Commissioning of the MIGDAL detector with fast neutrons at NILE/ISIS

MIGDAL collaboration; L. Millins

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2024.169971

Commissioning of the MIGDAL detector with fast neutrons at NILE/ISIS

MIGDAL collaboration, L. Millins^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics and Astronomy

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Abstract

Many dark matter experiments are exploiting the Migdal effect, a rare atomic process, to improve sensitivity to low-mass (sub-GeV) WIMP-like dark matter candidates. However, this process is yet to be directly observed in nuclear scattering. The MIGDAL experiment aims to make the first unambiguous measurement of the Migdal effect in nuclear scattering. A low-pressure optical Time Projection Chamber is used to image in three-dimensions the characteristic signature of a Migdal event: an electron and a nuclear recoil track sharing a common vertex. Nuclear recoils are induced using fast neutrons from a D-D source, which scatter in the gaseous volume of the detector. The experiment is operated with 50 Torr of CF₄ using two glass GEMs for charge amplification. Both light and charge are read-out, and these measurements are combined for track reconstruction. Commissioning data has been recorded with fast neutrons at the Neutron Irradiation Laboratory for Electronics (NILE) at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. Results of the experiment’s commissioning and the performance of the detector with a high rate of highly ionising nuclear recoils are presented, along with results from low energy electrons. Initial results of light and charge read-out with low pressure noble gas mixtures are also presented.

Original language	English
Article number	169971
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1069
Early online date	9 Oct 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169971
Publication status	Published - Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Part of the MIGDAL Collaboration.

Keywords

Time projection chamber
Gaseous detectors
Optical read-out

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10.1016/j.nima.2024.169971Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

MillinsL2024CommissioningFinal published version, 1.54 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

2 Active
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Responsive RAs for the Birmingham Experimental Particle Physics Programme
Chisholm, A. (Researcher), Charlton, D. (Co-Investigator), Watson, N. (Co-Investigator), Gonella, L. (Co-Investigator), Nikolopoulos, K. (Co-Investigator), Krizka, K. (Researcher), Newman, P. (Principal Investigator) & Johnson, D. (Co-Investigator)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/04/23 → 31/03/26
Project: Research Councils
Experimental Particle Physics Consolidated Grant 2022-25
Watson, A. (Co-Investigator), Charlton, D. (Co-Investigator), Goudzovski, E. (Co-Investigator), Nikolopoulos, K. (Co-Investigator), Watson, N. (Co-Investigator), Newman, P. (Principal Investigator), Watson, M. (Co-Investigator), Gonella, L. (Co-Investigator), Lazzeroni, C. (Co-Investigator) & Allport, P. (Co-Investigator)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/10/22 → 30/09/25
Project: Research Councils
GaGARin - Advanced Simulation Techniques for Gaseous Detectors: Application on Spherical Proportional Counters
Nikolopoulos, K. (Principal Investigator) & Neep, T. (Co-Investigator)
European Commission
1/04/22 → 31/03/24
Project: EU
Experimental Particle Consolidated Grant 2019-2022
Gonella, L. (Co-Investigator), Charlton, D. (Co-Investigator), Allport, P. (Co-Investigator), Watson, N. (Co-Investigator), Watson, A. (Co-Investigator), Goudzovski, E. (Co-Investigator), Newman, P. (Principal Investigator), Nikolopoulos, K. (Co-Investigator), Watson, M. (Co-Investigator), Ilten, P. (Co-Investigator), Lazzeroni, C. (Co-Investigator), Hawkes, C. (Co-Investigator) & Worm, S. (Co-Investigator)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL
1/10/19 → 31/03/23
Project: Research
H2020_IF_DARKSPHERE
Nikolopoulos, K. (Principal Investigator)
European Commission
1/05/19 → 30/04/21
Project: EU

