MIMAC : A micro-tpc matrix for directional detection of dark matter

Abstract

The dark matter directional detection opens a new field in cosmology bringing the possibility to build a map of nuclear recoils that would be able to explore the galactic dark matter halo giving access to a particle characterization of such matter and the shape of the halo. The MIMAC (MIcro-tpc MAtrix of Chambers) collaboration has developed in the last years an original prototype detector based on the direct coupling of large pixelized micromegas with a devoted fast self-triggered electronics showing the feasibility of a new generation of directional detectors. The discovery potential of this search strategy is discussed and illustrated. In June 2012, the first bi-chamber prototype has been installed at Modane Underground Laboratory (LSM) and the first underground background events, the gain stability and calibration are shown.

Is a co-rotating Dark Disk a threat to Dark Matter directional detection?

“…There is a worldwide effort toward the development of a large TPC (Time Projection Chamber) devoted to directional detection [40,41,42,43,44]. In the following, we exemplify our Dark Disk study by considering a MIMAClike detector corresponding to a low exposure (30 kg.year) CF 4 TPC allowing three dimensional track measurements [42].…”

“…In the following, we exemplify our Dark Disk study by considering a MIMAClike detector corresponding to a low exposure (30 kg.year) CF 4 TPC allowing three dimensional track measurements [42].…”

Micromegas detector developments for Dark Matter directional detection with MIMAC

“…Knowing the electron drift velocity, information on the third coordinated can be obtained. The concept had already been tested with a prototype detector of small size 3 × 3 cm 2 and with the first version of the electronics [1,16].…”

“…The MIMAC (MIcro TPC MAtrix of Chambers) collaboration [1] aims at building a directional Dark Matter detector composed of a matrix of Micromegas [2] detectors. The MIMAC project is designed to measure both 3D track and ionization energy of recoiling nuclei, thus leading to the possibility to achieve directional dark Matter detection [3].…”

Dark matter in 3D

“…Over the past decade, the first experiments capable of detecting the directionality of nuclear recoils have been built and commissioned [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. More recently, the first prototypes have started to release results that are approaching 0.1 kg-day exposures [20][21][22][23].…”