The MAGIX experiment is a versatile fixed target experiment, designed to perform a rich physics program including high luminosity searches for rare events and precision measurement of nuclear observables in the range between a few MeV and about 100 MeV, exploiting the intense electron beam of the MESA accelerator. The relatively low beam energy limits the energy of the scattered particle and the whole system must be optimized to limit the interaction of the secondary particle before their detection. ...
The P2 collaboration at the new electron accelerator MESA aims for precise measurements of the parity-violating asymmetry in the scattering of polarized electrons off unpolarized nuclei. Date taken with a high-power liquid hydrogen target will allow for a precise determination of the weak mixing angle, one of the fundamental paramters of the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. Another planned measurement concerns the neutron skin of lead, which is directly connected to the structure of neutron stars. ...
The DarkMESA experiment is performing searches for dark sector particles by using the
high-power beam dump of the MESA accelerator as a target for their possible production. In
this experiment, light dark sector particles will traverse unimpeded through sufficient
shielding that blocks Standard Model background particles. The detector concept foresees
calorimeters surrounded by active veto scintillators to detect the dark sector particles.
The Mainz scientists cooperate with the international BDX Collaboration that is poised to
make significant impact by searching for dark matter at electron beam dumps worldwide. The
DarkMESA experiment will increase the sensitivity for dark sector particles in the MeV
mass range significantly running parasitically to the P2 experiment. These particles could
provide key information on the nature of dark matter, which makes up a large proportion of
our universe.