
The NEWS-G Experiment Birmingham group Ioannis Katsioulas, Patrick Knights, Tom Neep, Kostas Nikolopoulos, Robert Ward |
|
The New Experiments With Spheres – Gas (NEWS-G) network are a number of experiments working with the novel technology of a spherical proportional counter (SPC). The benefits of such a technology are;
|
![]() |
The applications of such a versatile detector are many, including gamma ray and neutron spectroscopy, coherent nuclear neutrino scattering, double beta-decay searches and Dark Matter (DM) detection. SeDiNe (Spherical Detector of Neutrons) is one such sphere, 60 cm in diameter and made from low activity copper and installed at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM). Initially implemented to investigate the low thermal and fast neutron fluxes in the lab, SeDiNe has also been used to look for low mass dark matter particle candidates, and recently published a new limit for a 0.5 GeV/c2 DM candidate. In late 2018 a 1.4 m diameter copper sphere will be installed in SNOLAB in Canada. As the second deepest and the cleanest underground laboratory in the world, SNOLAB offers a shelter from cosmic rays and secondary particles. The main physics aims will be to search for:
- Dark matter candidates with a mass in the range 0.1 GeV/c2 to 5 GeV/c2 through spin independent couplings
- Kaluza Klein axions through twi photon decay channel
- Dark matter candidates with spin dependent couplings through the selection of gases containing hydrogen
The Particle Physics group at the University of Birmingham is involved in research and development for the next stages of the project as well as simulation studies.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 841261 (DarkSphere). |
![]() |
![]() |
Collaborations with colleagues in CEA-Saclay (France) are supported by the Internation Exchanges scheme of The Royal Society. |
Interactions with the phenomenology community have been supported in part by the IPPP Associateship programme. |
![]() |
Publications
- Search for light dark matter with NEWS-G, K. Nikolopoulos, JINST 15 (2020) C06034.
- Development of a Simulation Framework for Spherical Proportional Counters, I. Katsioulas et al., JINST 15 (2020) C06013.
- A resistive ACHINOS multi-anode structure with DLC coating for spherical proportional counters, I. Giomataris et al., submitted to JINST (arXiv:2003.01068).
- Fast Neutron Spectroscopy with a Nitrogen-Based Gaseous Detector, I. Katsioulas et al., 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS) and Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) (2019).
- Recent Developments in the Read-Out Electrodes for the Spherical Proportional Counter, P. Knights et al., 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS) and Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) (2019).
- Development of a Simulation Framework for Spherical Proportional Counters, R. Ward et al, 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, Manchester, UK, 29 October, 2019
- NEWS-G: Light dark matter search with a Spherical Proportional Counter, K. Nikolopoulos, PoS CORFU2018 (2019) 088.
- Precision laser-based measurements of the single electron response of spherical proportional counters for the NEWS-G light dark matter search experiment, NEWS-G Collaboration, Phys. Rev. D 99 (2019) 102003.
- A sparkless resistive glass correction electrode for the spherical proportional counter, I. Katsioulas et al., JINST 13 (2018) P11006.
- Gas and copper purity investigations for NEWS-G, P. Knights for the NEWS-G Collaboration, J.Phys.Conf.Ser. 1312 (2019) 012009
- Precision laser-based measurements of the single electron response of SPCs for the NEWS-G light dark matter search experiment, NEWS-G Collaboration, Submitted to: Phys.Rev.D
- A sparkless resistive glass correction electrode for the spherical proportional counter, I. Katsioulas, I. Giomataris, P. Knights, M. Gros, X.F. Navick, K. Nikolopoulos, I. Savvidis, JINST 13 (2018) P11006
- ESS nBLM: Beam Loss Monitors based on Fast Neutron Detection, T. Papaevangelou et al., Proceedings, 61st ICFA Advanced Beam Dynamics Workshop on High-Intensity and High-Brightness Hadron Beams (HB2018): Daejeon, Korea, June 17-22, 2018
- Spherical Proportional Counter: A review of recent developments, Q. Arnaud, A. Brossard, A. Dastgheibi-Fard, G. Gerbier, I. Giomataris, I. Katsioulas, P. Knights, K. Nikolopoulos, I. Savvidis on behalf of the NEWS-G collaboration, J.Phys.Conf.Ser. 1029 (2018) 012006.
Conference/Workshop contributions
- R. Ward, Development of a Simulation Framework for Spherical Proportional Counters, RD51 Collaboration Meeting, CERN, 25 June, 2020.
- P. Knights, Recent Developments in the Read-Out Electrodes for the Spherical Proportional Counter, 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, Manchester, UK, 29 October, 2019.
- I. Katsioulas, Fast Neutron Spectroscopy with a Nitrogen-Based Gaseous Detector, 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, Manchester, UK, 29 October, 2019.
