Dark Matter Search Results from the PICO-2L C3 F8 Bubble Chamber

C. Amole, M. Ardid, D. M. Asner, D. Baxter, E. Behnke, P. Bhattacharjee, H. Borsodi, M. Bou-Cabo, S. J. Brice, D. Broemmelsiek, K. Clark, J. I. Collar, P. S. Cooper, M. Crisler, C. E. Dahl, S. Daley, M. Das, F. Debris, N. Dhungana, J. FarineI. Felis, R. Filgas, M. Fines-Neuschild, F. Girard, G. Giroux, M. Hai, J. Hall, O. Harris, C. M. Jackson, M. Jin, C. B. Krauss, M. Lafrenière, M. Laurin, I. Lawson, I. Levine, W. H. Lippincott, E. Mann, J. P. Martin, D. Maurya, P. Mitra, R. Neilson, A. J. Noble, A. Plante, R. B. Podviianiuk, S. Priya, A. E. Robinson, M. Ruschman, O. Scallon, S. Seth, A. Sonnenschein, N. Starinski, I. Štekl, E. Vázquez-Jáuregui, J. Wells, U. Wichoski, V. Zacek, J. Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

142 Scopus citations

Abstract

New data are reported from the operation of a 2 liter C3F8 bubble chamber in the SNOLAB underground laboratory, with a total exposure of 211.5 kg days at four different energy thresholds below 10 keV. These data show that C3F8 provides excellent electron-recoil and alpha rejection capabilities at very low thresholds. The chamber exhibits an electron-recoil sensitivity of <3.5×10-10 and an alpha rejection factor of >98.2%. These data also include the first observation of a dependence of acoustic signal on alpha energy. Twelve single nuclear recoil event candidates were observed during the run. The candidate events exhibit timing characteristics that are not consistent with the hypothesis of a uniform time distribution, and no evidence for a dark matter signal is claimed. These data provide the most sensitive direct detection constraints on WIMP-proton spin-dependent scattering to date, with significant sensitivity at low WIMP masses for spin-independent WIMP-nucleon scattering.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number231302
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume114
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 11 2015

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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