PhD on direct dark matter search with the DarkSide-20k liquid argon Time Projection Chamber (M/F)
- Paris
- CDD
- Temps-plein
4-GeV/c2 mass WIMPs, and has developed a highly optimized python-based data reconstruction framework for DarkSide-20k.Dark Matter is one of the main puzzles in fundamental physics and Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP) are among the best-motivated dark matter particle candidates. As of today, the most sensitive experimental technique to discover the WIMPs in the mass range from 1 GeV/c2 to 10 TeV/c2 is the dual phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC) filled with noble liquids. The “dual-phase” approach has the main advantage to provide simultaneous access to the ionization and to the scintillation signals. This enables accurate reconstruction of the event topology and powerful discrimination between electronic and nuclear recoils, the latter being the signal expected from WIMP dark matter candidates. These features, together with the scalability to massive detectors, make liquid argon (LAr) a compelling target for WIMPs of mass
20 GeV/c2.LAr can further extend its physics potential by looking at the ionization channel only, dropping the scintillation one. Indeed, the efficiency of detecting a single ionization electron is much higher than that of a scintillation photon. The price is the loss of particle identification based on the scintillation pulse shape, but the gain is in the detection threshold. Such a low threshold opens up many opportunities enabling the search for very light candidates of WIMPs (10 MeV/c2 - 1 GeV/c2 mass range), sterile neutrinos, and axions. Moreover, that energy region is sensitive to neutrino interactions via coherent elastic scattering with nuclei, a reaction characterized by the highest cross section for MeV-range neutrinos, such as from the Sun and galactic and extragalactic core-collapse supernovae.The PhD candidate will focus his/her work on extending the DarkSide-20k physics potential to "light" signals, id est those induced by light dark matter particles (low-mass WIMPs, sterile neutrinos, dark photons, and axions) and by core-collapse supernova neutrinos. He/she will import signal models already coded for the DarkSide-50 analyses into the DarkSide-20k framework and investigate the background components affecting the low energy region with Monte Carlo simulation. At the same time, the candidate will model the LAr ionization and detector responses to nuclear and electronic recoils in the keV range.RequirementsResearch Field Physics Education Level Master Degree or equivalentLanguages FRENCH Level BasicResearch Field Physics Years of Research Experience NoneAdditional InformationWebsite for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Astroparticule et Cosmologie Country France City PARIS 13 GeofieldWhere to apply WebsiteContact CityPARIS 13 WebsiteSTATUS: EXPIRED
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