Searching for Dark Matter
with the CDMS and LUX Experiments
Ken Clark
Case Western Reserve University
A great deal of observational evidence suggests the existence of "dark
matter", with hints tracing back to the 1930s. Recent observations
have solidified this matter as a significant constituent of the
universe, however to date no direct evidence of the existence of this
matter has been found. There are many projects currently searching
for this evidence using many different techniques, all of which depend
on the detection of very small deposits of energy in sophisticated
detectors. The CDMS collaboration uses cryogenic Germanium and
Silicon detectors to significantly restrict the possible properties of
this dark matter through the detection of charge and heat resulting
from this small energy deposit, while the LUX collaboration uses
scintillation in liquid Xenon. Both of these technologies and their
results and potentials will be discussed.
Astrophysics Seminar
Markus Böttcher's home page
OU Astronomy and Astrophysics
Department Physics and Astronomy
Ohio University