Abstract
We have directly measured the energy threshold and efficiency for bubble nucleation from iodine recoils in a CF3I bubble chamber in the energy range of interest for a dark matter search. These interactions cannot be probed by standard neutron calibration methods, so we develop a new technique by observing the elastic scattering of 12 GeV/c negative pions. The pions are tracked with a silicon pixel telescope and the reconstructed scattering angle provides a measure of the nuclear recoil kinetic energy. The bubble chamber was operated with a nominal threshold of (13.6±0.6) keV. Interpretation of the results depends on the response to fluorine and carbon recoils, but in general we find agreement with the predictions of the classical bubble-nucleation theory. This measurement confirms the applicability of CF 3I as a target for spin-independent dark matter interactions and represents a novel technique for calibration of superheated fluid detectors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 021101 |
Journal | Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology |
Volume | 88 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 30 2013 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)