Related papers: Micromegas for dark matter searches: CAST/IAXO & T…
Gas time projection chambers (TPCs) with Micromegas pixelated readouts are being used in dark matter searches and other rare event searches, due to their potential in terms of low background levels, energy and spatial resolution, gain, and…
If Dark Matter is made of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) with masses below $\sim$20 GeV, the corresponding nuclear recoils in mainstream WIMP experiments are of energies too close, or below, the experimental threshold. Gas…
As part of the T-REX project, a number of R&D and prototyping activities have been carried out during the last years to explore the applicability of Micromegas-read gaseous TPCs in rare event searches like double beta decay (DBD), axion…
Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are one of the best motivated candidates to compose the Dark Matter of the Universe. The lack of experimental confirmation by direct detection experiments or collider searches has ruled out…
Dark Matter experiments are recently focusing their detection techniques in low-mass WIMPs, which requires the use of light elements and low energy threshold. In this context, we describe the TREX-DM experiment, a low background…
Dark Matter experiments are recently focusing their detection techniques in low-mass WIMPs, which requires the use of light elements and low energy threshold. In this context, we present the TREX-DM experiment, a low background…
Dark Matter experiments are recently focusing their detection techniques in low-mass WIMPs, which requires the use of light elements and low energy threshold. In this context, we describe the TREX-DM experiment, a low background…
The TREX-DM detector, a low background chamber with microbulk Micromegas readout, was commissioned in the underground laboratory of Canfranc (LSC) in 2018. Since then, data taking campaigns have been carried out with Argon and Neon…
TREX-DM is conceived to look for low-mass Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) using a gas Time Projection Chamber equipped with micromegas readout planes at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. The detector can hold in the active…
Axion helioscopes aim at the detection of solar axions through their conversion into x-rays in laboratory magnetic fields. The use of low background x-ray detectors is an essential component contributing to the sensitivity of these…
Axions are well motivated particles proposed in an extension of the SM as a solution to the strong CP problem. Also, there is the category of Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) which appear in extensions of the SM and share the same phenomenology…
This thesis explores experimental and theoretical approaches to dark matter detection, from gas-based detectors to quantum sensors, tackling the challenge of identifying dark matter, which makes up 27% of the Universe's energy. It reviews…
Background: we develop the concept of a Micromegas (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) readout plane with an additional GEM (Gas Electron Multiplier) preamplification stage placed a few mm above it, to increase the maximum effective gain of the…
Axion helioscopes search for solar axions by their conversion in x-rays in the presence of high magnetic fields. The use of low background x-ray detectors is an essential component contributing to the sensitivity of these searches. In this…
Solar axions could be converted into x-rays inside the strong magnetic field of an axion helioscope, triggering the detection of this elusive particle. Low background x-ray detectors are an essential component for the sensitivity of these…
The use of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) in particle physics experiments has been growing since their invention, reaching sizes equivalent to buildings (ALICE or ATLAS at CERN). However, their application in another class of experiments,…
Micromegas detectors are an optimum technological choice for the detection of low energy x-rays. The low background techniques applied to these detectors yielded remarkable background reductions over the years, being the CAST experiment…
The latest generation of Micromegas detectors show a good energy resolution, spatial resolution and low threshold, which make them idoneous in low energy applications. Two micromegas detectors have been built for dark matter experiments:…
Micromesh Gas Structures (Micromegas) as readout of gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) are being considered in experiments investigating rare phenomena, like the nuclear double beta decay, solar axion detection and low-mass dark matter…
Gas-filled Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) and pixels appear suitable for direction-sensitive WIMP dark matter searches. We present the background and motivation for our work on this technology, past and…