Collaborative Research: The DarkSide Dark-Matter Search Using Liquid Argon

Dark matter makes up most of the universe, but scientists still don’t know what it’s actually made of. A new award supports DarkSide-20k, a major U.S.-led global experiment designed to hunt for this mysterious particle. The project will strengthen American leadership in physics while advancing cutting-edge technology such as ultra-sensitive detectors, cryogenic (super-cooling) systems, and low-radiation materials. Beyond deep space science, these tools have practical benefits right here on Earth, including improvements in medical imaging, national security, and isotope production. Finally, the project will train the next generation of scientists through a global research partnership. The DarkSide-20k detector is being constructed to search for interactions of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) using a dual-phase liquid-argon time-projection chamber containing low-radioactivity underground argon. This award supports the first year of the effort required to complete the transition from construction to scientific operation. Activities include the development and deployment of detector control and safety systems, the installation of the detector cryogenic and calibration systems, the oversight of underground argon production in Colorado, and the integration of detector subsystems at the University of Alberta and at the host Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). T hese activities will prepare the experiment for subsequent detector assembly, commissioning, and physics operation while preserving the scientific goals of achieving world-leading sensitivity to dark matter interactions and other rare processes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.