Dark matter search with nuclear emulsion detectors

The existence of dark matter is certainly one of the most striking evidences that the Standard Model does not provide a comprehensive explanation of all the physics phenomena.

The most convincing candidate for dark matter is a Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP).

The search for WIMPs has been carried out over the last decades in different contexts. We present in this seminar the WIMP search with an innovative approach based on the use of nuclear emulsion detectors. Novel emulsion

films with nanometric AgBr crystals and the development of innovative readout techniques with nanometric resolution pave the way to the first directional dark matter detection, a powerful technique that could unambiguously prove the galactic origin of dark matter and extend the searches beyond the so-called neutrino floor. This is the aim of the NEWSdm experiment.

Moreover, a new generation emulsion detector is meant to be used also in the SHiP experiment to search for dark matter produced by accelerators. We will illustrate the two complementary approaches and discuss their sensitivities.

Relatore: prof. G. De Lellis