Searching for dark matter from the GeV-scale through TeV-scale with liquid argon

_{Benjamin Broerman,
Queen's University}

_Abstract:

Understanding the properties of dark matter is one of the most important goals of modern physics. Noble liquids, like argon, can be used as a target to search for dark matter over a wide range of masses from the GeV-scale through the TeV-scale. As a member of the Scintillating Bubble Chamber (SBC) collaboration, I am involved in developing liquid-noble bubble chambers sensitive to the sub-keV nuclear recoils expected from dark matter-nucleus scattering of GeV-scale dark matter. These detectors combine the excellent electron-recoil insensitivity inherent in bubble chambers with the ability to reconstruct energy based on the scintillation signal for further background suppression. The targeted nuclear recoil threshold of 100 eV is made possible by the high level of superheat attainable in noble liquids while remaining electron-recoil insensitive. In order to verify this reduced threshold, the SBC collaboration is building two functionally-identical 10 kg liquid argon detectors. The first, SBC-LAr10, to be operated at Fermilab, will be used for engineering and calibration studies. The second detector, SBC-SNOLAB, for a low-background dark matter search will be operated underground at SNOLAB. An overview of scintillating liquid-noble bubble chambers, the physics potential of SBC-SNOLAB, and new ideas for detector materials will be presented along with the physics reach of a proposed future, large volume dark matter search with liquid argon to cover masses through the TeV-scale.

Timbits, coffee, tea will be served in STI A before the colloquium.