The GAP-TPC

TL;DR

The paper introduces the GAP-TPC, a novel liquid argon detector concept utilizing low-radioactivity Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiodes for enhanced dark matter detection, addressing limitations of traditional photomultiplier tubes.

Contribution

It proposes a new detector design that improves background reduction and performance for large-scale liquid argon dark matter experiments.

Findings

Potential for lower background noise due to new photosensors

Enhanced energy and spatial resolution in detection

Improved light and charge collection efficiency

Abstract

Several experiments have been conducted worldwide, with the goal of observing low-energy nuclear recoils induced by WIMPs scattering off target nuclei in ultra-sensitive, low-background detectors. In the last few decades noble liquid detectors designed to search for dark matter in the form of WIMPs have been extremely successful in improving their sensitivities and setting the best limits. One of the crucial problems to be faced for the development of large size (multi ton-scale) liquid argon experiments is the lack of reliable and low background cryogenic PMTs: their intrinsic radioactivity, cost, and borderline performance at 87 K rule them out as a possible candidate for photosensors. We propose a brand new concept of liquid argon-based detector for direct dark matter search: the Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiode Time Projection Chamber (GAP-TPC) optimized in terms of residual radioactivity of the photosensors, energy and spatial resolution, light and charge collection efficiency