Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment

J. Brack; E. Daw; A. Dorofeev; A. C. Ezeribe; J. R. Fox; J. -L. Gauvreau; M. Gold; L. Harmon; J. L. Harton; R. Lafler; J. M. Landers; R. Lauer; E. R. Lee; D. Loomba; J. A. J. Matthews; E. H. Miller; A. Monte; A. StJ. Murphy; S. M. Paling; N. Phan; M. Pipe; M. Robinson; S. Sadler; A. Scarff; D. P. Snowden-Ifft; N. J. C. Spooner; S. Telfer; D. Walker; L. Yuriev

doi:10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021

Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment

J. Brack, E. Daw, A. Dorofeev, A. C. Ezeribe, J. R. Fox, J. -L. Gauvreau, M. Gold, L. Harmon, J. L. Harton, R. Lafler, J. M. Landers, R. Lauer, E. R. Lee, D. Loomba, J. A. J. Matthews, E. H. Miller, A. Monte, A. StJ. Murphy, S. M. Paling, N. PhanM. Pipe^*, M. Robinson, S. Sadler, A. Scarff, D. P. Snowden-Ifft, N. J. C. Spooner, S. Telfer, D. Walker, L. Yuriev

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Low-pressure gas Time Projection Chambers being developed for directional dark matter searches offer a technology with strong particle identification capability combined with the potential to produce a definitive detection of Galactic Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. A source of events able to mimic genuine WIMP-induced nuclear recoil tracks arises in such experiments from the decay of radon gas inside the vacuum vessel. The recoils that result from associated daughter nuclei are termed Radon Progeny Recoils (RPRs). We present here experimental data from a long-term study using the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment at the Boulby Underground Laboratory of the RPRs, and other backgrounds that are revealed by relaxing the normal cuts that are applied to WIMP search data. By detailed examination of event classes in both spatial and time coordinates using 3 : 5 years of data, we demonstrate the ability to determine the origin of 4 specific background populations and describe development of new technology and mitigation strategies to suppress them.

Original language	English
Article number	07021
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Instrumentation
Volume	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021
Publication status	Published - Jul 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Wire chambers(MWPC, Thin-gap chambers, drift chambers, drift tubes, proportional chambers etc)
Time projection Chambers (TPC)
Gaseous imaging and tracking detectors
Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.)
DETECTOR
DESIGN

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10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021

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Brack, J., Daw, E., Dorofeev, A., Ezeribe, A. C., Fox, J. R., Gauvreau, J. .-L., Gold, M., Harmon, L., Harton, J. L., Lafler, R., Landers, J. M., Lauer, R., Lee, E. R., Loomba, D., Matthews, J. A. J., Miller, E. H., Monte, A., Murphy, A. S., Paling, S. M., ... Yuriev, L. (2014). Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment. Journal of Instrumentation, 9, Article 07021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021

@article{13fddf563b9345b1923c20a3eecd0c0e,

title = "Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment",

abstract = "Low-pressure gas Time Projection Chambers being developed for directional dark matter searches offer a technology with strong particle identification capability combined with the potential to produce a definitive detection of Galactic Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. A source of events able to mimic genuine WIMP-induced nuclear recoil tracks arises in such experiments from the decay of radon gas inside the vacuum vessel. The recoils that result from associated daughter nuclei are termed Radon Progeny Recoils (RPRs). We present here experimental data from a long-term study using the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment at the Boulby Underground Laboratory of the RPRs, and other backgrounds that are revealed by relaxing the normal cuts that are applied to WIMP search data. By detailed examination of event classes in both spatial and time coordinates using 3 : 5 years of data, we demonstrate the ability to determine the origin of 4 specific background populations and describe development of new technology and mitigation strategies to suppress them.",

keywords = "Wire chambers(MWPC, Thin-gap chambers, drift chambers, drift tubes, proportional chambers etc), Time projection Chambers (TPC), Gaseous imaging and tracking detectors, Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.), DETECTOR, DESIGN",