Cite this

@article{9a4c4786bd8247e2a179019dd956ee38,

title = "Commissioning of the MIGDAL detector with fast neutrons at NILE/ISIS",

abstract = "Many dark matter experiments are exploiting the Migdal effect, a rare atomic process, to improve sensitivity to low-mass (sub-GeV) WIMP-like dark matter candidates. However, this process is yet to be directly observed in nuclear scattering. The MIGDAL experiment aims to make the first unambiguous measurement of the Migdal effect in nuclear scattering. A low-pressure optical Time Projection Chamber is used to image in three-dimensions the characteristic signature of a Migdal event: an electron and a nuclear recoil track sharing a common vertex. Nuclear recoils are induced using fast neutrons from a D-D source, which scatter in the gaseous volume of the detector. The experiment is operated with 50 Torr of CF4 using two glass GEMs for charge amplification. Both light and charge are read-out, and these measurements are combined for track reconstruction. Commissioning data has been recorded with fast neutrons at the Neutron Irradiation Laboratory for Electronics (NILE) at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. Results of the experiment{\textquoteright}s commissioning and the performance of the detector with a high rate of highly ionising nuclear recoils are presented, along with results from low energy electrons. Initial results of light and charge read-out with low pressure noble gas mixtures are also presented.",

keywords = "Time projection chamber, Gaseous detectors, Optical read-out",

author = "{MIGDAL collaboration} and L. Millins",

note = "Part of the MIGDAL Collaboration.",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2024.169971",

language = "English",

volume = "1069",

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

issn = "0168-9002",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Commissioning of the MIGDAL detector with fast neutrons at NILE/ISIS

AU - MIGDAL collaboration

AU - Millins, L.

N1 - Part of the MIGDAL Collaboration.

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - Many dark matter experiments are exploiting the Migdal effect, a rare atomic process, to improve sensitivity to low-mass (sub-GeV) WIMP-like dark matter candidates. However, this process is yet to be directly observed in nuclear scattering. The MIGDAL experiment aims to make the first unambiguous measurement of the Migdal effect in nuclear scattering. A low-pressure optical Time Projection Chamber is used to image in three-dimensions the characteristic signature of a Migdal event: an electron and a nuclear recoil track sharing a common vertex. Nuclear recoils are induced using fast neutrons from a D-D source, which scatter in the gaseous volume of the detector. The experiment is operated with 50 Torr of CF4 using two glass GEMs for charge amplification. Both light and charge are read-out, and these measurements are combined for track reconstruction. Commissioning data has been recorded with fast neutrons at the Neutron Irradiation Laboratory for Electronics (NILE) at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. Results of the experiment’s commissioning and the performance of the detector with a high rate of highly ionising nuclear recoils are presented, along with results from low energy electrons. Initial results of light and charge read-out with low pressure noble gas mixtures are also presented.

AB - Many dark matter experiments are exploiting the Migdal effect, a rare atomic process, to improve sensitivity to low-mass (sub-GeV) WIMP-like dark matter candidates. However, this process is yet to be directly observed in nuclear scattering. The MIGDAL experiment aims to make the first unambiguous measurement of the Migdal effect in nuclear scattering. A low-pressure optical Time Projection Chamber is used to image in three-dimensions the characteristic signature of a Migdal event: an electron and a nuclear recoil track sharing a common vertex. Nuclear recoils are induced using fast neutrons from a D-D source, which scatter in the gaseous volume of the detector. The experiment is operated with 50 Torr of CF4 using two glass GEMs for charge amplification. Both light and charge are read-out, and these measurements are combined for track reconstruction. Commissioning data has been recorded with fast neutrons at the Neutron Irradiation Laboratory for Electronics (NILE) at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. Results of the experiment’s commissioning and the performance of the detector with a high rate of highly ionising nuclear recoils are presented, along with results from low energy electrons. Initial results of light and charge read-out with low pressure noble gas mixtures are also presented.

KW - Time projection chamber

KW - Gaseous detectors

KW - Optical read-out

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2024.169971

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2024.169971

M3 - Article

SN - 0168-9002

VL - 1069

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

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

M1 - 169971

ER -

Commissioning of the MIGDAL detector with fast neutrons at NILE/ISIS

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

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Projects

Responsive RAs for the Birmingham Experimental Particle Physics Programme

Experimental Particle Physics Consolidated Grant 2022-25

GaGARin - Advanced Simulation Techniques for Gaseous Detectors: Application on Spherical Proportional Counters

Experimental Particle Consolidated Grant 2019-2022

H2020_IF_DARKSPHERE

Cite this