First Results from the DRIFT-IIa Dark Matter Detector
S. Burgos, J. Forbes, C. Ghag, M. Gold, V.A. Kudryavtsev, T.B. Lawson,, D. Loomba, P. Majewski, D. Muna, A.StJ. Murphy, G.G. Nicklin, S.M. Paling, A., Petkov, S.J.S. Plank, M. Robinson, N. Sanghi, N.J.T. Smith, D.P., Snowden-Ifft, N.J.C. Spooner, T.J. Sumner, J. Turk, E. Tziaferi
TL;DR
This paper presents initial results from the DRIFT-IIa dark matter detector, demonstrating its detection efficiency, background rejection capabilities, and identifying a new alpha-decay background source over a six-month period.
Contribution
First detailed analysis of DRIFT-IIa data showing detector performance, background rejection, and a new alpha-decay background source in a dark matter search.
Findings
Neutron recoil detection efficiency of 94%
Gamma-ray rejection factor better than 8x10^-6
Identification of alpha-decay background from 222Rn daughters
Abstract
Data from the DRIFT-IIa directional dark matter experiment are presented, collected during a near continuous 6 month running period. A detailed calibration analysis comparing data from gamma-ray, x-ray and neutron sources to a GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations reveals an efficiency for detection of neutron induced recoils of 94+/-2(stat.)+/-5(sys.)%. Software-based cuts, designed to remove non-nuclear recoil events, are shown to reject 60Co gamma-rays with a rejection factor of better than 8x10-6 for all energies above threshold. An unexpected event population has been discovered and is shown here to be due to the alpha-decay of 222Rn daughter nuclei that have attached to the central cathode. A limit on the flux of neutrons in the Boulby Underground Laboratory is derived from analysis of unshielded and shielded data.
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