Recoil Imaging: Directional Dark Matter Searches and Other Applications

by Prof. Sven Vahsen (UH Physics)

Thursday Dec 2, 2021, 3:30 PM → 4:30 PM Pacific/Honolulu

Zoom

Trajectories of electrically charged elementary particles are typically detected via the ionization trails they deposit in detectors. For dark matter particles, neutrinos, and neutrons alternative detection strategies are required. We will discuss recoil imaging --- the strategy of detecting the tiny but measurable ionization distributions from nuclear and electronic recoils. This approach provides the considerable benefit of directional sensitivity, but it is experimentally challenging to achieve. We will discuss selected efforts worldwide, but focus on the BEAST and CYGNUS projects at the University Hawaii. Finally, we will speculate on the specifications of a large-scale nuclear recoil observatory capable of three-dimensional electron counting.

Video-Prof. S. Vahsen