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Exclusion limits on the WIMP-nucleon cross section from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search
Physics
  • D. Abrams
  • D. S. Akerib
  • M. S. Armel-Funkhouser
  • L. Baudis
  • D. A. Bauer
  • A. Bolozdynya
  • P. L. Brink
  • R. Bunker
  • B. Cabrera
  • D. O. Caldwell
  • J. P. Castle
  • C. L. Chang
  • R. M. Clarke
  • M. B. Crisler
  • R. Dixon
  • D. Driscoll
  • S. Eichblatt
  • R. J. Gaitskell
  • S. R. Golwala
  • E. E. Haller
  • J. Hellmig
  • D. Holmgren
  • M. E. Huber
  • S. Kamat
  • A. Lu
  • V. Mandic
  • J. M. Martinis
  • P. Meunier
  • S. W. Nam
  • H. Nelson
  • T. A. Perera
  • M. C. Perillo Isaac
  • W. Rau
  • R. R. Ross
  • T. Saab
  • B. Sadoulet
  • J. Sander
  • R. W. Schnee
  • T. Shutt
  • A. Smith
  • A. H. Sonnenschein
  • A. L. Spadafora
  • G. Wang
  • S. Yellin
  • Betty A. Young, Santa Clara University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2002
Publisher
American Physical Society
Disciplines
Abstract

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) employs low-temperature Ge and Si detectors to search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their elastic-scattering interactions with nuclei while discriminating against interactions of background particles. For recoil energies above 10 keV, events due to background photons are rejected with >99.9% efficiency, and surface events are rejected with >95% efficiency. The estimate of the background due to neutrons is based primarily on the observation of multiple-scatter events that should all be neutrons. Data selection is determined primarily by examining calibration data and vetoed events. Resulting efficiencies should be accurate to ∼10%. Results of CDMS data from 1998 and 1999 with a relaxed fiducial-volume cut (resulting in 15.8 kg days exposure on Ge) are consistent with an earlier analysis with a more restrictive fiducial-volume cut. Twenty-three WIMP candidate events are observed, but these events are consistent with a background from neutrons in all ways tested. Resulting limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic-scattering cross section exclude unexplored parameter space for WIMPs with masses between 10–70 GeV/c2. These limits border, but do not exclude, parameter space allowed by supersymmetry models and accelerator constraints. Results are compatible with some regions reported as allowed at 3σ by the annual-modulation measurement of the DAMA Collaboration. However, under the assumptions of standard WIMP interactions and a standard halo, the results are incompatible with the DAMA most likely value at >99.9% confidence level (C.L.), and are incompatible with the model-independent annual-modulation signal of DAMA at 99.99% C.L. in the asymptotic limit.

Comments

Copyright © 2002 American Physical Society. Reprinted with permission.

Citation Information
CDMS Collaboration, Abrams, D., Akerib, D. S., Armel-Funkhouser, M. S., Baudis, L., Bauer, D. A., Bolozdynya, A., Brink, P. L., Bunker, R., Cabrera, B., Caldwell, D. O., Castle, J. P., Chang, C. L., Clarke, R. M., Crisler, M. B., Dixon, R., Driscoll, D., Eichblatt, S., Gaitskell, R. J., … Young, B. A. (2002). Exclusion limits on the WIMP-nucleon cross section from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search. Physical Review D, 66(12), 122003. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.66.122003.