author = "J. Brack and E. Daw and A. Dorofeev and Ezeribe, {A. C.} and Fox, {J. R.} and Gauvreau, {J. -L.} and M. Gold and L. Harmon and Harton, {J. L.} and R. Lafler and Landers, {J. M.} and R. Lauer and Lee, {E. R.} and D. Loomba and Matthews, {J. A. J.} and Miller, {E. H.} and A. Monte and Murphy, {A. StJ.} and Paling, {S. M.} and N. Phan and M. Pipe and M. Robinson and S. Sadler and A. Scarff and Snowden-Ifft, {D. P.} and Spooner, {N. J. C.} and S. Telfer and D. Walker and L. Yuriev",

year = "2014",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

journal = "Journal of Instrumentation",

issn = "1748-0221",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

}

Brack, J, Daw, E, Dorofeev, A, Ezeribe, AC, Fox, JR, Gauvreau, J-L, Gold, M, Harmon, L, Harton, JL, Lafler, R, Landers, JM, Lauer, R, Lee, ER, Loomba, D, Matthews, JAJ, Miller, EH, Monte, A, Murphy, AS, Paling, SM, Phan, N, Pipe, M, Robinson, M, Sadler, S, Scarff, A, Snowden-Ifft, DP, Spooner, NJC, Telfer, S, Walker, D & Yuriev, L 2014, 'Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment', Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 9, 07021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment

AU - Brack, J.

AU - Daw, E.

AU - Dorofeev, A.

AU - Ezeribe, A. C.

AU - Fox, J. R.

AU - Gauvreau, J. -L.

AU - Gold, M.

AU - Harmon, L.

AU - Harton, J. L.

AU - Lafler, R.

AU - Landers, J. M.

AU - Lauer, R.

AU - Lee, E. R.

AU - Loomba, D.

AU - Matthews, J. A. J.

AU - Miller, E. H.

AU - Monte, A.

AU - Murphy, A. StJ.

AU - Paling, S. M.

AU - Phan, N.

AU - Pipe, M.

AU - Robinson, M.

AU - Sadler, S.

AU - Scarff, A.

AU - Snowden-Ifft, D. P.

AU - Spooner, N. J. C.

AU - Telfer, S.

AU - Walker, D.

AU - Yuriev, L.

PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - Low-pressure gas Time Projection Chambers being developed for directional dark matter searches offer a technology with strong particle identification capability combined with the potential to produce a definitive detection of Galactic Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. A source of events able to mimic genuine WIMP-induced nuclear recoil tracks arises in such experiments from the decay of radon gas inside the vacuum vessel. The recoils that result from associated daughter nuclei are termed Radon Progeny Recoils (RPRs). We present here experimental data from a long-term study using the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment at the Boulby Underground Laboratory of the RPRs, and other backgrounds that are revealed by relaxing the normal cuts that are applied to WIMP search data. By detailed examination of event classes in both spatial and time coordinates using 3 : 5 years of data, we demonstrate the ability to determine the origin of 4 specific background populations and describe development of new technology and mitigation strategies to suppress them.

AB - Low-pressure gas Time Projection Chambers being developed for directional dark matter searches offer a technology with strong particle identification capability combined with the potential to produce a definitive detection of Galactic Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. A source of events able to mimic genuine WIMP-induced nuclear recoil tracks arises in such experiments from the decay of radon gas inside the vacuum vessel. The recoils that result from associated daughter nuclei are termed Radon Progeny Recoils (RPRs). We present here experimental data from a long-term study using the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment at the Boulby Underground Laboratory of the RPRs, and other backgrounds that are revealed by relaxing the normal cuts that are applied to WIMP search data. By detailed examination of event classes in both spatial and time coordinates using 3 : 5 years of data, we demonstrate the ability to determine the origin of 4 specific background populations and describe development of new technology and mitigation strategies to suppress them.

KW - Wire chambers(MWPC, Thin-gap chambers, drift chambers, drift tubes, proportional chambers etc)

KW - Time projection Chambers (TPC)

KW - Gaseous imaging and tracking detectors

KW - Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.)

KW - DETECTOR

KW - DESIGN

U2 - 10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021

DO - 10.1088/1748-0221/9/07/P07021

M3 - Article

SN - 1748-0221

VL - 9

JO - Journal of Instrumentation

JF - Journal of Instrumentation

M1 - 07021

ER -

Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment

Abstract / Description of output

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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