SuperCDMS 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 to distinguish them from backgrounds. This powerful technology is operating deep underground in the Soudan mine in Minnesota. This award provides construction funding for the SuperCDMS Soudan project which will extend the deployed germanium target mass at Soudan from the present 4 kg to 15 kg. The SuperCDMS experiment will have a broad impact which extends beyond the dark matter search. The technical developments 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 undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, using techniques at the leading edge of measurement technologies. In addition, the SuperCDMS collaboration will expand its public outreach program at the Soudan mine.