European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields (Oct 2019)

Geant4-based electromagnetic background model for the CRESST dark matter experiment

  • A. H. Abdelhameed,
  • G. Angloher,
  • P. Bauer,
  • A. Bento,
  • E. Bertoldo,
  • R. Breier,
  • C. Bucci,
  • L. Canonica,
  • A. D’Addabbo,
  • S. Di Lorenzo,
  • A. Erb,
  • F. v. Feilitzsch,
  • N. Ferreiro Iachellini,
  • S. Fichtinger,
  • A. Fuss,
  • P. Gorla,
  • D. Hauff,
  • M. Jes̆kovský,
  • J. Jochum,
  • J. Kaizer,
  • A. Kinast,
  • H. Kluck,
  • H. Kraus,
  • A. Langenkämper,
  • M. Mancuso,
  • V. Mokina,
  • E. Mondragón,
  • M. Olmi,
  • T. Ortmann,
  • C. Pagliarone,
  • V. Palus̆ová,
  • L. Pattavina,
  • F. Petricca,
  • W. Potzel,
  • P. Povinec,
  • F. Pröbst,
  • F. Reindl,
  • J. Rothe,
  • K. Schäffner,
  • J. Schieck,
  • V. Schipperges,
  • D. Schmiedmayer,
  • S. Schönert,
  • C. Schwertner,
  • M. Stahlberg,
  • L. Stodolsky,
  • C. Strandhagen,
  • R. Strauss,
  • C. Türkoğlu,
  • I. Usherov,
  • M. Willers,
  • V. Zema,
  • J. Zeman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-7385-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 79, no. 10
pp. 1 – 18

Abstract

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Abstract The CRESST (Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers) dark matter search experiment aims for the detection of dark matter particles via elastic scattering off nuclei in $$\mathrm {CaWO_4}$$ CaWO4 crystals. To understand the CRESST electromagnetic background due to the bulk contamination in the employed materials, a model based on Monte Carlo simulations was developed using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The results of the simulation are applied to the TUM40 detector module of CRESST-II phase 2. We are able to explain up to $$(68 \pm 16)\,\mathrm {\%}$$ (68±16)% of the electromagnetic background in the energy range between 1 and $$40\,\mathrm {keV}$$ 40keV .