Dark Matter, The Boulby Underground Facility and Astroparticle Physics Nigel Smith STFC RAL Particle Physics Department

PPD Audit, 18 Sept RAL resources employed Particle Physics Department –Currently ~4 FTE funded in PPD Research Physicists (Nigel Smith, Roland Lüscher, Henrique Araujo) Engineering/technical support (Roy Preece, Tim Durkin) Project Management support (Roy Preece) –Also additional non-project funded staff (Blair Edwards, Peter Smith, George Kalmus) Boulby facility –Currently 2 FTE in PPD Facility manager (Jamie Mulholland) Facility technician (Louise Yeoman) –Additional H&S group (radiation protection, H&S tours, …) Space Science –Project management input for DM (0.1 FTE/yr) (Cormac Neeson) –System tests as required (vacuum, cryogenics) –Cross connections with astroparticle physics projects Gamma ray, nuclear astrophysics Other RAL groups –Engineering and manufacture (currently ~0.5 FTE/yr on DM) –Buildings projects as required (Boulby, nuclear astrophysics) –Chemistry and Lasers input as requested (DM, Boulby)

PPD Audit, 18 Sept The Dark Matter problem BUT…. WIMP nuclear recoil signals are: –Rare ( events/kg/day) –Quiet (1-100keV actual: observed is less) –Tricky (similar observed spectrum to backgrounds from PMT, Compton , etc.) Cosmology concordance model: Ω = Ω b + Ω cdm + Ω hdm + Ω < R Gas Disc Halo NGC6503 squark slepton higgs Wino Zino photino gluino quark lepton W Z photon gluon higgsino gravitinograviton Spin 0 Spin 1 / 2 Spin 1 Spin 3 / 2 Spin 2 Galactic Cold Dark Matter (WIMPs?)

PPD Audit, 18 Sept UKDM Programme UKDM programme ( ) now completed –Initiated from RAL PPD with ICL –Collaboration with RHUL, QMW, Sheffield, Edinburgh –International collaborators from US + EU + Russia –First astro-pp funded project –RAL provided cross discipline opportunity Programmatics –PPD provided Spokesman twice (Peter, Nigel) –PPD provided Budget Holder (Peter, Nigel) –PPD/RAL provided Project Manager (Nigel, Cormac) First deployed targets - NaI –PPD provided/managed facility (Boulby) –PPD provided infrastructure (Ge-det, shields, etc) –PPD provided data management –Analysis of NaI data led through PPD –World leading s.I. limit 1996 –Subsequent NaIAD limit still best s.d. w-p

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Liquid xenon for DM Spearheaded by the UKDM collaboration for DM work PPD focus on developing deployed targets RAL group drove two key aspects –ZEPLIN-I –Single phase (liquid) scintillation target –Prototype for LXE as a DM target Provided project scientist Full project cycle completed by RAL group –Design, construction, commissioning, deployment, operation, exploitation –ZEPLIN-II –Two phase scintillation ionisation target –Progenitor for large scale targets Provided project scientist Provided project management across teams Project aspects led by RAL group –Design, construction, commissioning, deployment, operation, exploitation PMT Gas phase Liquid target ZEPLIN-II 5kg LXe target (3.1kg fid) 3 PMTs Cu construction Polycold cryogen cooling 1 tonne Compton veto PMT background tag Gamma calibration Neutron monitor ZEPLIN-I

PPD Audit, 18 Sept World position A noble gas ‘(r)evolution’ has recently begun –ZEPLIN-I/II World class s.I. limit 2005/2007 –XENON10/WARP (LAr) recent posts Engendered by successful UKDM demonstration of LXe as a dark matter target Major benefits in –Scalability to tonne scale targets –Self-shielding (low background) –Relative simplicity of technology UK collaboration reformed –Focus on LXe detectors, ZEPLIN-III initally –International collaboration –UK based, UK led project: RAL central role PM, data management, expt. deployment, operations, exploitation ZEPLIN-III extends LXe technology –Higher drift fields -> better discrimination? Spin independent Spin dependent ZEPLIN II

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Future directions ZEPLIN-III immediate programme (now funded to Oct ‘09) –Two phase target Higher fields, better light yield and position reconstruction Smaller target, but open geometry –PPD has responsibilities for: Project management (co-ordinate over whole collaboration) Shielding and infrastructure (use of in house design/construction expertise) Data management (CCLRC funded CPU and storage) Exploitation components (experience from Z-II) Facility and environment (Boulby experience) Longer term options for tonne scale systems under review –ELIXIR: EU FP7 design study for tonne scale xenon detector Includes all EU LXe groups, inc. XENON10 –LUX US based programme with most US based groups –Both take input from ZEPLIN and XENON programmes

