WIMP dark matter detectors above 100 K

Of key motivation in the development of detector strategies in the search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) is the need to maximize the information obtainable from the expected elastic recoil events so that these can be distinguished from background interactions and systematic errors can be controlled. Low temperature techniques may provide one route. However, most of the detector technology currently used, and those responsible for the best limits so far, do not involve cryogenic methods but rely on more conventional technology such as scintillators. There is increasing confidence that these techniques can reach the required sensitivity and may even provide the first detector with sensitivity to the direction of WIMP recoils. Reviewed here is the status of these techniques and the improvements planned to allow exploration of possible dark matter signal rates below 0.1 kg~1d~1. ( 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.