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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Direct dark matter searches with metal halide perovskites

Polar materials with optical phonons in the meV range are excellent candidates for both dark matter direct detection via dark photon-mediated scattering and light dark matter absorption. In this study, we propose, for the first time, the metal halide perovskites MAPbI 3 , MAPbCl 3 , and CsPbI 3 for these purposes. Our findings reveal that CsPbI 3 is the best material, significantly improving exclusion limits compared to other polar materials. For scattering, CsPbI 3 can probe dark matter masses down to the keV range. For absorption, it enhances sensitivity to detect dark photon masses below ∼10 meV. The only material that has so far been investigated and that could provide competitive bounds is CsI, which, however, demonstrates lower stability as device platform compared to CsPbI 3 . Moreover, CsI is isotropic while the anisotropic structure of CsPbI 3 enables daily modulation analysis, showing that a significant percentage of daily modulation exceeding 1% is achievable for dark matter masses below 40 keV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fast and flexible analysis of direct dark matter search data with machine learning

We present the results from combining machine learning with the profile likelihood fit procedure, using data from the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) dark matter experiment. This approach demonstrates reduction in computation time by a factor of 30 when compared with the previous approach, without loss of performance on real data. We establish its flexibility to capture non-linear correlations between variables (such as smearing in light and charge signals due to position variation) by achieving equal performance using pulse areas with and without position-corrections applied. Its efficiency and scalability furthermore enables searching for dark matter using additional variables without significant computational burden. We demonstrate this by including a light signal pulse shape variable alongside more traditional inputs such as light and charge signal strengths. Furthermore, this technique can be exploited by future dark matter experiments to make use of additional information, reduce computational resources needed for signal searches and simulations, and make inclusion of physical nuisance parameters in fits tractable.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Constraints on directionality effect of nuclear recoils in a liquid argon time projection chamber

The direct search for dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP) is performed by detecting nuclear recoils produced in a target material from the WIMP elastic scattering. The experimental identification of the direction of the WIMP-induced nuclear recoils is a crucial asset in this field, as it enables unmistakable modulation signatures for dark matter. The Recoil Directionality (ReD) experiment was designed to probe for such directional sensitivity in argon dual-phase time projection chambers (TPC), that are widely considered for current and future direct dark matter searches. The TPC of ReD was irradiated with neutrons at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud. Data were taken with nuclear recoils of known directions and kinetic energy of 72 keV, which is within the range of interest for WIMP-induced signals in argon. The direction-dependent liquid argon charge recombination model by Cataudella et al. was adopted and a likelihood statistical analysis was performed, which gave no indications of significant dependence of the detector response to the recoil direction. The aspect ratio R of the initial ionization cloud is $R < 1.072$ with 90 % confidence level.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

DarkNESS: Characterization of Space Multi-Chip Module Skipper-CCDs and Readout Electronics

The DarkNESS mission has the goal of deploying a 6U CubeSat fitted with an array of skipper-CCDs in Low Earth Orbit (~400 km). The new instrument will take measurements of diffuse x-rays and look for signatures of dark matter decay in the spectrum. DarkNESS will also perform a direct search for strongly interacting sub-GeV dark matter in regions of the parameter space not accessible to ground based experiments [1]. Skipper-CCDs allow for low-noise astronomical observations which can extend the discovery reach for direct dark matter search experiments. This paper will discuss the laboratory characterization of the two key components of the scientific payload: the space Multi-Chip Module (sMCM), and their readout electronics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for the Migdal effect in liquid xenon with keV-level nuclear recoils

The Migdal effect predicts that a nuclear recoil interaction can be accompanied by atomic ionization, allowing many dark matter direct detection experiments to gain sensitivity to sub-GeV masses. We report the first direct search for the Migdal effect for M- and L-shell electrons in liquid xenon using nuclear recoils produced by tagged neutron scatters. Despite an observed background rate lower than that of expected signals in the region of interest, we do not observe a signal consistent with predictions. We discuss possible explanations, including inaccurate predictions for either the Migdal rate or the signal response in liquid xenon. We comment on the implications for direct dark matter searches and future Migdal characterization efforts. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ionization yield measurement in a germanium CDMSlite detector using photo-neutron sources

