VII. Underground physics and astrophysics detectors
Superheated superconducting granule detectors for dark matter

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Abstract

The presented results are part of a feasibility study of a Superheated Superconducting Granule (SSG) detector for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Using a 70 MeV neutron beam, the response of aluminum SSG to nuclear recoil energies of a few keV has been studied. The proved sensitivity of the detector to elastic scatterings will be discussed comparing the SSG performance at different detector thresholds with the theoretical expectations. The irradiation results allow to calibrate the detector energy threshold versus the magnetic threshold ΔHH and are in good agreement with the theoretical values. We are planning to start in the near future a dark matter search with a prototype SSG detector. The status of the project will be presented and the expected counting rate for spin-independent WIMP interactions will be discussed.

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