DarkSHINE: Search for Light Dark Matter at the SHINE Facility in Shanghai

TL;DR

DarkSHINE is a proposed experiment using the SHINE facility's high-rate electron beam to search for light dark matter via dark photon decays, with a specialized detector system validated through prototype tests.

Contribution

This paper introduces the detector design, simulation framework, and physics prospects of the novel DarkSHINE experiment targeting light dark matter detection.

Findings

Prototype tests validated key detector performance metrics.

Simulations predict the experiment can exclude most dark photon model regions.

Detector components are optimized for high-radiation, high-rate environment.

Abstract

DarkSHINE is an electron fixed target experiment under proposal that aims to probe light dark matter in the MeV-GeV mass range via the invisible decay of dark photons, leveraging the High repetition rate 8 GeV electron beam from the Shanghai High repetition-rate XFEL and Extreme Light Facility. This proceeding presents the core detector design of the experiment, the simulation framework, and the prospects of the physics. The detector system integrates an AC-coupled Low Gain Avalanche Diode silicon tracker, a LYSO crystal electromagnetic calorimeter, and a scintillator-based hadronic calorimeter, all optimized for SHINE high-radiation, high-rate environment. The prototype tests at DESY and CERN have validated key performance metrics, including a spatial resolution of 6.5-8.2 microns for silicon strip sensor, an electromagnetic calorimeter energy resolution of 1.8%. Based on MC simulations and 9E14 EOT, the DarkSHINE experiment is expected to rule out most of the sensitive regions predicted by popular dark photon models.