119163067
Status of the CRESST Dark Matter Search
The CRESST experiment aims for a detection of dark matter in the form of WIMPs. These particles are expected to scatter elastically off the nuclei of a target material, thereby depositing energy on the recoiling nucleus. CRESST uses scintillating CaWO4 crystals as such a target. The energy deposited by an interacting particle is primarily converted to phonons which are detected by transition edge sensors. In addition, a small fraction of the interaction energy is emitted from the crystals in the form of scintillation light which is measured in coincidence with the phonon signal by a separate cryogenic light detector for each target crystal. The ratio of light to phonon energy permits the discrimination between the nuclear recoils expected from WIMPs and events from radioactive backgrounds which primarily lead to electron recoils. CRESST has shown the success of this method in a commissioning run in 2007 and, since then, further investigated possibilities for an even better suppression of backgrounds. Here, we report on a new class of background events observed in the course of this work. The consequences of this observation are discussed and we present the current status of the experiment.
122582401
Monte Carlo evaluation of the muon-induced background in the GERDA double beta decay experiment
Abstract The new generation of experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay is aiming at a background level of 10 - 3 counts / ( kg keV y ) or better at the respective Q -values. Cosmic ray muons can be a significant contribution due to a number of physics processes. The GERmanium Detector Array, GERDA, located at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in Italy, uses germanium enriched in 76 Ge as source and detector material. Germanium is submerged into liquid nitrogen or argon that acts as cooling medium and radiation shield simultaneously. A detailed G eant 4-based Monte Carlo simulation was performed to calculate the photon and neutron fluxes induced by cosmic ray muons. The prompt background contributions from γ -ray and neutron interactions as well as the delayed contributions due to the production of radioactive isotopes within the setup are given. The background can be reduced to the desired level with the muon veto system incorporated in the GERDA design.
119283621
Results from 730 kg days of the CRESST-II Dark Matter search
The CRESST-II cryogenic Dark Matter search, aiming at detection of WIMPs via elastic scattering off nuclei in CaWO4 crystals, completed 730 kg days of data taking in 2011. We present the data collected with eight detector modules, each with a two-channel readout; one for a phonon signal and the other for coincidently produced scintillation light. The former provides a precise measure of the energy deposited by an interaction, and the ratio of scintillation light to deposited energy can be used to discriminate different types of interacting particles and thus to distinguish possible signal events from the dominant backgrounds.Sixty-seven events are found in the acceptance region where a WIMP signal in the form of low energy nuclear recoils would be expected. We estimate background contributions to this observation from four sources: (1) “leakage” from the e/γ-band (2) “leakage” from the α-particle band (3) neutrons and (4) 206Pb recoils from 210Po decay. Using a maximum likelihood analysis, we find, at a statistical significance of more than 4σ, that these sources alone are not sufficient to explain the data. The addition of a signal due to scattering of relatively light WIMPs could account for this discrepancy, and we determine the associated WIMP parameters.
209431040
Dark Matter Search with CRESST-II
R. Strauss, G. Angloher, M. Bauer, I. Bavykina, A. Bento, C. Bucci, C. Ciemniak, G. Deuter, F. von Feilitzsch, D. Hauff, C. Isaila, J. Jochum, M. Kiefer, M. Kimmerle, J.-C. Lanfranchi, F. Petricca, S. Pfister, W. Potzel, F. Pröbst , F. Reindl , S. Roth, K. Rottler, C. Sailer, K. Schäffner, J. Schmaler, S. Scholl, W. Seidel, M. von Sivers, L. Stodolsky , C. Strandhagen, A. Tanzke, I. Usherov, S. Wawoczny, M. Willers, A. Zöller Physik-Department E15, Technische Universität München, D-85747 Garching, Germany Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, D-80805 München, Germany Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, INFN, I-67010 Assergi, Italy Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Coimbra, P3004 516 Coimbra, Portugal
119176850
The CRESST II Dark Matter Search
Direct Dark Matter detection with cryodetectors is briefly discussed, with particular mention of the possibility of the identification of the recoil nucleus. Preliminary results from the CRESST II Dark Matter search, with 730 kg-days of data, are presented. Major backgrounds and methods of identifying and dealing with them are indicated.
