The Micromegas detector of the CAST experiment

Abstract

A low background Micromegas detector has been operating in the CAST experiment at CERN for the search of solar axions during the first phase of the experiment (2002-2004). The detector, made out of low radioactivity materials, operated efficiently and achieved a very low level of background rejection (5 x 10^-5 counts/keV/cm^2/s) without shielding.

13 pages, 12 figures and images, submitted to New Journal of

References in corpus (6)

• Micromegas in a Bulk
• First results from the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST)
• An improved limit on the axion-photon coupling from the CAST experiment
• The X-ray Telescope of CAST
• The CAST Time Projection Chamber
• Low-background applications of MICROMEGAS detector technology

Cited by in corpus (35)

• New CAST Limit on the Axion-Photon Interaction
• New experimental approaches in the search for axion-like particles
• Experimental Searches for the Axion and Axion-like Particles
• An improved limit on the axion-photon coupling from the CAST experiment
• Conceptual Design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)
• Physics potential of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)
• Probing eV-scale axions with CAST
• The case for a directional dark matter detector and the status of current experimental efforts
• Towards a new generation axion helioscope
• CAST search for sub-eV mass solar axions with 3He buffer gas
• CAST solar axion search with 3^He buffer gas: Closing the hot dark matter gap
• CAST constraints on the axion-electron coupling
• Readout technologies for directional WIMP Dark Matter detection
• Imaging of high-Z material for nuclear contraband detection with a minimal prototype of a Muon Tomography station based on GEM detectors
• The X-ray Telescope of CAST
• Radiopurity of Micromegas readout planes
• Search for 14.4 keV solar axions emitted in the M1-transition of 57Fe nuclei with CAST
• New solar axion search in CAST with ${}^4$He filling
• Axion Searches in the Past, at Present, and in the Near Future
• Searching for Secluded Dark Matter via Direct Detection of Recoiling Nuclei as well as Low Energy Electrons
• A Micromegas-based low-background x-ray detector coupled to a slumped-glass telescope for axion research
• Axion Astrophysics
• The CAST Time Projection Chamber
• X-ray detection with Micromegas with background levels below 10${}^{-6}$ keV${}^{-1}$cm${}^{-2}$s${}^{-1}$
• Search for solar axion emission from 7Li and D(p,gamma)3He nuclear decays with the CAST gamma-ray calorimeter
• Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: Results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter
• Exploring 0.1-10eV axions with a new helioscope concept
• Status of R&D on Micromegas for Rare Event Searches: The T-REX project
• Background studies and shielding effects for the TPC detector of the CAST experiment
• Development of the MICROMEGAS Detector for Measuring the Energy Spectrum of Alpha Particles by using a 241-Am Source
• Solar axion search with the CAST experiment
• Background study for the pn-CCD detector of CERN Axion Solar Telescope
• Physics at Underground Laboratories: Direct Detection of Dark Matter
• Simulation Studies of Charge Transport on Resistive Structures in Gaseous Ionization Detectors
• Axions at the meV Crossroads: Theory, Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Experiments