Directional detection of Dark Matter with a nuclear emulsion based detector

Abstract

Abstract The nature of Dark Matter is one of the fundamental questions to be answered. Direct Dark Matter searches are focussed on the development, construction, and operation of detectors looking for the scattering of Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs) with target nuclei. The measurement of the direction of WIMP-induced nuclear recoils is a challenging strategy to extend dark matter searches beyond the neutrino floor and provide an unambiguous signature of the detection of Galactic dark matter. Current directional experiments are based on the use of gas TPC whose sensitivity is strongly limited by the small achievable detector mass. NEWSdm is an innovative directional experiment proposal based on the use of a solid target made by newly developed nuclear emulsion films and read-out systems achieving a position accuracy of 10 nm.