DARWIN: dark matter WIMP search with noble liquids

TL;DR

DARWIN is a proposed multi-ton noble liquid detector designed to directly detect dark matter WIMPs with unprecedented sensitivity, aiming to explore cross sections down to 1e-48 cm2 and measure nuclear recoil spectra.

Contribution

It introduces a next-generation detector concept using liquid argon and xenon for dark matter searches, with detailed R&D, background analysis, and physics potential assessment.

Findings

Projected sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon cross section of 1e-48 cm2

Design study with detailed background and R&D analysis

Potential to measure WIMP-induced nuclear recoil spectra

Abstract

DARWIN (dark matter wimp search with noble liquids) is a design study for a next-generation, multi-ton dark matter detector in Europe. Liquid argon and/or liquid xenon are the target media for the direct detection of dark matter candidates in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Light and charge signals created by particle interactions in the active detector volume are observed via the time projection chamber technique. DARWIN is to probe the spin-independent, WIMP-nucleon cross section down 1e-48 cm2 and to measure WIMP-induced nuclear recoil spectra with high-statistics, should they be discovered by an existing or near-future experiment. After a brief introduction, I will describe the project, selected R&D topics, expected backgrounds and the physics reach.