Nuclear Seminar - Alexander Fuss (11.12.2019)

Wednesday 11.12.2019 at 14:00, Lecture room F1/364

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Alexander Fuss (Institute of High Energy Physics of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna):
The COSINUS Experiment – Searching for dark matter with cryogenic NaI detectors

Abstrakt:
Since decades, direct dark matter searches set more and more stringent limits on dark matter-nucleus interaction. However, a long-standing controversy still persists: The DAMA/LIBRA experiment observes an annual modulation signal in its NaI target crystals with high statistical significance, which is perfectly compatible with the expectation for a galactic dark matter halo in terms of period and phase. At the same time, it contradicts the null-results of various other experiments in the standard scenario on the galactic dark matter halo. The COSINUS experiment aims for a model-independent cross-check of the DAMA/LIBRA signal, which is absent up to now and requires the use of the same target material (NaI). A unique feature of COSINUS compared to other experiments trying to conclusively test the DAMA/LIBRA result is the operation of the NaI crystals as cryogenic detectors, yielding some decisive advantages: Discrimination between electronic and nuclear recoils on an event-by-event basis, lower nuclear recoil threshold and better energy resolution. Within this contribution, we will illustrate the COSINUS experiment, review prototype measurements and present plans for the new underground facility and the shielding structure foreseen to be installed at LNGS based on simulations performed for the setup.

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