https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-08957-5
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
The BDX-MINI detector for Light Dark Matter search at JLab
1
INFN - Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146, Genoa, Italy
2
Jefferson Lab, 23606, Newport News, VA, USA
3
Università degli Studi di Genova, 16146, Genoa, Italy
4
Lamar University, P.O. Box 10046, 4400 MLK Boulevard, 77710, Beaumont, TX, USA
5
INFN-Sezione di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95125, Catania, Italy
6
Canisius College, 14208, Buffalo, NY, USA
7
Occidental College, 90041, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Received:
20
November
2020
Accepted:
3
February
2021
Published online:
17
February
2021
This paper describes the design and performance of a compact detector, BDX-MINI, that incorporates all features of a concept that optimized the detection of light dark matter in the MeV-GeV mass range produced by electrons in a beam dump. It represents a reduced version of the future BDX experiment expected to run at JLAB. BDX-MINI was exposed to penetrating particles produced by a 2.176 GeV electron beam incident on the beam dump of Hall A at Jefferson Lab. The detector consists of 30.5 kg of PbWO
crystals with sufficient material following the beam dump to eliminate all known particles except neutrinos. The crystals are read out using silicon photomultipliers. Completely surrounding the detector are a passive layer of tungsten and two active scintillator veto systems, which are also read out using silicon photomultipliers. The design was validated and the performance of the robust detector was shown to be stable during a six month period during which the detector was operated with minimal access.
© The Author(s) 2021
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