Projects per year
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 | |
| 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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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
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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 → 31/03/26
Project: Research Councils
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GaGARin - Advanced Simulation Techniques for Gaseous Detectors: Application on Spherical Proportional Counters
Nikolopoulos, K. (Principal Investigator) & Neep, T. (Co-Investigator)
1/04/22 → 31/03/24
Project: EU
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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
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