IIHE invited seminar: Light dark matter search with CCDs

by Dr Mariangela Settimo

Friday 4 Jun 2021, 14:00 → 15:30 Europe/Brussels

Probably zoom (IIHE (ULB-VUB))

Abstract: The DAMIC (DArk Matter In CCD) experiment employs the bulk silicon of scientific-grade charge-coupled devices (CCDs) as target for the interactions of dark matter particles. The CCDs, which are well known devices in digital imaging and astronomy, are used in DAMIC as target for the detection of the nuclear and electron recoils. The low mass of the silicon nucleus provides good sensitivity to WIMPs with low masses (< 10 GeV/c2), while the small band gap of silicon provides sensitivity to dark matter-electron interactions that deposit as little as 1.1 eV in the target.  A 40-gram target detector has collected data at the SNOLAB underground laboratory since 2017. Recent results from the searches for DM-electron scattering and hidden-photon absorption will be summarized.

An upgrade of the detector, DAMIC-M, financed by an ERC advanced grant in Europe and by NSF in US, will be installed at Modane Laboratory in France. With a total mass of 1kg and an ionization threshold of 2 electrons it will allow the detection of sub-GeV WIMPS masses and dark matter candidates beyond the WIMPS paradigm. The status of the DAMIC-M project will be presented.

Short bio: Dr. Mariangela Settimo is a CNRS researcher at SUBATECH, Nantes in France.  During her PhD (obtained in 2009) in Italy and post-doctoral research  in Germany and France she worked on ultra-high energy cosmic ray physics with the Pierre Auger Observatory.  Since 2016, her activities are related to the search for dark matter with the DAMIC and DAMIC-M experiments, She is also highly involved in  the detection of supernova neutrinos with the JUNO experiments in China. 

 

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86306126641?pwd=Nzl6azg2ZTNiSkRoMHNpenJtdEs0QT09
 
Meeting ID: 863 0612 6641
Passcode: !!HESem