Detecting cold dark-matter candidates

Andrzej K. Drukier, Katherine Freese, David N. Spergel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

817 Scopus citations

Abstract

We consider the use of superheated superconducting colloids as detectors of weakly interacting galactic-halo candidate particles (e.g., photinos, massive neutrinos, and scalar neutrinos). We discuss realistic models for the detector and for the galactic halo. We show that the expected count rate (103 count/day for scalar and massive neutrinos) exceeds the expected background by several orders of magnitude. For photinos, we expect 1 count/day, more than 100 times the predicted background rate. We find that if the detector temperature is maintained at 50 mK and using SQUID electronic read out with the system, noise is reduced below 5×10-4 flux quanta, particles with mass as low as 2 GeV can be detected. Any particle capable of resolving the solar-neutrino problem by altering energy transport in the Sun can be detected. We show that Earths motion around the Sun can produce a significant annual modulation in the signal.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3495-3508
Number of pages14
JournalPhysical Review D
Volume33
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 1986

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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