- R. Ward, Development of a Simulation Framework for Spherical Proportional Counters, 2019 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, Manchester, UK, 29 October, 2019.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for Light Dark Matter with NEWS-G, 15th Topical Seminar on Innovative Particle and Radiation Detectors (IPRD19), October 14-17, 2019.
- R. Ward, Development of a Simulation Framework for Spherical Proportional Counters, 15th Topical Seminar on Innovative Particle and Radiation Detectors (IPRD19), October 14-17, 2019.
- I. Katsioulas, Recent advancements of the NEWS-G experiment, International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP 2019), Toyama, Japan, Sep 2019.
- P. Knights, Cleaning of SNOGLOBE, NEWS-G Collaboration Meeting, Grenoble, France, 11 June, 2019.
- P. Knights, Ultra-pure Copper Electroplating and Electroforming for Rare Event Detection Experiments, Low Radioactivity Techniques 2019, Jaca, Spain, 22 May, 2019.
- P. Knights, Ultra-pure Copper Electroplating for Background Suppression in NEWS-G, Workshop on Recent Advances in High Energy Physics and Cosmology, NCSR Demokritos, Greece, April 19, 2019.
- I. Katsioulas, NEWS-G Search for Light Dark Matter, Workshop on Recent Advances in High Energy Physics and Cosmology, NCSR Demokritos, Greece, April 19, 2019.
- I. Katsioulas, The NEWS-G Dark Matter Experiment, Open UK meeting on Dark Matter, London, United Kingdom, April 11, 2019.
- P. Knights, Ultra-pure Copper Electroplating for Background Reduction in NEWS-G, Open UK meeting on Dark Matter, London, United Kingdom, April 11, 2019.
- R. Ward, Investigation of Gas Properties and the Effect of Electronegative Contaminants in the NEWS-G Experiment, Institute of Physics Annual High Energy and Particle Physics Conference, London, United Kingdom, April 7-10, 2019.
- I. Katsioulas, Recent advancements on the NEWS-G spherical proportional counter sensors, Institute of Physics Annual High Energy and Particle Physics Conference, London, United Kingdom, April 7-10, 2019.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for light Dark Matter with NEWS-G, Dark Interactions: Perspectives from Theory and Experiment, Brookhaven National Laboratory, U.S.A., Oct 2-5, 2018.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for light Dark Matter with NEWS-G, Workshop on the Standard Model and Beyond, Corfu, Greece, Aug 31 - Sep 9, 2018.
- P. Knights, NEWS-G Sensor Simulations, Symposium on the Progress of the Large Volume Gaseous Detectors: NEWS-G, Dark Matter Detection and Other Applications, Thessaloniki, Greece, April 25-27, 2018.
- P. Knights, NEWS-G: First look at He run, Symposium on the Progress of the Large Volume Gaseous Detectors: NEWS-G, Dark Matter Detection and Other Applications, Thessaloniki, Greece, April 25-27, 2018.
- K. Nikolopoulos, NEWS-G Simulations: Gas properties and space charge, Symposium on the Progress of the Large Volume Gaseous Detectors: NEWS-G, Dark Matter Detection and Other Applications, Thessaloniki, Greece, April 25-27, 2018.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for light dark matter with NEWS-G, Institute of Physics Annual High Energy and Particle Physics Conference, Bristol, United Kingdom, March 25-28, 2018.
- P. Knights, Recent Developments in the Spherical Proportional Counter for NEWS-G, Institute of Physics Annual High Energy and Particle Physics Conference, Bristol, United Kingdom, March 25-28, 2018.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for light dark matter with NEWS-G, Unravelling the Dark Matter mystery, Durham, United Kingdom, March 12-16, 2018.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for light dark matter with NEWS-G, Open UK meeting on Dark Matter, Bristol, United Kingdom, January 17, 2018.
Conference/Workshop contributions
- I. Katsioulas, Search for Light Dark Matter with Spherical Proportional Counters, University College London, Online, UK, Apr 2020.
- I. Katsioulas, Search for Light Dark Matter with Spherical Proportional Counters, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK, Feb 2020.
- I. Katsioulas, Search for Light Dark Matter with Spherical Proportional Counters, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, Jan 2020.
- K. Nikolopoulos, NEWS-G: Search for Light Dark Matter with a Spherical Proportional Counter, Particle Physics Seminar, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK, February 2020.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for Light Dark Matter with a Spherical Proportional Counter, Particle Physics Seminar, Royal Holloway University London, London, UK, February 2020.
- K. Nikolopoulos, Search for Light Dark Matter with a Spherical Proportional Counter, Particle Physics Seminar, Universit´e de Gen`eve, Geneva, Switzerland, November 2019.