Samuel Henry

Abstract:

The CRESST experiment is designed to search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter with cryogenic detectors. CRESST II will use up to 33 CaWO(4) crystals with a total mass of approximately 10 kg. These many detectors require a readout system based on 66-channel superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). In this article we report on the development of a modular superconducting connector for the 66-channel SQUID readout circuit. We show that the technique developed reliably produces superconducting contacts.

Abstract:

The CRESST experiment is looking for non-baryonic particle dark matter via nuclear scattering in CaWO4. The simultaneous measurement of the heat and the scintillation light generated by an event in a CaWO4 single crystal is used to discriminate between electron and nuclear recoils thanks to their different light output. This allows an efficient suppression of the electron recoil background. The set-up consists of modules with a 300 g CaWO4 crystal mounted in a reflective housing together with a light detector. The heat signal is read out using a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) made of tungsten evaporated directly onto the crystal that is operated at a few mK. Currently the second phase of the experiment is being set up at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in which it is planned to run 33 detector modules providing a total target mass of 10 kg. First test runs with prototype detectors have been successfully performed.

Abstract:

We present first significant limits on WIMP dark matter by the phonon-light technique, where combined phonon and light signals from a scintillating cryogenic detector are used to suppress the non-nuclear recoil background. The performance of the detectors developed for the second phase of the CRESST experiment will be discussed and data collected with two prototype modules in a short run, corresponding to a net exposure of 20.5 kg days, will be presented. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.