The Micromegas detector of the CAST experiment

A low-background Micromegas detector has been operating in the CAST experiment at CERN for the search for solar axions during the first phase of the experiment (2002–2004). The detector, made out of low radioactivity materials, operated efficiently and achieved a very high level of background rejection (5 × 10−5 counts keV−1 cm−2 s−1) without shielding.