DMTPC: Dark matter detection with directional sensitivity

J. B. R. Battat; S. Ahlen; T. Caldwell; C. Deaconu; D. Dujmic; W. Fedus; P. Fisher; F. Golub; S. Henderson; A. Inglis; A. Kaboth; G. Kohse; R. Lanza; A. Lee; J. Lopez; J. Monroe; T. Sahin; G. Sciolla; N. Skvorodnev; H. Tomita; H. Wellenstein; I. Wolfe; R. Yamamoto; H. Yegoryan

arXiv · 1012.3912

DMTPC: Dark matter detection with directional sensitivity

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Abstract

The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) experiment uses CF_4 gas at low pressure (0.1 atm) to search for the directional signature of Galactic WIMP dark matter. We describe the DMTPC apparatus and summarize recent results from a 35.7 g-day exposure surface run at MIT. After nuclear recoil cuts are applied to the data, we find 105 candidate events in the energy range 80 - 200 keV, which is consistent with the expected cosmogenic neutron background. Using this data, we obtain a limit on the spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross-section of 2.0 \times 10^{-33} cm^2 at a WIMP mass of 115 GeV/c^2. This detector is currently deployed underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico.

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J. B. R. Battat, S. Ahlen, T. Caldwell, C. Deaconu, D. Dujmic, W. Fedus, P. Fisher, F. Golub, S. Henderson, A. Inglis, A. Kaboth, G. Kohse, R. Lanza, A. Lee, J. Lopez, J. Monroe, T. Sahin, G. Sciolla, N. Skvorodnev, H. Tomita, H. Wellenstein, I. Wolfe, R. Yamamoto, H. Yegoryan. 2010-12-17. DMTPC: Dark matter detection with directional sensitivity. https://arxiv.org/abs/1012.3912

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