Dr. Tsuguo Aramaki, SLAC, on "Hunting for Dark Matter with SuperCDMS"
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Pacific/Honolulu
112 (Watanabe Hall)
112
Watanabe Hall
Description
The existence of dark matter has been inferred through many astrophysical phenomena, but the nature and origin of dark matter are still unknown. Many experiments have been proposed to search for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) and other dark matter particles using different approaches, such as direct and indirect detection methods and particle colliders. Direct detection experiments can directly detect dark matter particles through their scattering off nuclei within a detector, however, dark matter particles can only produce extremely rare and small signals. For over a decade, the CDMS (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search) project has been one of the leading direct dark matter search experiments using low-temperature semiconductor detectors to identify the dark matter-nucleus interaction. The nuclear recoil energy induced by dark matter-nucleus scattering is measured through lattice vibration (phonon) and ionization signals. CDMS detectors are deployed in a deep underground laboratory and operated at temperatures about 50 mK to minimize the background and optimize the detector performance. SuperCDMS can uniquely and deeply search for low-mass WIMPs and other light dark matter particles while playing a complementary role in the dark matter search with other experiments. In this talk, I will present the recent result of the CDMS low-ionization threshold experiment (CDMSlite) and then discuss the scientific goals of the SuperCDMS SNOLAB project while focusing on the recent status of the detector development and experimental construction.
