First Dark Matter Limits from a Large-Mass, Low-Background, Superheated Droplet Detector

J. I. Collar; J. Puibasset; T. A. Girard; D. Limagne; H. S. Miley; G. Waysand

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.3083

First Dark Matter Limits from a Large-Mass, Low-Background, Superheated Droplet Detector

J. I. Collar, J. Puibasset, T. A. Girard, D. Limagne, H. S. Miley, and G. Waysand

Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3083 – Published 9 October 2000

Abstract

We report on the fabrication aspects and calibration of the first large active mass ( $\sim 15 g$ ) modules of SIMPLE, a search for particle dark matter using superheated droplet detectors (SDDs). While still limited by the statistical uncertainty of the small data sample on hand, the first weeks of operation in the new underground laboratory of Rustrel–Pays d'Apt already provide a sensitivity to axially coupled weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) competitive with leading experiments, confirming SDDs as a convenient, low-cost alternative for WIMP detection.

Received 28 January 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.3083

Authors & Affiliations

J. I. Collar^1,2,*, J. Puibasset¹, T. A. Girard³, D. Limagne¹, H. S. Miley⁴, and G. Waysand¹

¹Groupe de Physique des Solides (UMR CNRS 75-88), Universités Paris 7 & 6, 75251 Paris Cedex 05, France
²CERN, EP Division, CH-1211 Geneve 23, Switzerland
³Centro de Física Nuclear, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
⁴Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352