We propose a method to probe the coupling of the Higgs to strange quarks by tagging strange jets at future lepton colliders. For this purpose we describe a jet-flavor observable, JF, that is ...correlated with the flavor of the quark associated with the hard part of the jet. Using this variable, we set up a strangeness tagger aimed at studying the decay h → ss. We determine the sensitivity of our method to the strange Yukawa coupling, and find it to be of the order of the standard-model expectation.
Low Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) is the baseline sensing technology of the recently proposed Minimum Ionizing Particle (MIP) end-cap timing detectors (MTD) at the Atlas and CMS experiments. The ...current MTD sensor is designed as a multi-pad matrix detector delivering a poor position resolution, due to the relatively large pad area, around 1 mm2; and a good timing resolution, around 20–30 ps. Besides, in his current technological incarnation, the timing resolution of the MTD LGAD sensors is severely degraded once the MIP particle hits the inter-pad region since the signal amplification is missing for this region. This limitation is named as the LGAD fill-factor problem. To overcome the fill factor problem and the poor position resolution of the MTD LGAD sensors, a p-in-p LGAD (iLGAD) was introduced. Contrary to the conventional LGAD, the iLGAD has a non-segmented deep p-well (the multiplication layer). Therefore, iLGADs should ideally present a constant gain value over all the sensitive region of the device without gain drops between the signal collecting electrodes; in other words, iLGADs should have a 100% fill-factor by design. In this paper, tracking and timing performance of the first iLGAD prototypes is presented.
We report constraints on sub-GeV dark matter particles interacting with electrons from the first underground operation of DAMIC-M detectors. The search is performed with an integrated exposure of ...85.23 g days, and exploits the subelectron charge resolution and low level of dark current of DAMIC-M charge-coupled devices (CCDs). Dark-matter-induced ionization signals above the detector dark current are searched for in CCD pixels with charge up to 7e^{-}. With this dataset we place limits on dark matter particles of mass between 0.53 and 1000 MeV/c^{2}, excluding unexplored regions of parameter space in the mass ranges 1.6,1000 MeV/c^{2} and 1.5,15.1 MeV/c^{2} for ultralight and heavy mediator interactions, respectively.
A study of 3D pixel sensors of cell size 50μm×50μm fabricated at IMB-CNM using double-sided n-on-p 3D technology is presented. Sensors were bump-bonded to the ROC4SENS readout chip. For the first ...time in such a small-pitch hybrid assembly, the sensor response to ionizing radiation in a test beam of 5.6 GeV electrons was studied. Results for non-irradiated sensors are presented, including efficiency, charge sharing, signal-to-noise, and resolution for different incidence angles.
Experiments aiming to directly detect dark matter through particle recoils can achieve energy thresholds of $\mathcal{O}(1\,\mathrm{eV})$. In this regime, ionization signals from small-angle Compton ...scatters of environmental $\gamma$-rays constitute a significant background. Monte Carlo simulations used to build background models have not been experimentally validated at these low energies. We report a precision measurement of Compton scattering on silicon atomic shell electrons down to 23$\,$eV. A skipper charge-coupled device (CCD) with single-electron resolution, developed for the DAMIC-M experiment, was exposed to a $^{241}$Am $\gamma$-ray source over several months. Features associated with the silicon K, L$_{1}$, and L$_{2,3}$-shells are clearly identified, and scattering on valence electrons is detected for the first time below 100$\,$eV. We find that the relativistic impulse approximation for Compton scattering, which is implemented in Monte Carlo simulations commonly used by direct detection experiments, does not reproduce the measured spectrum below 0.5$\,$keV. The data are in better agreement with $ab$$initio$ calculations originally developed for X-ray absorption spectroscopy.
Test beam results obtained with 3D pixel sensors bump-bonded to the RD53A prototype readout ASIC are reported. Sensors from FBK Italy and IMB-CNM (Spain) have been tested before and after ...proton-irradiation to an equivalent fluence of about 1 × 1016≠cm-2 (1MeV equivalent neutrons). This is the first time that one single collecting electrode fine pitch 3D sensors are irradiated up to such fluence bump-bonded to a fine pitch ASIC. The preliminary analysis of the collected data shows no degradation on the hit detection efficiencies of the tested sensors after high energy proton irradiation, demonstrating the excellent radiation tolerance of the 3D pixel sensors. Thus, they will be excellent candidates for the extreme radiation environment at the innermost layers of the HL-LHC experiments.
Dark matter (DM) particles with sufficiently large cross sections may scatter as they travel through Earth's bulk. The corresponding changes in the DM flux give rise to a characteristic daily ...modulation signal in detectors sensitive to DM-electron interactions. Here, we report results obtained from the first underground operation of the DAMIC-M prototype detector searching for such a signal from DM with MeV-scale mass. A model-independent analysis finds no modulation in the rate of 1 e^{-} events with sidereal period, where a DM signal would appear. We then use these data to place exclusion limits on DM in the mass range 0.53,2.7 MeV/c^{2} interacting with electrons via a dark photon mediator. Taking advantage of the time-dependent signal we improve by ∼2 orders of magnitude on our previous limit obtained from the total rate of 1 e^{-} events, using the same dataset. This daily modulation search represents the current strongest limit on DM-electron scattering via ultralight mediators for DM masses around 1 MeV/c^{2}.
We propose a method to probe the coupling of the Higgs to strange quarks by tagging strange jets at future lepton colliders. For this purpose we describe a jet-flavor observable, \(J_F\), that is ...correlated with the flavor of the quark associated with the hard part of the jet. Using this variable, we set up a strangeness tagger aimed at studying the decay \(h\to s\bar{s}\). We determine the sensitivity of our method to the strange Yukawa coupling, and find it to be of the order of the standard-model expectation.
In this radiation tolerance study, Low Gain Avalanche Detectors (LGADs) with a carbon-enriched broad and shallow multiplication layer were examined in comparison to identical non-carbonated LGADs. ...Manufactured at IMB-CNM, the sensors underwent neutron irradiation at the TRIGA reactor in Ljubljana, reaching a fluence of \(1.5e^{15} {n_{eq}} cm^{-2}\). The results revealed a smaller deactivation of boron and improved resistance to radiation in carbonated LGADs. The study demonstrated the potential benefits of carbon enrichment in mitigating radiation damage effects, particularly the acceptor removal mechanism, reducing the acceptor removal constant by more than a factor of two. Additionally, time resolution and collected charge degradation due to irradiation were observed, with carbonated samples exhibiting better radiation tolerance. A noise analysis focused on baseline noise and spurious pulses showed the presence of thermal-generated dark counts attributed to a too narrow distance between the gain layer end and the p-stop implant at the periphery of the pad for the characterized LGAD design; however, without significant impact of operation performance.