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New dark matter direct search based on archaeological Pb

D. Alloni1, G. Benato2,9, P. Carniti3,14, M. Cataldo3,14, L. Chen4, M. Clemenza3,14, M. Consonni3,14, G. Croci3,14, I. Dafinei5 et al. (RES-NOVA Collaboration‡)

I. Dafinei5, F. A. Danevich6, D. Di Martino3,14, E. Di Stefano7,14, N. Ferreiro Iachellini3,14,†, F. Ferroni2,8, F. Filippini7,14, S. Ghislandi2,9,*, A. Giachero3,14, L. Gironi3,14, P. Gorla9, C. Gotti3,14, D. L. Helis9, D. V. Kasperovych10, V. V. Kobychev10, G. Marcucci3,14, A. Melchiorre9,11, A. Menegolli12, S. Nisi9, M. Musa13, L. Pagnanini2,9, L. Pattavina3,14, G. Pessina14, S. Pirro9, O. G. Polischuk10, S. Pozzi3,14, M. C. Prata15, A. Puiu9, S. Quitadamo2,9, M. P. Riccardi13, M. Rossella15, R. Rossini12, F. Saliu7,14, A. Salvini1, A. P. Scherban16, D. A. Solopikhin16, V. I. Tretyak9,17, D. Trotta3,14, and H. Yuan4 (RES-NOVA Collaboration‡)

  • *Contact author: stefano.ghislandi@gssi.it
  • †Contact author: nahuel.ferreiroiachellini@unimib.it
  • ‡Contact collaboration: res-nova@unimib.it
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Phys. Rev. D 111, 103050 – Published 30 May, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/wcvd-rk1f

Abstract

The RES-NOVA project is an experimental initiative aimed at detecting neutrinos from the next galactic supernova using PbWO4 cryogenic detectors, operated at low temperatures in a low-background environment. By utilizing archaeological lead (Pb) as the target material, RES-NOVA leverages its high radiopurity, large nuclear mass, and the natural abundance of Pb207, making it well-suited for exploring both spin-independent and spin-dependent dark matter (DM) interactions via nuclear scattering. This work presents a background model developed for the RES-NOVA technology demonstrator and evaluates its implications for dark matter detection. Detailed calculations of nuclear matrix elements, combined with the unique properties of archaeological Pb, demonstrate RES-NOVA’s potential as a complementary tool to existing direct detection experiments for studying dark matter interactions. The experiment will conduct DM searches over a broad mass range spanning 4 orders of magnitude, from sub-GeV/c2 to TeV/c2. In the most optimistic scenario of 1 y of data taking, RES-NOVA is expected to probe DM-nucleon cross sections down to 1×10−43  cm2 and 2×10−46  cm2 for candidates with masses of 2  GeV/c2 and 20  GeV/c2, respectively.

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Phys. Rev. D 111, 103050– Published 30 May, 2025
  • Received 11 February 2025
  • Accepted 25 April 2025
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