J.J. Zhu

Limits on light weakly interacting massive particles from the CDEX-1 experiment with ap-type point-contact germanium detector at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

We report results of a search for light Dark Matter WIMPs with CDEX-1 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, based on 53.9 kg-days of data from a p-type point-contact germanium detector enclosed by a NaI(Tl) crystal scintillator as anti-Compton detector. The event rate and spectrum above the analysis threshold of 475 eVee are consistent with the understood background model. Part of the allowed regions for WIMP-nucleus coherent elastic scattering at WIMP mass of 6-20 GeV are probed and excluded. Independent of interaction channels, this result contradicts the interpretation that the anomalous excesses of the CoGeNT experiment are induced by Dark Matter, since identical detector techniques are used in both experiments.

Introduction to the CDEX experiment

It is believed that weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are candidates for dark matter (DM) in our universe which come from outer space and might interact with the standard model (SM) matter of our detectors on the earth. Many collaborations in the world are carrying out various experiments to directly detect DM particles. China Jinping underground Laboratory (CJPL) is the deepest underground laboratory in the world and provides a very promising environment for DM search. China Dark matter EXperiment (CDEX) is going to directly detect the WIMP flux with high sensitivity in the low WIMP-mass region. Both CJPL and CDEX have achieved a remarkable progress in recent three years. CDEX employs a point-contact germanium (PCGe) semi-conductor detector whose energy threshold is less than 300 eV. In this report we present the measurement results of muon flux, monitoring of radioactivity and radon concentration carried out in CJPL, as well describing the structure and performance of the 1 kg-PCGe detector in CDEX-1 and 10 kg-PCGe detector array in CDEX-10 including the detectors, electronics, shielding and cooling systems. Finally we discuss the physics goals of CDEX-1, CDEX-10 and the future CDEX-1T experiments.

First results on low-mass WIMPs from the CDEX-1 experiment at the China Jinping underground laboratory

The China Dark matter Experiment collaboration reports the first experimental limit on WIMP dark matter from 14.6 kg-day of data taken with a 994 g p-type point-contact germanium detector at the China Jinping underground Laboratory where the rock overburden is more than 2400 m. The energy threshold achieved was 400 eVee. According to the 14.6 kg-day live data, we placed the limit of N= 1.75 * 10^{-40} cm^{2} at 90% confidence level on the spin-independent cross-section at WIMP mass of 7 GeV before differentiating bulk signals from the surface backgrounds.

A Search of Low-Mass WIMPs with p-type Point Contact Germanium Detector in the CDEX-1 Experiment

The CDEX-1 experiment conducted a search of low-mass (< 10 GeV/c2) Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) dark matter at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory using a p-type point-contact germanium detector with a fiducial mass of 915 g at a physics analysis threshold of 475 eVee. We report the hardware set-up, detector characterization, data acquisition and analysis procedures of this experiment. No excess of unidentified events are observed after subtraction of known background. Using 335.6 kg-days of data, exclusion constraints on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent and spin-dependent couplings are derived.

Limits on light WIMPs with a germanium detector at 177 eVee threshold at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

The China Dark Matter Experiment reports results on light WIMP dark matter searches at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory with a germanium detector array with a total mass of 20 g. The physics threshold achieved is 177 eVee (ee represents electron equivalent energy) at 50% signal efficiency. With 0.784 kg-days of data, exclusion region on spin-independent coupling with the nucleon is derived, improving over our earlier bounds at WIMP mass less than 4.6 GeV.

CDEX-1 1 kg point-contact germanium detector for low mass dark matter searches

The CDEX collaboration has been established for direct detection of light dark matter particles, using ultra-low energy threshold point-contact p-type germanium detectors, in China JinPing underground Laboratory (CJPL). The first 1 kg point-contact germanium detector with a sub-keV energy threshold has been tested in a passive shielding system located in CJPL. The outputs from both the point-contact P+ electrode and the outside N+ electrode make it possible to scan the lower energy range of less than 1 keV and at the same time to detect the higher energy range up to 3 MeV. The outputs from both P+ and N+ electrode may also provide a more powerful method for signal discrimination for dark matter experiment. Some key parameters, including energy resolution, dead time, decay times of internal X-rays, and system stability, have been tested and measured. The results show that the 1 kg point-contact germanium detector, together with its shielding system and electronics, can run smoothly with good performances. This detector system will be deployed for dark matter search experiments.

Limits on light WIMPs with a 1 kg-scale germanium detector at 160 eVee physics threshold at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory*

We report results of a search for light weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter from the CDEX-1 experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL). Constraints on WIMP-nucleon spin-independent (SI) and spin-dependent (SD) couplings are derived with a physics threshold of 160 eVee, from an exposure of 737.1 kg-days. The SI and SD limits extend the lower reach of light WIMPs to 2 GeV and improve over our earlier bounds at WIMP mass less than 6 GeV.

First results on 76 Ge neutrinoless double beta decay from CDEX-1 experiment

We report the first results on 76Ge neutrinoless double beta decay from stage one of the China dark-matter experiment (CDEX). A p-type point-contact high-purity germanium detector with a mass of 994 g has been installed to detect neutrinoless double beta decay events, as well as to directly detect dark matter particles. An exposure of 304 kg d has been analyzed over a wide spectral band from 500 keV to 3 MeV. The average event rate obtained was about 0.012 counts per keV per kg per day over the 2.039 MeV energy range. The half-life of 76Ge neutrinoless double beta decay derived based on this result is T1/20ν>6.4×1022 yr (90% C.L.). An upper limit on the effective Majorana-neutrino mass of 5.0 eV has been achieved.

Performances of a prototype point-contact germanium detector immersed in liquid nitrogen for light dark matter search

The CDEX-10 experiment searches for light weakly interacting massive particles, a form of dark matter, at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, where approximately 10 kg of germanium detectors are arranged in an array and immersed in liquid nitrogen. Herein, we report on the experimental apparatus, detector characterization, and spectrum analysis of one prototype detector. Owing to the higher rise-time resolution of the CDEX-10 prototype detector as compared with CDEX-1B, we identified the origin of an observed category of extremely fast events. For data analysis of the CDEX-10 prototype detector, we introduced and applied an improved bulk/surface event discrimination method. The results of the new method were compared to those of the CDEX-1B spectrum. Both sets of results showed good consistency in the 0–12 keVee energy range, except for the 8.0 keV K-shell X-ray peak from the external copper.