Prototype Direction-Sensitive Solid-State Detector for Dark Matter

Abstract

A prototype weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) detector system is described. The detection efficiency is much larger when the incident neutral particle flux is perpendicular to the detector plane than when it is parallel to the plane. A greatly scaled-up system based on this device would therefore be sensitive to the diurnal rotation of the ``WIMP wind'' produced by the solar system's rapid motion through the galactic halo. Experimental results are reported which exhibit the detection efficiency anisotropy when neutrons were used to simulate the interactions of WIMPS.