Assessment of material radiopurity for Rare Event experiments using Micromegas

Aznar, Francisco; Castel, J.; Cebrián, S.; Dafní, T.; Diago, A.; Garcı́a, Juan Antonio; Garza, J.G.; Gómez, H.; González-Díaz, D.; Herrera, D.C.; Iguaz, F.J.; Irastorza, I. G.; Luzón, G.; Mirallas, H.; Oliván, M. A.; De, Aritra; Solórzano,; Pons, Patrick; Rodríguez, A. Soto; Ruiz, Eduardo; Tomás, A.; Villar, J. A.

doi:10.1088/1748-0221/8/11/c11012

Cited by 23 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The model is fed with data from a dedicated screening program including every material used in the detector construction: the vessel, the field cage, the shielding and the readout planes. The screening is carried out with germanium gamma-ray spectrometry at the LSC [56,57] and, complementing these results, with Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS). Details on the measurements have been presented in the companion paper, and in more detail in [52].…”

Section: Prospects For the Search Of Low-mass Wimpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter

Irastorza

Aznar

Castel

et al. 2016

J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.

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Abstract. As part of the T-REX project, a number of R&D and prototyping activities have been carried out during the last years to explore the applicability of gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with Micromesh Gas Structures (Micromegas) in rare event searches like double beta decay, axion research and low-mass WIMP searches. While in the companion paper we focus on double beta decay, in this paper we focus on the results regarding the search for dark matter candidates, both axions and WIMPs.

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Section: Prospects For the Search Of Low-mass Wimpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter

Irastorza

Aznar

Castel

et al. 2016

J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.

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“…An exhaustive material radioassay campaign for TREX-DM was undertaken a few years ago [11,14,31], as made in other experiments in the context of rare event searches (see for instance recent results in [32,33,34,35,36,37,38]). It has allowed, on one side, to design and construct the detector and shielding according to the radiopurity specifications and, on the other, to provide inputs to build the experiment background model.…”

Section: Measurements Of Materials Radiopuritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of the germanium measurements have been made using a ∼1 kg ultra-low background detector of the University of Zaragoza (named Paquito) operated at the hall E of the LSC. This detector has been used for radiopurity measurements at Canfranc for many years (details on the features and performance of the detector can be found in [31,39]). Some of the ∼2 kg close-end coaxial HPGe detectors of the Radiopurity Service of LSC [40] have been used for some measurements too.…”

Section: Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Background assessment for the TREX dark matter experiment

et al. 2019

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TREX-DM is conceived to look for low-mass Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) using a gas Time Projection Chamber equipped with Micromegas readout planes at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. The detector can hold in the active volume ∼20 l of pressurized gas up to 10 bar, corresponding to 0.30 kg of Ar or 0.16 kg of Ne. The Micromegas are read with a self-triggered acquisition, being thresholds below 0.4 keV (electron equivalent) at reach. A low background level in the lowest energy region is another essential requirement. To assess the expected background, all the relevant sources have been considered, including the measured fluxes of gamma radiation, muons and neutrons at the Canfranc Laboratory, together with the activity of most of the components used in the detector and ancillary systems, obtained in a complete assay program. The background contributions have been simulated by means of a dedicated application based on Geant4 and a custom-made code for the detector response. The background model developed for the detector presently installed in Canfranc points to levels from 1 to 10 counts keV −1 kg −1 d −1 in the region of interest, making TREX-DM competitive in the search for low-mass WIMPs. A roadmap to further decrease it down to 0.1 counts keV −1 kg −1 d −1 is underway.

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“…This detector has been used for radiopurity measurements at Canfranc for several years (details can be found in [32, 56]). It is a p-type close-end coaxial High Purity germanium detector, with a crystal of 190 cm and a copper cryostat.…”

Section: Radiopurity Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The detection efficiency is determined by Monte Carlo simulations based on Geant4 [59] for each sample, accounting for intrinsic efficiency, the geometric factor and self-absorption of the sample. The simulation environment has been validated by comparing the measured efficiency curve with a Eu reference source of known activity (having relevant gamma emissions from 121.8 to 1408.0 keV) with the simulated one [56]; although agreement between data and simulation is at or below 10 % for all the gamma lines, a conservative overall uncertainty of 30 % is considered for the deduced efficiency and properly propagated to the final results to account for the limited reproduction of samples in simulation.…”

Section: Radiopurity Measurementsmentioning

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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Assessment of material radiopurity for Rare Event experiments using Micromegas

Cited by 23 publications

References 38 publications

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter

Background assessment for the TREX dark matter experiment

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

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