Title:

      "DM-TPC: a novel approach to directional Dark Matter detection" 

Speaker name: 
                      Gabriella Sciolla 

Affiliation: 
                  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Abstract

Directional detection of dark matter can provide unambiguous
observation of dark matter (DM) interactions even in presence of
insidious backgrounds.

The DM-TPC collaboration is developing a detector with the goal of
measuring the direction and sense ("head-tail") of nuclear recoils
produced in spin-dependent DM interactions.  The detector consists of
a low pressure TPC with optical readout filled with CF4 gas at low
pressure. A collision between a WIMP with a gas molecule results in a
nucleus recoil of about 1 mm. The measurement of the energy loss along
the recoil allows us to determine the sense and the direction of the
recoil.

Results from a prototype detector operated in a low-energy neutron
beam clearly demonstrate the suitability of this approach to measure
directionality.  In particular, the first observation of the
"head-tail" effect for low-energy neutrons had been recently published
by our Collaboration.

A full-scale (~1m3) module is now being built. This detector, which
will be operated underground in 2008-2009, will allow us to set limits
on spin-dependent Dark Matter interactions using a directional
detector.  The expected sensitivity of this experiment will be
discussed in this talk.