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Boulby science facility Example of PPD acting as an enabler for world class science –Location specification and selection through PPD –Negotiations with CPL managed through PPD –Development of facilities with Engineering & Buildings Projects group Over full 20 year programme lifetime –Development of management structures through PPD Demonstrated ability for PPD to accept and manage risk –JIF pre-award period when RAL accepted exposure for excavation –Louise funding during ‘lean’ times to ameliorate H&S risk –H&S requirements of working in an operating mine met by RAL John Barton Surface Facility Palmer Underground Facility

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Original ‘proving’ infrastructure Palmer Underground Facility £2.1M JIF award to University/CLRC consortium –PPD responsible for both Boulby facility designs, procurement, PM, construction, CPL interface –Provide operational and health & safety management Surface facilities –Workshop, offices, conf. room, change areas… Underground facilities –1000m2 clean, air conditioned, filtered, craned,.. Opened April ‘03 by Lord Sainsbury –With much publicity

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Boulby future programme Boulby facility is a world class underground laboratory –Targeted well for small/medium scale projects (< many tonnes) As such, it represents a national and international asset with science programme developing beyond DM to warrant it: –Current DM projects ZEPLIN-III (main funding source) DRIFT-II (US funding) –Near term projects SKY: Danish cloud and cosmic ray studies Low background materials assay –Medium term projects ELENA nuclear astrophysics project (15-20 years) Geology and microbiology studies (CPL linked to Durham) –Long term projects Underground gravitational wave interferometers (30km arm length!) RAL PPD operational management over next two years secured

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Astroparticle Physics Developing field within EU and worldwide –ApPEC / ASPERA process in Europe PPD involved in both –Significant historical input from U.K. into this field –Significant opportunities and exploitation potential within the field PPD acting as a broker for several aspects of astroparticle physics –Defined broadly in EU terms as cross discipline fields –Strategy meeting for 0  community in U.K. –Strategic development for U.K. VHE  -ray community Includes University, RAL PPD and SSTD Hope to bring facility and project management to bear on ACT Connected through (CCLRC) Centre for Fundamental Physics –PPD involvement strong (Norman, Nigel, Bill Scott, Dave Wark) –Supported several workshops/strategy meetings within astroparticle physics

PPD Audit, 18 Sept VHE Gamma Ray astronomy Strong U.K. history in this field –From first observations of Cerenkov emission –Key development of Hillas parameters All telescopes use this discrimination U.K. current involvement in HESS and VERITAS –Science output blossoming –Multiwavelength / multimessenger information Acceleration mechanisms, sources PPD/CfFP aiding development of strategy for U.K. involvement in next generation ACT VHE  -ray sky H.E.S.S. telescope Galbraith/Jelly mirror W28 SNR observation of p-p interactions HESS, VLA, CO

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Synergies Dark matter, Boulby and astroparticle physics strongly benefit from PPD location within RAL Strong input from physicists –Creation of DM programme –Development of deployed detector technologies –Scientifically motivated interface between University colleagues and support services Access to wide base of support services –TD, SSTD, CLF: detector development and construction –Administration: contracts and CPL connections –Facilities and project management: Boulby operations, finances, PM Viewed as ‘impartial’ from University perspective –Ability to act as broker for new developments –Financial management across collaboration Ability to shoulder risk: Boulby excavation, H&S –Allows research programme to smooth out troughs

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Outreach Full part of STFC ‘Science in Society’ programme Regular media interest: print, radio, television Regular visits by local/national politicians Sainsbury visit Sky at Night Philip Pullman BBC Horizon John Battle visit The Sun

PPD Audit, 18 Sept Astroparticle Physics Demonstrates all roles of the National Laboratory –Undertakes world class science in its own right Dark Matter: NaI detectors, ZEPLIN-I, ZEPLIN-II –Enables world class science as international collaboration underpin Boulby facility, DM infrastructure, ELENA –Brokers world class science (as a sought-after collaborator) VHE gamma ray, (double beta decay) –Promotes world class science Strong public outreach programme Feasible due to co-location and synergies within RAL –Strong physicist involvement –Technical capability on site –Project and financial management capability Support of a cross discipline programme –Smaller university groups engaged –Responsive to new opportunities for research Risk appetite and management –Ability to react to crises/challenges –Ability to carry risks and exposure with appropriate response time