Abstract

NEWS-G proposes a new concept for the dark matter search, based on the Spherical Proportional Counter (SPC). The detector has a large volume and single electron detection sensitivity and may be filled with light gaseous targets. The capabilities of the detector permit dark matter searches to masses from 0.1 GeV to few GeV complementary to some solid state detectors using heavier elements as targets. Dark matter searches in the low mass range are well motivated. NEWS-G already operates a SPC of this type (SEDINE), a 60cm diameter sphere, placed in the underground laboratory of Modane (France). The full-scale detector, 140 cm in diameter, will be installed in SNOLab (Canada) by March 2019. In this talk, I will present the first NEWS-G results with neon as target nuclei, which exclude at 90% confidence level (C.L.) cross-sections above 4.4・10​ 37 cm​ 2​ ​ for a 0.5 GeV/c​ 2​ WIMP based on 9.7 kg・days of exposure. I will also discuss the status of the second phase of SEDINE based on helium gas mixtures along with the status of the NEWS-G/SNOLAB project and the prospects for the future.