Two photo-neutron sources, Y 88 Be 9 and Sb 124 Be 9 , have been used to investigate the ionization yield of nuclear recoils in the CDMSlite germanium detectors by the SuperCDMS collaboration. In this study, we evaluate the yield for nuclear recoil energies between 1 and 7 keV at a temperature of ~ 50 mK . We use a geant4 simulation to model the neutron spectrum assuming a charge yield model that is a generalization of the standard Lindhard model and consists of two energy dependent parameters. We perform a likelihood analysis using the simulated neutron spectrum, modeled background, and experimental data to obtain the best fit values of the yield model. The ionization yield between recoil energies of 1 and 7 keV is shown to be significantly lower than predicted by the standard Lindhard model for germanium. There is a general lack of agreement among different experiments using a variety of techniques studying the low energy range of the nuclear recoil yield, which is most critical for interpretation of direct dark matter searches. This suggests complexity in the physical process that many direct detection experiments use to model their primary signal detection mechanism and highlights the need for further studies to clarify underlying systematic effects that have not been well understood up to this point.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Intrinsic Fano factor of nuclear recoils for dark matter searches

Nuclear recoils in germanium and silicon are shown to have much larger variance in electron-hole production than their electron recoil counterparts for recoil energies between 10 and 200 keV. This effect—owing primarily to deviations in the amount of energy given to the crystal lattice in response to a nuclear recoil of a given energy—has been predicted by the Lindhard model. Here, we parametrize the variance in terms of an intrinsic nuclear recoil Fano factor that is 24.3 ± 0.2 and 26 ± 8 at around 25 keV for silicon and germanium, respectively. The variance has important effects on the expected signal shapes for experiments utilizing low-energy nuclear recoils such as direct dark matter searches and coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering measurements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Search for Axion Dark Matter from 1.1 to 1.3 GHz with ADMX

Axion dark matter can satisfy the conditions needed to account for all of the dark matter and solve the strong 𝐶⁢𝑃 problem. The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX) is a direct dark matter search using a haloscope to convert axions to photons in an external magnetic field. Key to this conversion is the use of a microwave resonator that enhances the sensitivity at the frequency of interest. The ADMX experiment boosts its sensitivity using a dilution refrigerator and near quantum-limited amplifier to reduce the noise level in the experimental apparatus. In the most recent run, ADMX searched for axions between 1.10 and 1.31 GHz to extended Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov sensitivity. This Letter reports on the results of that run, as well as unique aspects of this experimental setup.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The MIGDAL experiment: Measuring a rare atomic process to aid the search for dark matter

We present the Migdal In Galactic Dark mAtter expLoration (MIGDAL) experiment aiming at the unambiguous observation and study of the so-called Migdal effect induced by fast-neutron scattering. It is hoped that this elusive atomic process can be exploited to enhance the reach of direct dark matter search experiments to lower masses, but it is still lacking experimental confirmation. Our goal is to detect the predicted atomic electron emission which is thought to accompany nuclear scattering with low, but calculable, probability, by deploying an Optical Time Projection Chamber filled with a low-pressure gas based on CF 4 . Initially, pure CF 4 will be used, and then in mixtures containing other elements employed by leading dark matter search technologies — including noble species, plus Si and Ge. High resolution track images generated by a Gas Electron Multiplier stack, together with timing information from scintillation and ionisation readout, will be used for 3D reconstruction of the characteristic event topology expected for this process — an arrangement of two tracks sharing a common vertex, with one belonging to a Migdal electron and the other to a nuclear recoil. Different energy-loss rate distributions along both tracks will be used as a powerful discrimination tool against background events. In this article we present the design of the experiment, informed by extensive particle and track simulations and detailed estimations of signal and background rates. In pure CF 4 we expect to observe 8.9 (29.3) Migdal events per calendar day of exposure to an intense D–D (D–T) neutron generator beam at the NILE facility located at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK). With our nominal assumptions, 5σ median discovery significance can be achieved in under one day with either generator.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Phonon-mediated quantum efficiency measurement in semiconductors

