Simulation and background characterisation of the SABRE South experiment

Abstract

SABRE (Sodium iodide with Active Background REjection) is a direct detection dark matter experiment based on arrays of radio-pure NaI(Tl) crystals. The experiment aims at achieving an ultra-low background rate and its primary goal is to confirm or refute the results from the DAMA/LIBRA experiment. The SABRE Proof-of-Principle phase was carried out in 2020-2021 at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), in Italy. The next phase consists of two full-scale experiments: SABRE South at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, in Australia, and SABRE North at LNGS. This paper focuses on SABRE South and presents a detailed simulation of the detector, which is used to characterise the background for dark matter searches including DAMA/LIBRA-like modulation. We estimate an overall background of 0.72 cpd/kg/keV${}_{ee}$ in the energy range 1$-$6 keV${}_{ee}$ primarily due to radioactive contamination in the crystals. Given this level of background and considering that the SABRE South has a target mass of 50 kg, we expect to exclude (confirm) DAMA/LIBRA modulation at $4(5)\sigma$ within 2.5 years of data taking.

References in corpus (14)

• Results from a search for dark matter in the complete LUX exposure
• Search for Low-Mass WIMPs with SuperCDMS
• The DAMA/LIBRA apparatus
• Measurement of the Two-Neutrino Double Beta Decay Half-life of ${}^{130}$Te with the CUORE-0 Experiment
• Annual modulation results from three-year exposure of ANAIS-112
• ACTIVIA: Calculation of Isotope Production Cross-sections and Yields
• Cosmogenic production of tritium in dark matter detectors
• Characterization of SABRE crystal NaI-33 with direct underground counting
• Quenching factor measurements of sodium nuclear recoils in NaI:Tl determined by spectrum fitting
• High sensitivity characterization of an ultra-high purity NaI(Tl) crystal scintillator with the SABRE proof-of-principle detector
• Performance of an ultra-pure NaI(Tl) detector produced by an indigenously-developed purification method and crystal growth for the COSINE-200 experiment
• Performance of the SABRE detector module in a purely passive shielding
• Cosmogenic activation of sodium iodide
• Influence of NaI background and mass on testing the DAMA modulation

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Upgrading the COSINE-100 Experiment for Enhanced Sensitivity to Low-Mass Dark Matter Detection
• A determination of the LMC dark matter subhalo mass using the MW halo stars in its gravitational wake
• Fluorescence emission of the JUNO liquid scintillator
• The SABRE South Technical Design Report Executive Summary
• Insights into Dark Matter Direct Detection Experiments: Decision Trees versus Deep Learning
• Nuclear and electron scattering by neutrinos and dark matter in condensed systems
• Characterisation of Hamamatsu R11065-20 PMTs for use in the SABRE South NaI(Tl) Crystal Detectors
• Photomultiplier Requirements and Pre-Calibration for the SABRE South Liquid Scintillator Veto