The CRESST Dark Matter Search Experiment
operating at temperatures in the milli-kelvin region. The CRESST experiment is
situated in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory in Italy and our main
collaborators are the Max Planck Institute of Physics in Munich, the Technical
University in Munich and the Eberhard Karls Universität in Tübingen.
The Oxford group's activities within CRESST are the SQUID-based detector
readout system, data analysis and background studies, and the study of
scintillators for future dark matter targets. The experiment is completing the
upgrade to its second phase of running with new detectors and a higher target
mass.
1. Data analysis: Developing an analysis framework for CRESST, based on the ROOT software package (C++) to accommodate the increase of data expected from phase II of CRESST. The analysis package should be developed further in the course of analysing CRESST dark matter data.
2. A complete understanding of the backgrounds in the experiment is very important. This project involves Monte Carlo simulations (e.g. EGS) and experiments with cryodetectors to ensure the correctness of the simulation.
3. Scintillator studies: CRESST II detectors are based upon the simultaneous detection of phonons and scintillation light. Initially, targets made of calcium tungstate will be used, but other target materials may become important when there is a dark matter signal to be confirmed. A test facility for scintillators at low temperature has been set up already for exploration of possible future
target materials.
4. Future detector readout systems: CRESST has upgraded to 66 readout channels based on single SQUID amplifiers. This approach is sufficient for target masses up to ~10kg. A further improvement in sensitivity of the experiment will involve target masses of over 100 kg with a correspondingly high number of readout channels.
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