The trainee will work within the DarkSide programme for the direct search of dark matter interactions using liquid argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) detectors.
In DarkSide-20k, the next-generation experiment with multi-ton active mass, the dominant backgrounds are expected to arise from radiogenic and cosmogenic sources, as well as from rare event topologies such as Cherenkov emission and random pile-up of uncorrelated signals. In particular, unresolved or partially overlapping S1 and S2 signals may mimic the signature of low-energy nuclear recoils, representing a potential limitation to the experiment sensitivity.
The trainee will investigate analysis strategies to suppress these background components. This will include the study of event topology and the development of selection criteria based on reconstructed observables, including timing and spatial information.
The work will involve the analysis of both experimental and Monte Carlo datasets, the implementation of event generators for specific background components, and the optimization of rejection techniques using advanced statistical methods, including unbinned approaches.
The trainee will also gain experience in scientific programming (Python/C++), data analysis frameworks, and collaborative research within an international experimental physics collaboration.