122254340
SIMULATIONS OF MUON-INDUCED NEUTRON BACKGROUND WITH GEANT4
119287711
A dynamical time operator in Dirac's relativistic quantum mechanics
A self-adjoint dynamical time operator is introduced in Dirac's relativistic formulation of quantum mechanics and shown to satisfy a commutation relation with the Hamiltonian analogous to that of the position and momentum operators. The ensuing time-energy uncertainty relation involves the uncertainty in the instant of time when the wave packet passes a particular spatial position and the energy uncertainty associated with the wave packet at the same time, as envisaged originally by Bohr. The instantaneous rate of change of the position expectation value with respect to the simultaneous expectation value of the dynamical time operator is shown to be the phase velocity, in agreement with de Broglie's hypothesis of a particle associated wave whose phase velocity is larger than c. Thus, these two elements of the original basis and interpretation of quantum mechanics are integrated into its formal mathematical structure. Pauli's objection is shown to be resolved or circumvented. Possible relevance to current developments in electron channeling, in interference in time, in Zitterbewegung-like effects in spintronics, graphene and superconducting systems and in cosmology is noted.
18094742
Exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons
AbstractExclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons provide interesting information on systems consisting of quarks of unequal mass. We express the formfactors of the hadronic current in terms of relativistic bound state wave functions for which we take the solutions of a relativistic harmonic oscillator potential. The wave function overlap is determined by the quark mass dependent longitudinal momentum distribution and differs from results based on non relativistic wave functions. The semileptonic widths and lepton spectra are calculated using in addition nearest pole dominance for the momentum transfer dependence of the formfactors. We compare our results with recent experimental data. The formfactor calculation also allows an estimate of special nonleptonic transitions. From the CLEO results on
$$\bar B^0 \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ -$$
 and
$$\bar B^0 \to D^{* + } + \pi ^ -$$
 we find for the corresponding Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element ratio the limit |Vub/Vcb|≲0.3.
121423772
The branching rules of conformal embeddings
After recalling the main properties of a conformal embedding of Lie algebrasg⊃p, which is defined by the equality of the Sugawara central charges on both sides, we launch a systematic study of their branching rules. The bulk of the paper is devoted to the proof of a general formula in the casesu(mn)1⊃su(m)n⊕su(n)m. At the end we give some applications to the construction of modular invariant partition functions.
111231498
Effects of radiation on scintillating fiber performance
Continued rapid improvements in formulations for scintillating fibers require the ability to parameterize and predict effects of radiation on detector performance. Experimental techniques necessary to obtain desired information and calculation procedures used in performing predications for hadron scintillating fiber calorimetry in the Superconducting Super Collider environment are described. The experimental techniques involve control of the testing environment, consideration of dose rate effects. and other factors. The calculations involve the behavior of particle showers in the detector, expected levels of radiation, and parameterization of the radiation effects. A summary of significant work is presented. >
119268338
Light dark matter, naturalness, and the radiative origin of the electroweak scale
A bstractWe study classically scale invariant models in which the Standard Model Higgs mass term is replaced in the Lagrangian by a Higgs portal coupling to a complex scalar field of a dark sector. We focus on models that are weakly coupled with the quartic scalar couplings nearly vanishing at the Planck scale. The dark sector contains fermions and scalars charged under dark SU(2) × U(1) gauge interactions. Radiative breaking of the dark gauge group triggers electroweak symmetry breaking through the Higgs portal coupling. Requiring both a Higgs boson mass of 125.5 GeV and stability of the Higgs potential up to the Planck scale implies that the radiative breaking of the dark gauge group occurs at the TeV scale. We present a particular model which features a long-range abelian dark force. The dominant dark matter component is neutral dark fermions, with the correct thermal relic abundance, and in reach of future direct detection experiments. The model also has lighter stable dark fermions charged under the dark force, with observable effects on galactic-scale structure. Collider signatures include a dark sector scalar boson with mass ≲ 250 GeV that decays through mixing with the Higgs boson, and can be detected at the LHC. The Higgs boson, as well as the new scalar, may have significant invisible decays into dark sector particles.