Speaker
Description
Recently, we proposed paleo-detectors as a method for the direct
detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter.
Instead of searching for DM induced nuclear recoils in a real-time
laboratory experiment, we propose to search for the traces of DM
interactions recorded in ancient minerals over geological time-scales.
The large integration times of paleo-detectors would allow to obtain
exposures much larger than what is feasible in conventional direct
detection experiments even for comparatively small target masses. In
this talk, we discuss options for the reconstruction of the WIMP (and
background) induced damage features in paleo-detectors. Then we present
projections for the sensitivity of paleo-detectors to WIMP--nucleon
interactions. Further, we show the potential of paleo-detectors to
reconstruct the WIMP parameters in the hypothetical case of a discovery.
