PIRSA:09060058

The PICASSO Dark Matter Search Experiment

Wichoski, U. (2009). The PICASSO Dark Matter Search Experiment. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/09060058

Wichoski, Ubi. The PICASSO Dark Matter Search Experiment. Perimeter Institute, Jun. 12, 2009, https://pirsa.org/09060058 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:09060058,
            doi = {10.48660/09060058},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/09060058},
            author = {Wichoski, Ubi},
            keywords = {Particle Physics, Cosmology},
            language = {en},
            title = {The PICASSO Dark Matter Search Experiment},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2009},
            month = {jun},
            note = {PIRSA:09060058 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Ubi Wichoski Laurentian University

Talk numberPIRSA:09060058
DOI10.48660/09060058
Collection
Talk Type Conference
Subject

Abstract

The PICASSO experiment searches for cold dark matter through the direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their spin-dependent interactions with fluorine at SNOLAB, Sudbury - ON, Canada. The detection principle is based on the superheated droplet technique; the detectors consist of a gel matrix with millions of droplets of superheated fluorocarbon (C4F10) dispersed in it. The previous phase of the experiment, which employed 1-litre detector modules (for a total of about 20g of active mass), ended in 2005. The present phase of the PICASSO experiment consists of 32 4.5-litre detector modules for a total of approximately 1,795 g of active mass. In this talk, I will give an overview of the experiment, discuss the progress in background mitigation, which includes improved purification and fabrication techniques, as well as a background discrimination technique that we have recently discovered.