GENIUS - a Supersensitive Germanium Detector System for Rare Events

TL;DR

GENIUS is a proposed ultra-sensitive Germanium detector system operating in liquid nitrogen underground, aiming to significantly advance dark matter detection, double beta decay research, and beyond standard model physics with unprecedented sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel 'naked' Germanium detector setup in liquid nitrogen, enhancing sensitivity for dark matter and neutrino physics, and explores its potential to surpass collider experiments in new physics searches.

Findings

Potential to cover large MSSM parameter space for neutralino dark matter

Sensitivity for double beta decay could reach 0.01 eV for Majorana neutrino mass

Comparable or superior sensitivity to LHC for various beyond standard model phenomena

Abstract

To increase by a major step the present sensitivity for dark matter and double beta decay search, a new project is suggested, which would operate 'naked' GErmanium detectors in liquid NItrogen as shielding in an Underground Setup (GENIUS). In a first step using 100 kg of natural Ge a large part of the MSSM parameter space for prediction of neutralinos as cold dark matter will be covered making the experiment complementary to LHC in the search for supersymmetry. In the second step use of one ton of enriched 76Ge would yield a sensitivity for double beta decay for the effective Majorana neutrino mass of \0.01 eV. This would be a breakthrough for neutrino physics. GENIUS would also be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many other beyond standard models currently discussed, and the sensitivity would be comparable or even superior to LHC or NLC for various quantities such as right-handed W boson mass, R-parity violation, leptoquark or compositeness searches, or left-handed heavy neutrinos.