Speaker
Description
CYGNO/INITIUM is an innovative experiment for Dark Matter searches with the purpose of detecting low mass (0.5-50 GeV) WIMPs and performing solar neutrino spectroscopy. This project establishes itself with its strong directionality capabilities, and the use of a gaseous TPC filled with He:CF$_4$, a low density gas mixture sensitive to both spin dependent and independent interactions, at atmospheric pressure and with optical readout.
In CYGNO detectors, the amplification is composed by a stack of three Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs). Here, the primary electrons are multiplied and, consequently, light is produced due to the scintillating properties of the gas. The characteristic CYGNO light readout is carried out through the combined use of a scientific CMOS camera and PMTs. By merging the information of the two-dimensional projection (X-Y) obtained with a sCMOS camera and the light time profile (dZ) reconstructed using the PMT signal, it is possible to perform a 3D reconstruction of ionizing events. The high granularity and fast sensors of this approach also provide a detailed reconstruction of the characteristic particle's energy deposition, which enables topology, directional and head-to-tail recognition.
This presentation will give an overall review on the status of the CYGNO project and, in particular, the recent underground campaigns carried out between 2022-2024, at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), with LIME, a 50 L CYGNO detector. A shielding multistaged approach was implemented, where LIME took data starting from no shielding, then two copper stages with increasing thickness, and finishing with the addition of water surrounding the whole detector. This data was used to measure the different internal and external background components and assess CYGNO data compatibility with Monte Carlo simulation. Complementary, LIME's response over large periods of time and different gas conditions (stability and calibrations) will be briefly discussed as well as the recent progresses concerning particle identification, 3D tracking and combined CMOS-PMT analysis.
CYGNO is currently in the executive design phase of its new detector, CYGNO-04, which consists of a 0.4 m$^3$ TPC that will be built at LNGS, starting from 2025. This detector will determine the capability of the physics reach for future CYGNO detectors, as well as demonstrate the performance and scalability of the CYGNO approach. A brief discussion on the CYGNO-04 design and its physics prospects will also be done.
David J. G. Marques on behalf of the CYGNO collaboration
