Demonstrations of a Right-Side Up Bubble Chamber Using C3F8 for Dark Matter Detection

The PICO experiment is an international collaboration that is attempting to directly detect dark matter candidates through the observation of WIMP-nucleon interactions in bubble chambers located deep underground at SNOLAB. PICO experiments have provided world-leading constraints on spin-dependent WIMP-proton interactions. At Drexel University, we have constructed a "right-side-up" bubble chamber, which places the target volume above the pressure balancing bellows, rather than below as in previous PICO detectors, that will act as both a small-scale model and as a test chamber for future PICO experiments. This new design will lead to further improvements in the constraints of WIMP-nucleon cross-sections through a higher purity target volume. With the Drexel bubble chamber, we have successfully observed a variety of event types and have begun analyzing gathered data, proving the right-side up design's viability for the next-generation bubble chambers. In the future, we will work towards completion of data analysis, and we will continue to test features for use with the bubble chambers located at SNOLAB.