Accurate quantum efficiency measurement not only provides crucial information for the photovoltaic cell industry but also supports experiments aimed at directly detecting dark matter and elastic neutrino interactions. The dark matter direct searches paradigm has recently expanded to include particles with masses below 1,MeV/c2, where the expected signal in an electron–recoil interaction is approximately in the eV range, just above the energy gap for silicon and germanium. A robust calibration method for ionization signals in this lower energy region is essential. This paper presents a method for measuring quantum efficiency and yield (q/E) in semiconductors using phonon-mediated calorimetry. The Neganov–Trofimov–Luke phonon amplification method in low-temperature semiconductor crystals has been employed to indirectly measure ionization down to single-electron accuracy. Specifically, at zero bias, the phonon readout directly quantifies the total energy deposited within the detector, independent of the ionization yield. This eliminates a significant source of systematic uncertainty in quantum efficiency estimates associated with total energy uncertainty. The paper includes results from an updated ionization efficiency measurement in a germanium detector.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2023

The NEWS-G detector at SNOLAB

The New Experiments With Spheres-Gas (NEWS-G) collaboration intends to achieve sub-GeV/c 2 Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) detection using Spherical Proportional Counters (SPCs). SPCs are gaseous detectors relying on ionisation with a single ionization electron energy threshold. The latest generation of SPC for direct dark matter searches has been installed at SNOLAB in Canada in 2021. This article details the different processes involved in the fabrication of the NEWS-G experiment. Also outlined in this paper are the mitigation strategies, measurements of radioactivity of the different components, and estimations of induced background event rates that were used to quantify and address detector backgrounds.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Measurements of the ionization efficiency of protons in methane

The amount of energy released by a nuclear recoil ionizing the atoms of the active volume of detection appears “quenched” compared to an electron of the same kinetic energy. This different behavior in ionization between electrons and nuclei is described by the Ionization Quenching Factor (IQF) and it plays a crucial role in direct dark matter searches. For low kinetic energies (below 50 keV ), IQF measurements deviate significantly from common models used for theoretical predictions and simulations. We report measurements of the IQF for proton, an appropriate target for searches of Dark Matter candidates with a mass of approximately 1 GeV , with kinetic energies in between 2 keV and 13 keV in 100 mbar of methane. We used the Comimac facility in order to produce the motion of nuclei and electrons of controlled kinetic energy in the active volume, and a NEWS-G SPC to measure the deposited energy. The Comimac electrons are used as a reference to calibrate the detector with 7 energy points. A detailed study of systematic effects led to the final results well fitted by IQF (E K )=E$^α_K$ / (β+E$^α_K$) with α=0.70±0.08 and β=1.32±0.17 . In agreement with some previous works in other gas mixtures, we measured less ionization energy than predicted from SRIM simulations, the difference reaching 33% at 2 keV .

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

DarkNESS: Characterization of Space Multi-Chip Module Skipper-CCDs

The DarkNESS mission is to send a 6U CubeSat fitted with an array of skipper-CCDs to see how well these sensors operate in Low Earth Orbit: take measurements of x-rays from the galactic center and strongly interacting sub-GeV dark matter from Cygnus X-1. Skipper-CCDs allow for low-noise astronomical observations which can extend the discovery reach for direct dark matter search experiments. This paper will discuss the characterization of the space Multi-Chip Module (sMCM) equipped with skipper-CCDs, and the challenges it faces during testing in the lab environment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Calibrating the scintillation and ionization responses of xenon recoils for high-energy dark matter searches

