High-pressure TPCs in pressurized caverns: opportunities in dark matter and neutrino physics

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of using pressurized underground caverns, created through solution mining and lined rock techniques, for large-scale high-pressure TPCs to advance dark matter and neutrino research.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of utilizing underground solution-mined caverns and lined rock caverns for constructing large high-pressure TPCs, highlighting new physics opportunities and proposing an R&D roadmap.

Findings

Pressurized caverns can host unprecedentedly large TPCs.

Solution mining and lined rock caverns offer cost-effective, safe, and scalable options.

Potential to enable new experiments in dark matter and neutrino physics.

Abstract

The natural gas and hydrogen storage industries have experience creating huge, pressurized underground spaces. The most common of these is "solution mining", a method for making brine-filled cavities in salt formations. Unlike conventionally-mined underground spaces, these spaces are (a) inexpensive to construct and operate, (b) naturally serve as pressure vessels, at size scales impossible to construct in a conventional lab, and (b) permit safe use of flammable and/or toxic materials. If various engineering challenges could be met, solution-mined caverns would allow unprecedentedly-large high pressure gas TPCs. Lined rock caverns (LRC) may permit high pressure TPCs of considerable size in more conventional spaces. In this whitepaper, we review some of the new physics opportunities available in these caverns and suggest an R&D program needed to realize them.