SIGN, a WIMP Detector Based on High Pressure Gaseous Neon

A newWIMP detector concept based on the measurement of Scintillation and Ionization in Gaseous Neon (SIGN) is presented. The detector employs room temperature gaseous neon at a pressure of ≥100 bars as the WIMP target. The ionization is readout using either charge gain or electrofluorescence or both in a modified cylindrical proportional chamber geometry. The primary scintillation is detected by placing a CsI photocathode on the inside wall of the cylindrical chamber. The neon is doped with xenon (≤0.5%) for signal enhancement. Theoretical considerations suggest that the measurement of both scintillation and ionization will provide discrimination between nuclear and electron recoils in this gas mixture.