We report liquid xenon-based direct detection dark matter experiments have recently expanded their searches to include high-energy nuclear recoil events as motivated by effective field theory dark matter and inelastic dark matter interaction models, but few xenon recoil calibrations above 100 keV are currently available. In this work, we measured the scintillation and ionization yields of xenon recoils up to 426 keV. The experiment uses 14.1 MeV neutrons to scatter off xenon in a compact liquid xenon time projection chamber and produce quasimonoenergetic xenon recoils between 39 and 426 keV. We report the xenon recoil responses and their electric field dependence for recoil energies up to 306 keV; due to the low event statistics and the relatively mild field dependence, the yield values at higher energies are reported as the average of xenon responses for electric fields between 0.2 and 2.0 kV/cm. This result will enable xenon-based dark matter experiments to significantly increase their high-energy dark matter sensitivities by including energy regions that were previously inaccessible due to lack of calibrations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

New directions in the search for dark matter

The identification of the nature of dark matter is one of the most important problems confronting particle physics. Current observational constraints permit the mass of the dark matter to range from 10^{-22} 10 − 22 eV - 10^{48} 10 48 GeV. Given the weak nature of these bounds and the ease with which dark matter models can be constructed, it is clear that the problem can only be solved experimentally. In these lectures, I discuss methods to experimentally probe a wide range of dark matter candidates.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The design, implementation, and performance of the LZ calibration systems

LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a tonne-scale experiment searching for direct dark matter interactions and other rare events. It is located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, USA. The core of the LZ detector is a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC), designed with the primary goal of detecting Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) via their induced low energy nuclear recoils. Surrounding the TPC, two veto detectors immersed in an ultra-pure water tank enable reducing background events to enhance the discovery potential. Intricate calibration systems are purposely designed to precisely understand the responses of these three detector volumes to various types of particle interactions and to demonstrate LZ's ability to discriminate between signals and backgrounds. In this paper, we present a comprehensive discussion of the key features, requirements, and performance of the LZ calibration systems, which play a crucial role in enabling LZ's WIMP-search and its broad science program. The thorough description of these calibration systems, with an emphasis on their novel aspects, is valuable for future calibration efforts in direct dark matter and other rare-event search experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Light dark matter search with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds

We propose an approach to directly search for light dark matter, such as the axion or the dark photon, by using magnetometry with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds. If the dark matter couples to the electron spin, it affects the evolution of the Bloch vectors consisting of the spin triplet states, which may be detected through several magnetometry techniques. We give several concrete examples with the use of dc and ac magnetometry and estimate the sensitivity on dark matter couplings.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Distinctive signals of frustrated dark matter

We study a renormalizable model of Dirac fermion dark matter (DM) that communicates with the Standard Model (SM) through a pair of mediators — one scalar, one fermion — in the representation (6, 1, $\frac{4}{3}$) of the SM gauge group SU(3) c x SU(2) L x U(1) Y . While such assignments preclude direct coupling of the dark matter to the Standard Model at tree level, we examine the many effective operators generated at one-loop order when the mediators are heavy, and find that they are often phenomenologically relevant. We reinterpret dijet and pair-produced resonance and jets + E$^{miss}_{T}$ searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in order to constrain the mediator sector, and we examine an array of DM constraints ranging from the observed relic density Ω χ h$^{2}_{Planck}$ to indirect and direct searches for dark matter. Tree-level annihilation, available for DM masses starting at the TeV scale, is required in order to produce Ω χ h$^{2}_{Planck}$ through freeze-out, but loops — led by the dimension-five DM magnetic dipole moment — are nonetheless able to produce signals large enough to be constrained, particularly by the XENON1T experiment. In some benchmarks, we find a fair amount of parameter space left open by experiment and compatible with freeze-out. In other scenarios, however, the open space is quite small, suggesting a need for further model-building and/or non-standard cosmologies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