Background Studies for the SBC Bubble Chamber Dark Matter Search*

The Scintillating Bubble Chamber (SBC) collaboration is using contemporary bubble chamber technology to explore low-mass dark matter candidates, including weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). SBC is constructing a 10 kg liquid argon bubble chamber, LAr10, with a 100 eV target nuclear recoil threshold and negligible sensitivity to electron recoils, offering sensitivity in the 1-10 GeV/c² mass range and enabling exploration of new parameter space.

My work centers on analyzing neutron backgrounds and photon collection efficiency. Using simulations, I evaluated neutron sources, including those from surrounding radioactive rock and muon-induced neutrons, providing insights into background expectations for calibration. Furthermore, I investigate how photon production and SiPM collection affect scintillation detection, particularly for surrounding LCF₄ hydraulic fluid.