Rare event searches based on Micromegas detectors: the T-REX project

Dafní, T.; Aune, S.; Cebrián, S.; Fanourakis, G.; Ferrer‐Ribas, E.; Galán, J.; Garcı́a, Juan Antonio; Gardikiotis, A.; Garza, J.G.; Geralis, T.; Giomataris, I.; Gómez, H.; Herrera, D.C.; Iguaz, F.J.; Irastorza, I.G.; Luzón, G.; Papaevangelou, T.; Rodríguez, A. Soto; Ruz, J.; Tomás, A.; Vafeiadis, T.; Yildiz, S.C.

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/375/1/022003

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(7 reference statements)

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“…At the focal plane in each of the optics, IAXO will have small gaseous chambers read by pixelated planes of Micromegas, surrounded by active and passive shielding. These detectors are being developed (135,136,137,138) for rare event searches and they show promise to reach background levels below ∼10 −7 counts keV −1 cm −2 s −1 in IAXO (120,121). These levels are achieved by the use of radiopure detector components, shielding, and offline discrimination-algorithms on the 3D event topology in the gas registered by the pixelised readout.…”

Section: Iaxomentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Searches for the Axion and Axion-Like Particles

Graham

Irastorza

Lamoreaux

et al. 2015

Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci.

716

726

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Four decades after its prediction, the axion remains the most compelling solution to the Strong-CP problem and a well-motivated dark matter candidate, inspiring a host of elegant and ultrasensitive experiments based on axion-photon mixing. This report reviews the experimental situation on several fronts. The microwave cavity experiment is making excellent progress in the search for dark matter axions in the microelectronvolt range and may be plausibly extended up to 100 µeV. Within the past several years however, it has been realized that axions are pervasive throughout string theories, but with masses that fall naturally in the nanoelectronvolt range, for which a NMR-based search is under development. Searches for axions emitted from the Sun's burning core, and purely laboratory experiments based on photon regeneration have both made great strides in recent years, with ambitious projects proposed for the coming decade. Each of these campaigns has pushed the state of the art in technology, enabling large gains in sensitivity and mass reach. Furthermore each modality has also been exploited to search for more generalized axion-like particles, that will also be discussed in this report. We are hopeful, even optimistic, that the next review of the subject will concern the discovery of the axion, its properties, and its exploitation as a probe of early universe cosmology and structure formation.

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Section: Iaxomentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Searches for the Axion and Axion-Like Particles

Graham

Irastorza

Lamoreaux

et al. 2015

Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci.

716

726

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“…The baseline technology for the low background x-ray detectors for IAXO are small Time Projection Chambers (TPCs), with a thin window for the entrance of x-rays and a pixelated Micromegas readout, manufactured with the microbulk technique. This kind of detector has already been used in CAST, and has been the object of intense development in recent years, mainly within the T-REX R&D project [59,60,61], funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The CAST microbulk detectors have achieved record levels of background and, as described below, they offer the best prospects to meet the requirements for IAXO.…”

Section: Ultra-low Background X-ray Detectors For Iaxomentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)

et al. 2014

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The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) will be a forth generation axion helioscope. As its primary physics goal, IAXO will look for axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) originating in the Sun via the Primakoff conversion of the solar plasma photons. In terms of signalto-noise ratio, IAXO will be about 4-5 orders of magnitude more sensitive than CAST, currently the most powerful axion helioscope, reaching sensitivity to axion-photon couplings down to a few ×10 −12 GeV −1 and thus probing a large fraction of the currently unexplored axion and ALP parameter space. IAXO will also be sensitive to solar axions produced by mechanisms mediated by the axion-electron coupling g ae with sensitivity −for the first time− to values of g ae not previously excluded by astrophysics. With several other possible physics cases, IAXO has the potential to serve as a multi-purpose facility for generic axion and ALP research in the next decade. In this paper we present the conceptual design of IAXO, which follows the layout of an enhanced axion helioscope, based on a purpose-built 20m-long 8-coils toroidal superconducting magnet. All the eight 60cm-diameter magnet bores are equipped with focusing x-ray optics, able to focus the signal photons into ∼ 0.2 cm 2 spots that are imaged by ultra-low-background Micromegas x-ray detectors. The magnet is built into a structure with elevation and azimuth drives that will allow for solar tracking for ∼12 h each day.

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“…However, advances in electronics and novel micro-pattern gas readout planes (especially Micromegas) are changing this view (see [24,25] and references therein). The objective of the T-REX project [26,27] has been to study the applicability of Micromegas readouts TPCs to rare event searches (not just to WIMP searches, but also axions [28] and double beta decay [29]). The T-REX activity 1 during the last years has included the study and characterization of novel Micromegas readouts [30], especially those of microbulk type [31], study and improvement of their radiopurity [32], simulation and development of discrimination algorithms [33], and the construction and test of prototypes [28,[34][35][36][37].…”

Section: High Pressure Tpcs To Search For Low-mass Wimpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

TREX-DM: a low-background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection

et al. 2016

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If Dark Matter is made of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) with masses below GeV, the corresponding nuclear recoils in mainstream WIMP experiments are of energies too close, or below, the experimental threshold. Gas Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) can be operated with a variety of target elements, offer good tracking capabilities and, on account of the amplification in gas, very low thresholds are achievable. Recent advances in electronics and in novel radiopure TPC readouts, especially micro-mesh gas structure (Micromegas), are improving the scalability and low-background prospects of gaseous TPCs. Here we present TREX-DM, a prototype to test the concept of a Micromegas-based TPC to search for low-mass WIMPs. The detector is designed to host an active mass of kg of Ar at 10 bar, or alternatively kg of Ne at 10 bar, with an energy threshold below 0.4 keVee, and is fully built with radiopure materials. We will describe the detector in detail, the results from the commissioning phase on surface, as well as a preliminary background model. The anticipated sensitivity of this technique may go beyond current experimental limits for WIMPs of masses of 2–8 GeV.

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Rare event searches based on Micromegas detectors: the T-REX project

Cited by 8 publications

References 15 publications

Experimental Searches for the Axion and Axion-Like Particles

Experimental Searches for the Axion and Axion-Like Particles

Conceptual design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)

TREX-DM: a low-background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection

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