May 2023
Two-tone in the search for dark matter
“With the MESA accelerator, we want to focus on dark matter in addition to many other exciting physical questions. Two of the planned experiments complement each other: while the DarkMESA beam catcher experiment will be used to directly detect dark matter, MAGIX aims to indirectly search for dark matter - and wants to find clear evidence of dark photons through their decay.
The DarkMESA experiment relies on a very high rate of events - in other words, on an unimaginably large number of electrons reaching the beam catcher after passing through the P2 experiment and releasing their energy into it. This could also produce dark matter particles that could be detected with our detector. We are currently constructing a modular calorimeter for this purpose, for which several upgrade stages are planned. The basic module consists of 25 lead fluoride crystals and, in combination with lead glass modules, can be expanded to an active volume of 1 cubic meter and beyond. The current focus is on getting to know the properties of the detector, reliably shielding it from cosmic radiation, for example, and optimizing the hybrid signal readout of silicon photomultipliers and classic photomultipliers. The readout electronics of the silicon strip detector of the MAGIX experiment, which we want to use to detect particles that would be involved in a reaction with a produced dark photon, are now largely developed and the focus is now on further optimization.
©: Angelika Stehle
As a postdoc, I supervise students working on their master's and PhD theses. It is important to me to get them excited about research and to show them prospects if they want to pursue an academic path. Just as I experienced myself at the Institute of Nuclear Physics during my diploma and PhD theses.”
Dr. Maik Biroth is a postdoc in the group of Professor Achim Denig. In his diploma and PhD theses at the Institute for Nuclear Physics, he worked on a project at the A2 experiment of the MAMI accelerator. Supervising students is very important to him. He is highly motivated by successfully accompanying them in their development.