Astroparticle Seminar

Updates and Status of DM-Ice

Reina Maruyama

University of Wisconsin Madison

Astrophysical observations and cosmological data give overwhelming evidence that only 4% of the content of the Universe can be attributed to visible matter, and that the rest is comprised of what we call dark energy (73%) and dark matter (23%). I will describe the current status of the search for dark matter in laboratories. In particular, I will describe DM-Ice, a proposed direct detection dark matter experiment at the South Pole. The aim of the experiment is to look for the predicted annual modulation signature due to dark matter. As the only experiment to be located in the southern hemisphere, DM-Ice complements other dark matter experiments. A 17-kg detector was installed in the Antarctic ice at the South Pole in December 2010 at the depth of 2500 m and is currently taking data. I will report on the status of 17-kg detector and the plans for the full-scale experiment.