A Micromegas-based low-background x-ray detector coupled to a slumped-glass telescope for axion research

Aznar, F.; Castel, J.; Christensen, F. E.; Dafni, T.; Decker, T. A.; Ferrer-Ribas, E.; Garcia, J. A.; Giomataris, I.; Garza, J. G.; Hailey, C. J.; Hill, R. M.; Iguaz, F. J.; Irastorza, I. G.; Jakobsen, A. C.; Luzon, G.; Mirallas, H.; Papaevangelou, T.; Pivovaroff, M. J.; Ruz, J.; Vafeiadis, T.; Vogel, J. K.

doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2015/12/008

A Micromegas-based low-background x-ray detector coupled to a slumped-glass telescope for axion research

Journal Article · Thu Dec 03 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2015/12/008· OSTI ID:1476208

Aznar, F. ^[1]; Castel, J. ^[1]; Christensen, F. E. ^[2]; Dafni, T. ^[1]; Decker, T. A. ^[3]; Ferrer-Ribas, E. ^[4]; Garcia, J. A. ^[1]; Giomataris, I. ^[4]; Garza, J. G. ^[1]; Hailey, C. J. ^[5]; Hill, R. M. ^[3]; Iguaz, F. J. ^[1]; Irastorza, I. G. ^[1]; Jakobsen, A. C. ^[2]; Luzon, G. ^[1]; Mirallas, H. ^[1]; Papaevangelou, T. ^[4]; Pivovaroff, M. J. ^[3]; Ruz, J. ^[3]; Vafeiadis, T. ^[6] more »

Univ. de Zaragoza, Zaragoza (Spain)
Technical Univ. of Denmark. Lyngby (Denmark)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)
Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (Greece)

Here, we report on the design, construction and operation of a low background x-ray detection line composed of a shielded Micromegas detector of the microbulk technology. The detector is made from radiopure materials and is placed at the focal point of a ~ 5 cm diameter, 1.5 m focal-length, cone-approximation Wolter I x-ray telescope (XRT) assembled from thermally-formed (or "slumped") glass substrates deposited with multilayer coatings. The system has been conceived as a technological pathfinder for the future International Axion Observatory (IAXO), as it combines two of the techniques (optic and detector) proposed in the conceptual design of the project. It is innovative for two reasons: it is the first time an x-ray optic has been designed and fabricated specifically for axion research, and the first time a Micromegas detector has been operated with an x-ray optic. The line has been installed at one end of the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) magnet and is currently looking for solar axions. Furthermore, the combination of the XRT and Micromegas detector provides the best signal-to-noise ratio obtained so far by any detection system of the CAST experiment with a background rate of 5.4×10^–3 counts per hour in the energy region-of-interest and signal spot area.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1476208

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 22525149

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL--747464; 932504

Journal Information:: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 2015; ISSN 1475-7516

Publisher:: Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited By (13)

TREX-DM: a low-background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection Iguaz, F. J.; Garza, J. G.; Aznar, F. arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1512.01455	text	January 2015
New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction No authors listed Nature Physics, Vol. 13, Issue 6, p. 584-590 https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys4109	journal	May 2017
Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter Irastorza, I. G.; Aznar, F.; Castel, J. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2016, Issue 01 https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2016/01/034	journal	January 2016
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Physics potential of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO) Armengaud, E.; Attié, D.; Basso, S. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 2019, Issue 06 https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/06/047	journal	June 2019
TREX-DM: a low background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection Iguaz, F. J.; Garza, J. G.; Aznar, F. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 718 https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/718/4/042026	journal	May 2016
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TREX-DM: a low-background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection Iguaz, F. J.; Garza, J. G.; Aznar, F. The European Physical Journal C, Vol. 76, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-016-4372-6	journal	September 2016
Physics potential of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO) Armengaud, E.; Attie, D.; Basso, S. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg https://doi.org/10.3204/pubdb-2019-02069	text	January 2019
Physics potential of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO) Armengaud, E.; Attie, D.; Basso, S. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg https://doi.org/10.3204/pubdb-2019-02656	text	January 2019
Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: Results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter Irastorza, I. G.; Aznar, F.; Castel, J. arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1512.06294	text	January 2015
TREX-DM: a low background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection Iguaz, F. J.; Garza, J. G.; Aznar, F. arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1601.01445	text	January 2016
Towards a medium-scale axion helioscope and haloscope Anastassopoulos, V.; Avignone, F.; Bykov, A. arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1706.09378	text	January 2017

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