Measurement of the directional sensitivity of DMTPC detectors

Abstract

The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) is a direction-sensitive detector designed to measure the direction of recoiling ${}^{19}$F and ${}^{12}$C nuclei in low-pressure CF${}_4$ gas using optical and charge readout systems. In this paper, we employ measurements from two DMTPC detectors, with operating pressures of 30-60 torr, to develop and validate a model of the directional response and performance of such detectors as a function of recoil energy. Using our model as a benchmark, we formulate the necessary specifications for a scalable directional detector with sensitivity comparable to that of current-generation counting (non-directional) experiments, which measure only recoil energy. Assuming the performance of existing DMTPC detectors, as well as current limits on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleus cross section, we find that a 10-20 kg scale direction-sensitive detector is capable of correlating the measured direction of nuclear recoils with the predicted direction of incident dark matter particles and providing decisive (3$\sigma$) confirmation that a candidate signal from a non-directional experiment was indeed induced by elastic scattering of dark matter particles off of target nuclei.

13 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D. Added color figures, switched to more compact layout, and fixed some references

References in corpus (4)

• The Astrophysical Uncertainties Of Dark Matter Direct Detection Experiments
• Implications for the Constrained MSSM from a new prediction for b to s gamma
• A Measurement of Photon Production in Electron Avalanches in CF4
• Background Rejection in the DMTPC Dark Matter Search Using Charge Signals

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Feebly-Interacting Particles:FIPs 2020 Workshop Report
• Directional recoil detection
• Direct Detection of Dark Matter -- APPEC Committee Report
• Review on dark matter searches
• Time-integrated directional detection of dark matter
• The role of small scale experiments in the direct detection of dark matter
• A High Pressure Time Projection Chamber with Optical Readout
• Primary track recovery in high-definition gas time projection chambers
• Bayesian network 3D event reconstruction in the Cygno optical TPC for dark matter direct detection
• Searching for beyond-Standard-Model solar neutrino interactions using directional detectors