The MiniCLEAN Dark Matter Experiment

TL;DR

The MiniCLEAN experiment uses a liquid-argon detector with high coverage and pulse-shape discrimination to search for dark matter, also testing liquid-neon as an alternative target for verification.

Contribution

This paper introduces the design and capabilities of the MiniCLEAN detector, highlighting its innovative use of pulse-shape discrimination and dual-target approach for dark matter detection.

Findings

High light yield and effective background suppression achieved

Detector designed for both liquid argon and liquid neon targets

Potential for independent verification of dark matter signals

Abstract

The MiniCLEAN dark matter experiment will exploit a single-phase liquid-argon detector instrumented with photomultiplier tubes submerged in the cryogen with nearly 4pi coverage of a 500 kg (150 kg) target (fiducial) mass. The high light yield and unique properties of the scintillation time-profile provide effective defense against radioactive background through pulse-shape discrimination and event-position reconstruction. The detector is designed also for a liquid-neon target that allows for an independent verification of signal and background and a test of the expected dependence of the WIMP-nucleus interaction rate.