Mitsuyoshi Tanaka Dissertation Award in Experimental Particle Physics: Search for New Physics with the Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment and QIS-enabled Technology
ORAL · Invited
Abstract
Understanding the fundamental nature of dark matter (DM) is one of the most important questions in fundamental science today. In this talk, I present my thesis work, which uses two novel and complementary approaches to cover the gaps in sensitivity of current DM searches. The searches are enabled by a new reconstruction technique to search for hidden-sector particles using the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) and by advances in quantum sensing to search for axions and hidden-sector DM.
In the first part, I will present a search for long-lived hidden sector particles, predicted by many extensions of the Standard Model, using a novel technique to reconstruct decays of long-lived particles (LLPs) in the CMS muon detector. The innovative LLP reconstruction technique is sensitive to a broad range of LLP decays and masses. The search yields competitive sensitivity for proper lifetime 0.1--1000 m with the full Run 2 dataset recorded at the LHC between 2016--2018 at √s=13 TeV. To extend the physics reach of this novel muon detector shower (MDS) signature, I will present its model-independence and the reinterpretation of the search to a number of models, demonstrating its complementarity with dedicated LLP experiments. Finally, I present a new MDS trigger that improves the efficiency by at least ten times and was deployed in 2022, at the start of Run 3 of the LHC.
In the second part, I will present for the first time, the use of a quantum sensor, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs), to directly detect DM. The low detection threshold and dark count of SNSPDs can close the gap in DM discovery reach due to the current detector limitations. I will present my work on the development of SNSPDs for two new experiments to detect axions via absorption and hidden-sector DM via electron scattering. The search for axions employs a novel broadband reflector technique with the Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD). A unique parabolic mirror is then used to focus axion-converted photons to the SNSPDs, extending the reach to axion masses of 0.04--1 eV. On the other hand, by coupling the SNSPDs with gallium arsenide, a bright cryogenic scintillator well matched to SNSPD detection, a prototype sensing system can be built as a basis of new direct DM detection experiments capable of extending the discovery to DM masses as low as 1 MeV.
In the first part, I will present a search for long-lived hidden sector particles, predicted by many extensions of the Standard Model, using a novel technique to reconstruct decays of long-lived particles (LLPs) in the CMS muon detector. The innovative LLP reconstruction technique is sensitive to a broad range of LLP decays and masses. The search yields competitive sensitivity for proper lifetime 0.1--1000 m with the full Run 2 dataset recorded at the LHC between 2016--2018 at √s=13 TeV. To extend the physics reach of this novel muon detector shower (MDS) signature, I will present its model-independence and the reinterpretation of the search to a number of models, demonstrating its complementarity with dedicated LLP experiments. Finally, I present a new MDS trigger that improves the efficiency by at least ten times and was deployed in 2022, at the start of Run 3 of the LHC.
In the second part, I will present for the first time, the use of a quantum sensor, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs), to directly detect DM. The low detection threshold and dark count of SNSPDs can close the gap in DM discovery reach due to the current detector limitations. I will present my work on the development of SNSPDs for two new experiments to detect axions via absorption and hidden-sector DM via electron scattering. The search for axions employs a novel broadband reflector technique with the Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD). A unique parabolic mirror is then used to focus axion-converted photons to the SNSPDs, extending the reach to axion masses of 0.04--1 eV. On the other hand, by coupling the SNSPDs with gallium arsenide, a bright cryogenic scintillator well matched to SNSPD detection, a prototype sensing system can be built as a basis of new direct DM detection experiments capable of extending the discovery to DM masses as low as 1 MeV.
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Presenters
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Christina Wang
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory