Experimental Physics
Institute of
Experimental Physics
Experimental Physics
Group research seminar on the DarkSide-20k experiment
23 January 2025
Photo: UHH
As part of the group's seminar programme, our very own, Dr Zoe Balmforth delivered a research seminar on the DarkSide-20k experiment, currently under construction at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy.
DarkSide-20k is a next-generation direct dark matter detector featuring a 51-tonne dual-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (TPC). The experiment targets Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in the GeV-TeV mass range. These are among the leading dark matter candidates, but are yet to be detected despite decades of global effort.
Building on the success of DarkSide-50, which pioneered the use of low-radioactivity underground argon, DarkSide-20k aims to achieve unprecedented sensitivity. The detector is designed to operate free from instrumental backgrounds and is projected to reach a WIMP–nucleon cross-section sensitivity of 7.4 × 10⁻⁴⁸ cm² for a 1 TeV WIMP, assuming an exposure of 200 tonne-years.
Dr Balmforth outlined the current construction status and highlighted several technological innovations. These include the use of ultra-low-radioactivity underground argon and large-area cryogenic Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) integrated with compact, custom electronics. She also presented results from the development and testing of the novel SiPM systems.
The seminar concluded with an overview of the broader physics programme of DarkSide-20k, which positions it as a flagship experiment in the global search for particle dark matter.
