Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles

S. Burgos; J. Forbes; C. Ghag; M. Gold; V. A. Kudryavtsev; T. B. Lawson; D. Loomba; P. Majewski; D. Muna; A. St J. Murphy; G. G. Nicklin; S. M. Paling; A. Petkov; S. J. S. Plank; M. Robinson; N. Sanghi; N. J. T. Smith; D. P. Snowden-Ifft; N. J. C. Spooner; T. J. Sumner; J. Turk; E. Tziaferi; Alex Murphy

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013

Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles

S. Burgos, J. Forbes, C. Ghag, M. Gold, V. A. Kudryavtsev, T. B. Lawson, D. Loomba, P. Majewski, D. Muna, A. St J. Murphy, G. G. Nicklin, S. M. Paling, A. Petkov, S. J. S. Plank, M. Robinson, N. Sanghi, N. J. T. Smith, D. P. Snowden-Ifft, N. J. C. Spooner, T. J. SumnerJ. Turk, E. Tziaferi, Alex Murphy

School of Physics and Astronomy

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

Abstract / Description of output

First results are presented from an analysis of data from the DRIFT-IIa and DRIFT-IIb directional dark matter detectors at Boulby Mine in which alpha particle tracks were reconstructed and used to characterise detector performance-an important step towards optimising directional technology. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIa was 59.3 +/- 0.2 (stat)+/- 7.5 (sys) ms(-1) based on an analysis of naturally occurring alpha-emitting background. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIb was 57 +/- 1 (stat)+/- 3 (sys) ms(-1) determined by the analysis of alpha particle tracks from a Po-210 source. Three-dimensional range reconstruction and range spectra were used to identify alpha particles from the decay of Rn-222, Po-218, Rn-220 and Po-216. This study found that (22 +/- 2)% of Po-218 progeny (from Rn-222 decay) did not plate out and remained suspended in the 40Torr CS2 gas fill until they decayed. A likely explanation for this is that some of the polonium progeny are produced in an uncharged state. For Po-216 progeny (from Rn-220 decay) the undeposited fraction was apparently much higher at (100(-35)(+0))% most likely due to a shorter lifetime, causing a larger fraction of the progeny to decay whilst drifting to the cathode plane. This explanation implies a much slower drift time for positively charged polonium progeny compared to CS2 ions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	114-128
Number of pages	15
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	584
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2008

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

dark matter
WIMPs
TPC
gas detector
directional detector
negative ion drift
alpha spectrometry

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10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168900207021675

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Burgos, S., Forbes, J., Ghag, C., Gold, M., Kudryavtsev, V. A., Lawson, T. B., Loomba, D., Majewski, P., Muna, D., Murphy, A. S. J., Nicklin, G. G., Paling, S. M., Petkov, A., Plank, S. J. S., Robinson, M., Sanghi, N., Smith, N. J. T., Snowden-Ifft, D. P., Spooner, N. J. C., ... Murphy, A. (2008). Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 584(1), 114-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013

@article{b94a8d5b45944ccbaf262566d69e1154,

title = "Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles",

abstract = "First results are presented from an analysis of data from the DRIFT-IIa and DRIFT-IIb directional dark matter detectors at Boulby Mine in which alpha particle tracks were reconstructed and used to characterise detector performance-an important step towards optimising directional technology. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIa was 59.3 +/- 0.2 (stat)+/- 7.5 (sys) ms(-1) based on an analysis of naturally occurring alpha-emitting background. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIb was 57 +/- 1 (stat)+/- 3 (sys) ms(-1) determined by the analysis of alpha particle tracks from a Po-210 source. Three-dimensional range reconstruction and range spectra were used to identify alpha particles from the decay of Rn-222, Po-218, Rn-220 and Po-216. This study found that (22 +/- 2)% of Po-218 progeny (from Rn-222 decay) did not plate out and remained suspended in the 40Torr CS2 gas fill until they decayed. A likely explanation for this is that some of the polonium progeny are produced in an uncharged state. For Po-216 progeny (from Rn-220 decay) the undeposited fraction was apparently much higher at (100(-35)(+0))% most likely due to a shorter lifetime, causing a larger fraction of the progeny to decay whilst drifting to the cathode plane. This explanation implies a much slower drift time for positively charged polonium progeny compared to CS2 ions.",

keywords = "dark matter, WIMPs, TPC, gas detector, directional detector, negative ion drift, alpha spectrometry",

author = "S. Burgos and J. Forbes and C. Ghag and M. Gold and Kudryavtsev, {V. A.} and Lawson, {T. B.} and D. Loomba and P. Majewski and D. Muna and Murphy, {A. St J.} and Nicklin, {G. G.} and Paling, {S. M.} and A. Petkov and Plank, {S. J. S.} and M. Robinson and N. Sanghi and Smith, {N. J. T.} and Snowden-Ifft, {D. P.} and Spooner, {N. J. C.} and Sumner, {T. J.} and J. Turk and E. Tziaferi and Alex Murphy",

