Speaker
Description
The electron-counting capability and low-energy threshold (~eV) of the skipper-CCDs make them sensitive to low energy interactions. Skipper-CCD experiments with active mass below 100 g searching for dark matter (DM) have achieved very low background rates, allowing them to impose world-leading limits on sub-GeV DM-electron interactions. Motivated by these results, the development of kg-size skipper-CCD DM experiments aiming for lower backgrounds is on its way. The Oscura experiment is the largest of these efforts and will have unprecedented sensitivity to well-motivated DM benchmark models. During its R&D and design phases, huge progress has been made towards building the ~20,000 skipper-CCD array. In this talk, I will present the overall design of the Oscura detector and its scientific reach. I will discuss the latest progress on the sensors, electronics and background control for Oscura and future plans.
