Searches for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), a leading dark matter candidate, require detectors that can record neutral particle interactions from the sub-keV scale to the MeV scale. An innovative experimental subculture has arisen in response to the challenges of particle identification, background suppression and long term stability of operation presented by these experiments. In tandem, an applications oriented community is active in developing neutral particle detectors for nonproliferation and nuclear security. These detectors operate in the same energy regime and share many of the features found in the fundamental science detectors. I will discuss a satisfying example of this new take on 'dual-use' technology: dual-phase noble liquid detectors which may detect WIMP dark matter particles (should they exist) and which can also detect and distinguish MeV-scale gamma-rays and neutrons emitted by plutonium and uranium, for nonproliferation applications.

Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule