The MiniCLEAN Dark Matter Experiment

The MiniCLEAN dark matter experiment exploits a single-phase liquid argon (LAr) detector, instrumented with photomultiplier tubes submerged in the cryogen with nearly $4\pi$ coverage of a 500 kg target (150 kg fiducial) mass. The high light yield and large difference in singlet/triplet scintillation time-profiles in LAr provide effective defense against radioactive backgrounds through pulse-shape discrimination and event position reconstruction. The detector is also designed for a liquid neon target which, in the event of a positive signal in LAr, will enable an independent verification of backgrounds and provide a unique test of the expected $A^2$ dependence of the WIMP interaction rate. The conceptually simple design can be scaled to target masses in excess of 10 tons in a relatively straightforward and economic manner. The experimental technique and current status of MiniCLEAN will be summarized.