DarkSide-50: results from first argon run
DarkSide (DS) at Gran Sasso underground laboratory is a direct dark matter search program based on TPCs with liquid argon from underground sources. The DS-50 TPC, with 50 kg of liquid argon is installed inside active neutron and muon detectors. DS-50 has been taking data since Nov 2013, collecting more than 10 events with atmospheric argon. This data represents an exposure to the largest background, beta decays of Ar, comparable to the full 3 y run of DS-50 with underground argon. When analysed with a threshold that would give a sensitivity in the full run of about 10−45 cm at a WIMP mass of 100GeV, there is no Ar background observed. We present the detector design and performance, the results from the atmospheric argon run and plans for an upscale to a multi-ton detector along with its sensitivity.