Background studies for a ton-scale argon dark matter detector (ArDM)

Abstract

The ArDM project aims at operating a large noble liquid detector to search for direct evidence of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMP) as Dark Matter in the universe. Background sources relevant to ton-scale liquid and gaseous argon detectors, such as neutrons from detector components, muon-induced neutrons and neutrons caused by radioactivity of rock, as well as the internal $^{39}Ar$ background, are studied with simulations. These background radiations are addressed with the design of an appropriate shielding as well as with different background rejection potentialities. Among them the project relies on event topology recognition, event localization, density ionization discrimination and pulse shape discrimination. Background rates, energy spectra, characteristics of the background-induced nuclear recoils in liquid argon, as well as the shielding performance and rejection performance of the detector are described.