radiopurity in the 238 U and 232 Th series are comparable to those of the best reported in other crystal scintillators. Significant improvements in measurement sensitivities were achieved, similar to those from dedicated massive liquid scintillator detector. This analysis also provides in situ measurements of the detector performance parameters, such as spatial resolution, quenching factors, and data acquisition dead time.
Dark matter is counted as two of the significant discovery and research topics in the academic and scientific fields. Found later that dark matter does not belong to any of the present areas of known matter, dark matter was discovered in the late 19th century and early 20th century by indirect measuring of the abnormal velocity and mass dispersion pattern detected by multiple astronomers and mathematicians. In the last several decades, scientists from different physics fields have determined the property, location, potential candidate, origin, and interaction of dark matter. Starting with the history of the discovery and research of the dark matter, the dark matter property will be illustrated in the abstract. One of the properties of dark matter is the property that dark matter does not absorb, reflect or interact with any photons and any kinds of electromagnetic waves. The two potential dark matter candidates are WIMP (weakly interacting massive particle) and axion. The reason the scientist suspected that the two particles are the candidate for dark matter is also listed. Experiments about the candidates and other observations and theories are also listed in the paper.
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