Antonio Branca | Searcharxiv

arXiv2017

The CUORE experiment at the LNGS

CUORE is the first ton-scale experiment based on the bolometric technique to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Its core is made of 988 $\mathrm{TeO_{2}}$ crystals cooled down to $10~\mathrm{mK}$. The temperature must be as stable as possible during detector operations, for an integrated live-time of about 5 years. To reach these goals, a dedicated cryogenic system has been developed. Temperature stabilization of the crystals response will be performed to compensate for residual instabilities. External vibrations that can deteriorate the crystals energy resolution, are dumped thanks to a suspension system. Moreover, a thorough selection and cleaning process performed on the construction material will allow the abatement of the radioactive backgrounds. Here the key aspects of the systems are presented.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Search for light scalar Dark Matter candidate with AURIGA detector

A search for a new scalar field, called moduli, has been performed using the cryogenic resonant-mass AURIGA detector. Predicted by string theory, moduli may provide a significant contribution to the dark matter (DM) component of our universe. If this is the case, the interaction of ordinary matter with the local DM moduli, forming the Galaxy halo, will cause an oscillation of solid bodies with a frequency corresponding to the mass of moduli. In the sensitive band of AURIGA, some $100\,\mathrm{Hz}$ at around $1\,\mathrm{kHz}$, the expected signal, with a $Q=\tfrac{\triangle f}{f}\sim10^{6}$, is a narrow peak, $\triangle f\sim1\,\mathrm{mHz}$. Here the detector strain sensitivity is $h_{s}\sim2\times10^{-21}\,\mathrm{Hz^{-1/2}}$, within a factor of $2$. These numbers translate to upper limits at $95\%\,C.L.$ on the moduli coupling to ordinary matter $d_{e}\lesssim10^{-5}$ around masses $m_ϕ=3.6\cdot10^{-12}\,\mathrm{eV}$, for the standard DM halo model with $ρ_{DM}=0.3\,\mathrm{GeV/cm^{3}}$.

hep-ex↗