note = "27 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A. Subj-class: Instrumentation and Detectors",

year = "2008",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013",

language = "English",

volume = "584",

pages = "114--128",

journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment",

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}

Burgos, S, Forbes, J, Ghag, C, Gold, M, Kudryavtsev, VA, Lawson, TB, Loomba, D, Majewski, P, Muna, D, Murphy, ASJ, Nicklin, GG, Paling, SM, Petkov, A, Plank, SJS, Robinson, M, Sanghi, N, Smith, NJT, Snowden-Ifft, DP, Spooner, NJC, Sumner, TJ, Turk, J, Tziaferi, E & Murphy, A 2008, 'Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 584, no. 1, pp. 114-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013

Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles. / Burgos, S.; Forbes, J.; Ghag, C. et al.
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 584, No. 1, 01.01.2008, p. 114-128.

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

TY - JOUR

T1 - Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles

AU - Burgos, S.

AU - Forbes, J.

AU - Ghag, C.

AU - Gold, M.

AU - Kudryavtsev, V. A.

AU - Lawson, T. B.

AU - Loomba, D.

AU - Majewski, P.

AU - Muna, D.

AU - Murphy, A. St J.

AU - Nicklin, G. G.

AU - Paling, S. M.

AU - Petkov, A.

AU - Plank, S. J. S.

AU - Robinson, M.

AU - Sanghi, N.

AU - Smith, N. J. T.

AU - Snowden-Ifft, D. P.

AU - Spooner, N. J. C.

AU - Sumner, T. J.

AU - Turk, J.

AU - Tziaferi, E.

AU - Murphy, Alex

N1 - 27 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A. Subj-class: Instrumentation and Detectors

PY - 2008/1/1

Y1 - 2008/1/1

N2 - First results are presented from an analysis of data from the DRIFT-IIa and DRIFT-IIb directional dark matter detectors at Boulby Mine in which alpha particle tracks were reconstructed and used to characterise detector performance-an important step towards optimising directional technology. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIa was 59.3 +/- 0.2 (stat)+/- 7.5 (sys) ms(-1) based on an analysis of naturally occurring alpha-emitting background. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIb was 57 +/- 1 (stat)+/- 3 (sys) ms(-1) determined by the analysis of alpha particle tracks from a Po-210 source. Three-dimensional range reconstruction and range spectra were used to identify alpha particles from the decay of Rn-222, Po-218, Rn-220 and Po-216. This study found that (22 +/- 2)% of Po-218 progeny (from Rn-222 decay) did not plate out and remained suspended in the 40Torr CS2 gas fill until they decayed. A likely explanation for this is that some of the polonium progeny are produced in an uncharged state. For Po-216 progeny (from Rn-220 decay) the undeposited fraction was apparently much higher at (100(-35)(+0))% most likely due to a shorter lifetime, causing a larger fraction of the progeny to decay whilst drifting to the cathode plane. This explanation implies a much slower drift time for positively charged polonium progeny compared to CS2 ions.

AB - First results are presented from an analysis of data from the DRIFT-IIa and DRIFT-IIb directional dark matter detectors at Boulby Mine in which alpha particle tracks were reconstructed and used to characterise detector performance-an important step towards optimising directional technology. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIa was 59.3 +/- 0.2 (stat)+/- 7.5 (sys) ms(-1) based on an analysis of naturally occurring alpha-emitting background. The drift velocity in DRIFT-IIb was 57 +/- 1 (stat)+/- 3 (sys) ms(-1) determined by the analysis of alpha particle tracks from a Po-210 source. Three-dimensional range reconstruction and range spectra were used to identify alpha particles from the decay of Rn-222, Po-218, Rn-220 and Po-216. This study found that (22 +/- 2)% of Po-218 progeny (from Rn-222 decay) did not plate out and remained suspended in the 40Torr CS2 gas fill until they decayed. A likely explanation for this is that some of the polonium progeny are produced in an uncharged state. For Po-216 progeny (from Rn-220 decay) the undeposited fraction was apparently much higher at (100(-35)(+0))% most likely due to a shorter lifetime, causing a larger fraction of the progeny to decay whilst drifting to the cathode plane. This explanation implies a much slower drift time for positively charged polonium progeny compared to CS2 ions.

KW - dark matter

KW - WIMPs

KW - TPC

KW - gas detector

KW - directional detector

KW - negative ion drift

KW - alpha spectrometry

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36749082161&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2007.10.013

M3 - Article

SN - 0168-9002

VL - 584

SP - 114

EP - 128

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

IS - 1

ER -

Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles

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