A prototype dark matter detector using a series array of aluminum superconducting tunnel junctions

Author

Laws, K.E. ; Barber, W.C. ; Bland, R.W. ; Carpenter, J.W. ; Johnson, R.T. ; Lockhart, J. ; Lee, J.S. ; Watson, R.M. ; Labov, S.E. ; Mears, C.A. ; Ellman, B.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys. & Astron., San Francisco State Univ., CA, USA

Volume

3

Issue

1

fYear

1993

fDate

3/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2076

Lastpage

2079

Abstract

The authors have fabricated an array of series-connected superconducting aluminum tunnel junctions on the surface of a large sapphire crystal, as a prototype of a detector for massive, weakly interacting elementary particles. Such particles might constitute the missing matter of our galaxy. Tests on a 14-g crystal with 6-MeV alpha particles gave an energy resolution of 450 keV full width at half maximum (300 keV due to electronics and microphonics alone). The ultimate energy resolution to be obtained from this type of detector is discussed.<>

Keywords

alpha-particle detection and measurement; aluminium; astronomical instruments; cosmic ray apparatus; dark matter; particle detectors; superconducting junction devices; type I superconductors; 6 MeV; Al junctions; Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/; alpha particles; astronomy; cosmic ray; energy resolution; instrumentation; large sapphire crystal; missing mass; prototype dark matter detector; series array; superconducting tunnel junctions; weakly interacting elementary particles; Aluminum; Astrophysics; Detectors; Elementary particles; Energy resolution; Josephson junctions; Laboratories; Phonons; Prototypes; Sensor arrays;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8223

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/77.233448

Filename

233448