dorsal/arxiv
View Schemapn-CCDs in a Low-Background Environment: Detector Background of the CAST X-ray Telescope
| Authors | M. Kuster, S. Cebrian, A. Rodriquez, R. Kotthaus, H. Braeuninger, J. Franz, P. Friedrich, R. Hartmann, D. Kang, G. Lutz, L. Strueder |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0508064 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0508064 |
| DOI | 10.1117/12.616760 |
Abstract
The CAST experiment at CERN (European Organization of Nuclear Research) searches for axions from the sun. The axion is a pseudoscalar particle that was motivated by theory thirty years ago, with the intention to solve the strong CP problem. Together with the neutralino, the axion is one of the most promising dark matter candidates. The CAST experiment has been taking data during the last two years, setting an upper limit on the coupling of axions to photons more restrictive than from any other solar axion search in the mass range below 0.1 eV. In 2005 CAST will enter a new experimental phase extending the sensitivity of the experiment to higher axion masses. The CAST experiment strongly profits from technology developed for high energy physics and for X-ray astronomy: A superconducting prototype LHC magnet is used to convert potential axions to detectable X-rays in the 1-10 keV range via the inverse Primakoff effect. The most sensitive detector system of CAST is a spin-off from space technology, a Wolter I type X-ray optics in combination with a prototype pn-CCD developed for ESA's XMM-Newton mission. As in other rare event searches, background suppression and a thorough shielding concept is essential to improve the sensitivity of the experiment to the best possible. In this context CAST offers the opportunity to study the background of pn-CCDs and its long term behavior in a terrestrial environment with possible implications for future space applications. We will present a systematic study of the detector background of the pn-CCD of CAST based on the data acquired since 2002 including preliminary results of our background simulations.
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"abstract": "The CAST experiment at CERN (European Organization of Nuclear Research)\nsearches for axions from the sun. The axion is a pseudoscalar particle that was\nmotivated by theory thirty years ago, with the intention to solve the strong CP\nproblem. Together with the neutralino, the axion is one of the most promising\ndark matter candidates. The CAST experiment has been taking data during the\nlast two years, setting an upper limit on the coupling of axions to photons\nmore restrictive than from any other solar axion search in the mass range below\n0.1 eV. In 2005 CAST will enter a new experimental phase extending the\nsensitivity of the experiment to higher axion masses. The CAST experiment\nstrongly profits from technology developed for high energy physics and for\nX-ray astronomy: A superconducting prototype LHC magnet is used to convert\npotential axions to detectable X-rays in the 1-10 keV range via the inverse\nPrimakoff effect. The most sensitive detector system of CAST is a spin-off from\nspace technology, a Wolter I type X-ray optics in combination with a prototype\npn-CCD developed for ESA\u0027s XMM-Newton mission. As in other rare event searches,\nbackground suppression and a thorough shielding concept is essential to improve\nthe sensitivity of the experiment to the best possible. In this context CAST\noffers the opportunity to study the background of pn-CCDs and its long term\nbehavior in a terrestrial environment with possible implications for future\nspace applications. We will present a systematic study of the detector\nbackground of the pn-CCD of CAST based on the data acquired since 2002\nincluding preliminary results of our background simulations.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0508064",
"authors": [
"M. Kuster",
"S. Cebrian",
"A. Rodriquez",
"R. Kotthaus",
"H. Braeuninger",
"J. Franz",
"P. Friedrich",
"R. Hartmann",
"D. Kang",
"G. Lutz",
"L. Strueder"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ins-det",
"astro-ph",
"hep-ex"
],
"doi": "10.1117/12.616760",
"title": "pn-CCDs in a Low-Background Environment: Detector Background of the CAST X-ray Telescope",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0508064"
},
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