Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities
Abstract Light, MeV-scale dark matter (DM) is an exciting DM candidate that is undetectable by current experiments. A germanium (Ge) detector utilizing internal charge amplification for the charge carriers created by the ionization of impurities is a promising new technology with experimental sensit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2018-03-01
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| Series: | European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5653-z |
| _version_ | 1811336524415893504 |
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| author | D.-M. Mei G.-J. Wang H. Mei G. Yang J. Liu M. Wagner R. Panth K. Kooi Y.-Y. Yang W.-Z. Wei |
| author_facet | D.-M. Mei G.-J. Wang H. Mei G. Yang J. Liu M. Wagner R. Panth K. Kooi Y.-Y. Yang W.-Z. Wei |
| author_sort | D.-M. Mei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Light, MeV-scale dark matter (DM) is an exciting DM candidate that is undetectable by current experiments. A germanium (Ge) detector utilizing internal charge amplification for the charge carriers created by the ionization of impurities is a promising new technology with experimental sensitivity for detecting MeV-scale DM. We analyze the physics mechanisms of the signal formation, charge creation, charge internal amplification, and the projected sensitivity for directly detecting MeV-scale DM particles. We present a design for a novel Ge detector at helium temperature ($$\sim $$ ∼ 4 K) enabling ionization of impurities from DM impacts. With large localized E-fields, the ionized excitations can be accelerated to kinetic energies larger than the Ge bandgap at which point they can create additional electron–hole pairs, producing intrinsic amplification to achieve an ultra-low energy threshold of $$\sim $$ ∼ 0.1 eV for detecting low-mass DM particles in the MeV scale. Correspondingly, such a Ge detector with 1 kg-year exposure will have high sensitivity to a DM-nucleon cross section of $$\sim $$ ∼ 5 $$\times $$ × 10$$^{-45}$$ -45 cm$$^{2}$$ 2 at a DM mass of $$\sim $$ ∼ 10 MeV/c$$^{2}$$ 2 and a DM-electron cross section of $$\sim $$ ∼ 5 $$\times $$ × 10$$^{-46}$$ -46 cm$$^{2}$$ 2 at a DM mass of $$\sim $$ ∼ 1 MeV/c$$^2$$ 2 . |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:40:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b587c2246063495cb13f753136e18d4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1434-6044 1434-6052 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:40:50Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields |
| spelling | doaj.art-b587c2246063495cb13f753136e18d4c2022-12-22T02:37:12ZengSpringerOpenEuropean Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields1434-60441434-60522018-03-0178311210.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5653-zDirect detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impuritiesD.-M. Mei0G.-J. Wang1H. Mei2G. Yang3J. Liu4M. Wagner5R. Panth6K. Kooi7Y.-Y. Yang8W.-Z. Wei9Department of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaDepartment of Physics, The University of South DakotaAbstract Light, MeV-scale dark matter (DM) is an exciting DM candidate that is undetectable by current experiments. A germanium (Ge) detector utilizing internal charge amplification for the charge carriers created by the ionization of impurities is a promising new technology with experimental sensitivity for detecting MeV-scale DM. We analyze the physics mechanisms of the signal formation, charge creation, charge internal amplification, and the projected sensitivity for directly detecting MeV-scale DM particles. We present a design for a novel Ge detector at helium temperature ($$\sim $$ ∼ 4 K) enabling ionization of impurities from DM impacts. With large localized E-fields, the ionized excitations can be accelerated to kinetic energies larger than the Ge bandgap at which point they can create additional electron–hole pairs, producing intrinsic amplification to achieve an ultra-low energy threshold of $$\sim $$ ∼ 0.1 eV for detecting low-mass DM particles in the MeV scale. Correspondingly, such a Ge detector with 1 kg-year exposure will have high sensitivity to a DM-nucleon cross section of $$\sim $$ ∼ 5 $$\times $$ × 10$$^{-45}$$ -45 cm$$^{2}$$ 2 at a DM mass of $$\sim $$ ∼ 10 MeV/c$$^{2}$$ 2 and a DM-electron cross section of $$\sim $$ ∼ 5 $$\times $$ × 10$$^{-46}$$ -46 cm$$^{2}$$ 2 at a DM mass of $$\sim $$ ∼ 1 MeV/c$$^2$$ 2 .http://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5653-z |
| spellingShingle | D.-M. Mei G.-J. Wang H. Mei G. Yang J. Liu M. Wagner R. Panth K. Kooi Y.-Y. Yang W.-Z. Wei Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields |
| title | Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities |
| title_full | Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities |
| title_fullStr | Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities |
| title_short | Direct detection of MeV-scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities |
| title_sort | direct detection of mev scale dark matter utilizing germanium internal amplification for the charge created by the ionization of impurities |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5653-z |
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