Experimental Particle Cosmology at Case

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

A wealth of observations shows that the universe is composed of >96% invisible matter and energy. The leading candidate for the invisible "dark matter" is a subatomic particle left over from the big bang known as the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP). If WIMPs exist, they are also the dominant mass in our own Milky Way. Although they very rarely interact with conventional matter, they should nonetheless be detectable by sufficiently sensitive detectors on Earth, through their direct interaction with, and the ensuing recoil of, nuclei in a target. The primary detection challenge is reducing natural and cosmogenic radioactivity by >10 orders of magnitude. This award will provide base support for the Case group for work on the LUX (Large Underground Xenon) dark matter experiment. LUX features a 300 kg two-phase xenon dark matter detector, which will be housed in a large water shield located in the Davis Cavern at the Sanford Lab in the Homestake Mine, South Dakota. LUX is currently beginning their final integration of the detector. The LUX experiment has focused on a scalable design based on existing technologies, and will soon field a detector with nearly 2 orders of magnitude better WIMP sensitivity than the best published limits. This group has had a central role in the design and construction of LUX, and will play a major role in LUX operations and analysis. Among Broader Impacts, the detection of particle dark matter would transform and extend world activities in the particle physics and astronomical communities. The technology can be applied to other fundamental experiments such as double beta decay and solar neutrinos, and may give rise to new medical diagnostic techniques, or applications to Homeland Security and nuclear control. This group will participate in extensive education and outreach activities being undertaken in conjunction with Sanford Lab.