Supervisors: Dr. Ashlea Kemp (RAL) & Prof. Darren Price (University of Manchester)
This figure shows a schematic of the DarkSide-20k outer (left) and inner (right) detector. Can you find the person on top of the outer detector for scale?!
Understanding the nature of dark matter is one of the biggest open questions in physics today. Detecting dark matter is extremely challenging due to uncertainty about the interaction properties and wide potential mass range of dark matter candidates, requiring different detection strategies and technologies. Direct detection experiments are designed to observe interactions of astrophysical dark matter particles with atomic nuclei or electrons in controlled conditions on Earth, and require low energy thresholds and extremely low background levels to avoid missing ultra rare potential dark matter signals.
The DarkSide-20k experiment is a two-phase Liquid Argon (LAr) Time Projection Chamber with an active mass of 50 tonnes of underground ultra-radiopure argon, sited at the LNGS laboratory in Italy, focused on the search for weakly-interacting dark matter and instrumented with newly-developed cutting-edge low radioactivity silicon photosensor arrays. When running from 2026-7 this experiment will quickly become the most sensitive direct dark matter detection experiment from the GeV candidate mass range to the Planck scale. Exploiting the technological capabilities of this new detector, it is possible to extend the science reach of DarkSide-20k to achieve world-leading sensitivity to even lower mass dark matter candidates (keV–GeV).
With this studentship you will have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in driving the search for low-mass dark matter in DarkSide-20k. You will use a combination of simulations and first data to develop dedicated background mitigation strategies, statistical analysis tools, and novel data acquisition algorithms, with the goal of developing a framework with enough flexibility to search for a wide variety of potential signals originating from low-mass dark matter candidates. In addition to software development and data analysis, you will have ample opportunities to gain hardware experience: you will play an integral role in the characterisation and calibration of the novel silicon photosensors for DarkSide-20k, 25% of which are built in the UK. With DarkSide-20k due to start taking data in 2026-7, you will also actively contribute to the installation and commissioning of the detector on-site at LNGS during your long-term attachment.
The research will take place at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and University of Manchester. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are committed to promoting diversity in the field of physics.
For more details, contact Ashlea Kemp (ashlea.kemp@stfc.ac.uk) and Darren Price (darren.price@manchester.ac.uk).
These images show a previous DarkSide-20k Manchester PhD student working at a cryogenic characterisation facility for DarkSide-20k silicon photosensors in Naples, Italy.
