The PICASSO Dark Matter Experiment

Journal Article · Fri Dec 16 04:00:00 EST 2011 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3671054· OSTI ID:22003967

Wichoski, Ubi ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6 (Canada)

The PICASSO experiment searches for cold dark matter through the direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their spin-dependent interactions with fluorine at SNOLAB, Sudbury--ON, Canada since 2002. The detection principle is based on the superheated droplet technique; the detectors consist of a gel matrix with millions of liquid droplets of superheated fluorocarbon (C4F10) dispersed in it. Recently, a new setup has been built and installed in the Ladder Lab area at SNOLAB. In the present phase of the experiment the Collaboration is running 4.5-litre detector modules with approximately 85 g of active mass per module. Here, we give an overview of the experiment and discuss the progress in background mitigation, in particular background discrimination in the PICASSO detectors.

• OSTI ID: 22003967
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1417; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CARBON FLUORIDES
DROPLETS
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
SUDBURY NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY
SUPERSYMMETRY
WEAK INTERACTIONS