Developing Simulations, Tools, and Validations for an Optimized Dark Matter Search with SuperCDMS
by
48/2-224 - Madrone
SLAC
Astronomical observations lead us to believe that dark matter constitutes the majority of the mass of the Universe, yet it has never been directly observed experimentally. The Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment (SuperCDMS) aims to discover the particle nature of dark matter, by developing and using some of the most sensitive detectors ever built. Previous analyses with SuperCDMS have set world leading sensitivity limits to WIMP interactions, but the analysis techniques have not been based on simulations. We have developed an efficient infrastructure for producing and validating trustworthy simulations, with Monte Carlo techniques. This powerful infrastructure will help better understand the detectors, develop a better background model, and optimize the next generation dark matter searches. We present the status of the system, preliminary results of these simulations, and comparisons to expectations.
Alden Fan / Christina Ignarra