Measurement of the quenching and channeling effects in a CsI crystal used for a WIMP search

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2015.02.011
• Publication Date: 2015-02-12T02:05:11Z
• Authors: J.H. Lee; G.B. Kim; I.S. Seong; B.H. Kim; J.H. Kim; J. Li; J.W. Park; J.K. Lee; K.W. Kim; H. Bhang; S.C. Kim; Seonho Choi; J.H. Choi; H.W. Joo; S.J. Lee; S.L. Olsen; S.S. Myung; S.K. Kim; Y.D. Kim; W.G. Kang; J.H. So; H.J. Kim; H.S. Lee; I.S. Hahn; D.S. Leonard; J. Li; Y.J. Li; Q. Yue; X.R. Li
• Keywords: WIMP; Stopping power; Crystal (programming language); Recoil

We have studied channeling effects in a Cesium Iodide (CsI) crystal that is similar in composition to the ones being used in a search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) dark matter candidates, and measured its energy-dependent quenching factor, the relative scintillation yield for electron and nuclear recoils. The experimental results are reproduced with a GEANT4 simulation that includes a model of the scintillation efficiency as a function of electronic stopping power. We present the measured and simulated quenching factors and the estimated effects of channeling.