EURECA is a planned experiment which will bring together
physicists from around Europe to search for
dark matter. We aim to directly detect
the scattering of weakly interacting massive particles by atomic
nuclei, using cryogenic detectors
operating at millikelvin temperatures.
EURECA is designed to follow on from the
EDELWEISS and
CRESST experiments, which have both pioneered the use of
cryogenic detectors to set significant limits on
WIMP dark matter using small detector masses. EURECA will use this
technology with a total absorber mass of 100kg - 1 tonne.
CRESST and EDELWEISS will run through 2010, while the
design work for EURECA is carried out. We will then begin construction, aiming
to start operation sometime after 2013.
EURECA will be built in
the Laboratoire
Souterrain de Modane.
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