Rare-event searches with bolometers

Abstract

Rare-event searches have played an integral part in the pursuit of physics beyond the Standard Model, offering us the chance to bridge the disparity between our current understanding and observed phenomena such as Dark Matter (DM) or the nature of neutrino masses. Over the last 30 years, these experiments have grown larger and more sophisticated, allowing us to probe new and exciting theories of the universe. At the same time, we have started to apply the technologies and techniques used in rare-event searches to areas of applied physics, for example; reactor monitoring using Coherent Elastic Neutrino Nucleon Scattering (CEvNS) with Ricochet. In this thesis, I will discuss the hardware and analysis techniques required to design, construct, and extract results from these low background, rare-event searches. In particular, I will discuss the hardware and analysis related to the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS), CEvNS detection with Ricochet and the measurement of the effective nuclear quenching factor g, via shape analysis of the highly forbidden In-115 beta spectrum. The latter measurement has far reaching consequences for all neutrino-less double beta decay experiments, independent of isotope.