Würzburg 2018 – scientific programme

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 52: Suche nach dunkler Materie III

T 52.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 17:10–17:25, Philo-HS5

Analysis of the Optical Characteristics of the DARWIN Prototype via Ray Tracing - First Results — •Marius Goetz, Guido Drexlin, Jonas Kellerer, and Daniel Hilk — Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

DARWIN (DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN) aims to probe spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-sections down to O(10⁻⁴⁹ cm²), using a multi-ton dual phase noble gas detector. WIMP interactions produce both an ionization and photon signal in liquid xenon (LXe). The electrons are extracted from the LXe by a drift field to the gaseous xenon, where secondary photons are created. Secondary and primary photons are measured with photosensors.

An optimized photon detection efficiency in LXe is crucial to separate signal from background. To this end, optical properties like reflectivity, absorption, detection efficiency and photomultiplier design of a prototype, to be built at KIT, and the final detector have to be investigated in detail. The impact of novel concepts such as inner electrodes also has to be investigated.

Comprehensive light collection models of the prototype at KIT are developed and implemented both into Geant4 and Comsol Multiphysics to study the implications of different detector designs on the light yield. First results of this analysis are summarized in this talk.