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DarkSide

Spokesperson: Cristiano Galbiati (GSSI e Princeton University)

Local responsable: Marco Garbini

Local Team:  Francesca Carnesecchi, Luisa Cifarelli, Marco Guerzoni, Anselmo Margotti, Rosario Nania, Carmelo Pellegrino, Luigi Pio Rignanese, Eugenio Scapparone, Gilda Scioli

INFN Services involved: General technical service (Daniele Cavazza, Antonio Flammini, Cristiano Gessi), Mechanical design (Marco Guerzoni, Stefano Serra), Mechanical workshop (Anselmo Margotti, Michele Furini, Fabio Zuffa), Electronics service (Ignazio Lax, Mirco Zuffa)

Purpose: The DarkSide experiment aims at the direct detection of Dark Matter. In particular the goal is to detect WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle), one of the best candidates for Dark Matter. The detecor is a dual-phase (liquid/gas) Argon filled Time-Projection Chamber (TPC), capable of unambiguously identifying the nuclear recoils induced by WIMPs. The experiment is located at the LNGS and is divided into several steps; the next step of the DarkSide program, Darkside-20k, will have a total of 20 tons of liquid Argon (fiducial mass) and will operate from 2023. One of the key parameter for the success of DarkSide-20k is the SiPM technology (instead of standard photomultipliers) used for the light detection inside the TPC.

At the following link you can find a video on DarkSide-20k, with more details on the objectives and implementation of the project.

DarkSide-20k Video

 

Local Activity: The Bologna group is mainly involved in Darkside-20k, and in particular, in the light detection by SiPMs. The group is involved in various activities, from testing the SiPM detectors, and their assembling in single units (PDM and PDU), to electronic front-end boards tests, and the design and construction of individual components. These activities are carried out mainly in the INFN-Bologna laboratories, but also in the CERN, LNGS and Princeton University laboratories. Many tests involve the use of cryogenic laboratories (present on site) and of a clean room, built specifically for the Project. The Bologna group is also involved in the design and implementation of the DataBase for the construction of the detector and in Outreach activities, such as the creation and participation of a Darkside Masterclass.

More details, both on the DarkSide project and on the local activities, can be found at the Darkside-Bologna website.

DarkSite-Bologna