SUPERHEATED MICRODROPS AS COLD DARK-MATTER DETECTORS

It is shown that, under realistic background considerations, an improv ement in cold dark matter sensitivity of several orders of magnitude i s expected from a detector based on superheated liquid droplets. Such devices are totally insensitive to minimum ionizing radiation while re sponsive to nuclear recoils of energies similar to few keV. They opera te on the same principle as the bubble chamber, but offer unattended, continuous, and safe operation at room temperature and atmospheric pre ssure.