古代矿物探测器：新策略探寻暗物质

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"在现代物理学领域，一个引人关注的研究课题是暗物质的探索，这是宇宙中未被直接观测到但据信占据大量比重的物质。传统的直接探测方法，如在地下实验室利用高纯度材料检测暗物质与普通物质的微弱碰撞，面临着提升灵敏度和排除背景噪音的挑战。然而，一项创新性的研究提出了利用古探测器（paleo-detectors）来寻找暗物质的踪迹。古探测器的概念源于三十多年前，当时研究人员利用古代云母作为探测介质，这种方法被称为化石探测。这次研究团队，由来自瑞典斯德哥尔摩大学、Nordita、斯坦福大学、密歇根大学和波兰国家核研究中心等多所知名机构的科学家组成，他们提出了一种新颖的策略：将探测目标深入到更古老的矿物深处，例如地壳或更深层的岩石中。这些矿物由于其长期稳定且受到地球磁场保护，可能保存了暗物质粒子在过去时间里与物质相互作用的遗迹。研究者分析了这种古老矿物作为探测器的潜在灵敏度，结果显示其性能远超过现有的直接探测设备，能够探测到比当前技术限制更高的暗物质质量范围。这不仅拓展了我们对暗物质性质的认识，还可能揭示那些在常规实验中难以察觉的暗物质信号。此外，他们的敏感度也超越了Snowden-Ifft等人之前设定的界限，这表明了古探测器作为一种新颖手段在暗物质搜索中的巨大潜力。这项研究不仅涉及到物理学家对于基本粒子的理解，还涉及地质学和考古学的交叉学科，因为必须考虑古代矿物的历史记录和保存条件。为了实现这一设想，科学家们还需要开发新的实验技术和分析方法，以确保能在古矿石中识别出暗物质留下的独特迹象，并排除自然环境和地球历史过程带来的干扰。利用古探测器寻找暗物质是一个前沿且富有挑战性的科学探索，它有可能开启全新的研究路径，帮助我们更深入地理解宇宙的构成和演化。随着科学技术的发展，这一领域可能会看到更多的创新和突破，为揭示暗物质的秘密打开新的窗口。"

Physics Letters B 803 (2020) 135325

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Physics Letters B

www.elsevier.com/locate/physletb

Searching for dark matter with paleo-detectors

Sebastian Baum

a,b,c,∗

, Andrzej K. Drukier

, Katherine Freese

a,b,d,e

, Maciej Górski

Patrick Stengel

The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, Alba Nova, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden

Nordita, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 23, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden

Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

Department of Physics, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA

National Centre for Nuclear Research, 05-400 Otwock,

Swierk,

Poland

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history:

Received 27 September 2019

Received in revised form 10 February 2020

Accepted 17 February 2020

Available online 24 February 2020

Editor: H. Peiris

A large experimental program is underway to extend the sensitivity of direct detection experiments,

searching for interaction of Dark Matter with nuclei, down to the neutrino ﬂoor . However, such

experiments are becoming increasingly diﬃcult and costly due to the large target masses and exquisite

background rejection needed for the necessary improvements in sensitivity. We investigate an alternative

approach to the detection of Dark Matter–nucleon interactions: Searching for the persistent traces left

by Dark Matter scattering in ancient minerals obtained from much deeper than current underground

laboratories. We estimate the sensitivity of paleo-detectors, which extends far beyond current upper

limits for a wide range of Dark Matter masses. The sensitivity of our proposal also far exceeds the upper

limits set by Snowden-Ifft et al. more than three decades ago using ancient Mica in an approach similar

to paleo-detectors.

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Funded by SCOAP

1. Introduction

The gravitational effects of Dark Matter (DM) are evident at

length scales ranging from the smallest galaxies to the largest

observable scales of our Universe. However, despite much exper-

imental

effort, the nature of DM is as yet unknown.

Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are well motivated

DM candidates. A large ongoing experimental program exists to

search for WIMP induced nuclear recoil events in direct detec-

tion experiments [1,2];

signatures include annual [3–5] and diur-

nal

modulation [6]. The only experiment with positive results is

DAMA, which reports a 12 σ measurement of an annually modu-

lated

signal compatible with WIMP DM [7–9]. However, this result

is in tension with null results from other direct detection experi-

ments

which have set stringent limits on the WIMP-nucleus inter-

acting

strength [10–19].

In the foreseeable future, direct detection experiments are ex-

pected

to push into two different directions: Large scale detectors

Corresponding author.

E-mail addresses: sbaum@stanford.edu (S. Baum), adrukier@gmail.com

(A.K. Drukier),

ktfreese@umich.edu (K. Freese), maciej.gorski@ncbj.gov.pl

(M. Górski),

patrick.stengel@fysik.su.se (P. Stengel).

using e.g. liquid noble gas targets, aim to obtain exposures (de-

ﬁned

as the product of target mass and integration time) of ε =

O(10) tyr in the next few years [20–23] and ε = O(100) tyr in

the next decades [23,24]. For WIMPs with m

 15 GeV, the chal-

lenge

is achieving low recoil energy thresholds rather than large

detector masses; solid state detectors are envisaged to collect ε =

O(10) kg yr with recoil energy thresholds of O(100) eV [25,26].

Recently, nm-scale detectors [27,28] and concepts using molecular

biology [29,30]have been proposed to search for low-mass WIMPs.

Directional detectors [4]are being developed with the capability of

determining the direction of the incoming WIMPs [31–39].

In this letter we investigate an alternative approach to search

for WIMP-nucleus scattering. Instead of building a dedicated tar-

get

instrumented to search for nuclear recoils in real time, we

propose to search for the traces of WIMP interactions in a va-

riety

of ancient minerals. Many years ago in a similar approach,

Refs. [40–45] looked at using ancient Mica to detect monopoles

and, subsequently, as a DM detector; see also Refs. [46–58]for

related work. We propose to use a variety of new materials and

analysis techniques. Whereas in conventional direct detection ex-

periments

the observable is the prompt energy deposition from

nuclear recoils in the target material read out via e.g. scintillation,

ionization, or phonons, here the observable is the persistent chem-

ical

or structural change caused in the material by the recoiling

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135325

SCOAP

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