LUX-ZEPLIN

Abstract:

The structure of calcium molybdate was studied by means of synchrotron based high-resolution powder diffraction methods in the temperature range 12-300 K. The scheelite structure type was confirmed for CaMo O4 in the temperature region investigated and no structural anomalies were observed. Thermal expansion coefficients extracted from the thermal dependencies of the cell sizes are found to be in good agreement with the predictions from our lattice dynamics calculations that form the background for microscopic interpretation of the experimental data. From the analyses of experimental results and the calculated thermal expansion coefficients, elastic constants, phonon density of states, heat capacities, entropy, and Grüneisen parameters it is concluded that a quasiharmonic lattice dynamics approach provides a good description of these properties for CaMo O4 at temperatures below 800 K. © 2006 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

• ANITA project has been progressing in amazing pace • instrument is well tested, understood, and calibrated with SLAC electron beam • ANITA is now ready to detect UHE neutrinos - collaborators heading for Antarctica - two calibration radio sources scheduled to be set up. • a nominal 15 days flight should cut into expected GZK flux • hope to have a longer flight (like 42 days CREAM '0405 flight) and a positive detection of GZK neutrinos.

Abstract:

A new method for measurements of the scintillation characteristics of materials has been developed. This method, called multiple photon counting coincidence (MPCC) technique, is based on the recording of a sequence of individual photon pulses resulting from a scintillation event. The distribution of the arrival times of these individual photon pulses provides information about the decay characteristic of the scintillation process and the number of photons recorded per scintillation event is proportional to the scintillation light yield. The ability to reject spurious events through off-line analysis is an important advantage of the MPCC method since it allows cleaning of the data set from pile-up events. It is shown that the MPCC technique is particularly well suited for the analysis of slow scintillation processes in the investigation of temperature-dependant scintillator properties. It is now used extensively by our group for the identification and optimisation of scintillating targets for cryogenic low-background rare event searches, such as Dark Matter and 0-v double beta decay experiments.

Abstract:

EURECA (European Underground Rare Event Calorimeter Array) is a new project, searching for dark matter, with largely the present groups of the CRESST and EDELWEISS experiments and already a few new groups. The aim is to explore scalar cross sections in the 10(-9) - 10(-10) pico-barn region with a target mass of up to one tonne. A major advantage of EURECA is our planned use of more that just one target material (multi target experiment for WIMP identification). In preparation for this large-scale experiment, R&D for EURECA is provided through the current phases of CRESST and EDELWEISS.