Dark matter direct detection: Exploring the MeV/c2 mass range (D01)

• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields ; Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 283604770

The objective of project D01 is to develop novel cryogenic detectors for the direct search of light, sub-GeV/c2 dark matter particles down to the so-called neutrino fog. The newly developed detectors of the CRESST experiment achieved an unprecedented threshold for nuclear recoils of only 30 eV, yielding sensitivity to dark matter particle masses as low as 160 MeV/c2. In the next step, a further increase in sensitivity by three orders of magnitude is targeted, a milestone for direct dark matter detection.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1258: Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics (NDM)
• International Connection: Austria
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Project Heads: Dr. Federica Petricca; Dr. Florian Reindl, since 1/2025; Professor Dr. Jochen Schieck, until 12/2024; Professor Dr. Stefan Schönert