SuperCDMS Operation at Soudan

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Observations of galaxies, superclusters, distant supernovae, and the cosmic microwave background radiation tell us that about 85% of the matter in the universe is not made of known particles. Deciphering the nature of this dark matter would be of fundamental importance to cosmology, astrophysics, and high-energy particle physics. A leading hypothesis is that it is comprised of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPs, that were produced moments after the Big Bang. If WIMPs are the dark matter, then their presence in our galaxy may be detectable via scattering from atomic nuclei in a terrestrial detector. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) Collaboration has pioneered the use of low temperature phonon-mediated detectors to detect the rare scattering of WIMPs on nuclei and distinguish them from backgrounds. This powerful technology is operating deep underground in the Soudan mine in Minnesota. This award will support the CDMS scientists to test and commission five SuperCDMS Super-Towers with a total mass of 15 kg. This project is also an important step to demonstrate the viability of germanium cryogenic detectors for a future larger mass experiment at SNOLAB. The SuperCDMS Soudan experiment is being constructed and operated by the SuperCDMS collaboration which is comprised of fifteen institutions. Broader impacts: the experiment will have a broad impact which extends beyond the dark matter search. The technical development will further advance phonon-mediated detectors, which have already found many applications in cosmology, astronomy and industry. The project will contribute to the training of students, and postdoctoral researchers, using techniques at the leading edge of measurement technologies. In addition, the collaboration will expand its public outreach program at the Soudan mine. SuperCDMS scientists will continue their involvement in K-12, their collaboration with teachers and their support for promising high school students from underserved backgrounds.