Dual-phase liquid xenon detectors for dark matter searches

Abstract The idea of a hermetic quartz chamber in a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) has the potential to improve the detector sensitivity for direct dark matter searches in the future. A major challenge facing TPC detectors in future dark matter experiments will be the reduction of the internal background such as $^{222}$Rn and the deterioration of the ionization signal due to electronegative impurities. The hermetic quartz chamber can isolate the TPC’s sensitive volume from external interference and is thus expected to prevent contamination caused by radioactive and electronegative impurities, which originate from the outer detector materials. At the Kamioka Observatory in Japan, we have developed a TPC with a quartz chamber that contains a ⌀$ 48 \times 58$ mm volume of liquid xenon. At this development stage, we have not aimed for perfect hermeticity of the quartz chamber. Our aim here is twofold: first, to demonstrate via the use of a calibration source that the presence of quartz materials in the TPC does not impact its operation; and second, to perform quantitative measurements of the TPC’s characteristics. We successfully measured electron drift velocities of 1.2–1.7 mm/$\mu$s in liquid xenon under electric fields ranging from 75–384 V/cm, and also observed small S2 signals produced by a single ionized electron with a light yield of 16.5 $\pm$ 0.5 PE. These results were consistent with the expected values; therefore, our demonstrations provide a proof of principle for TPCs incorporating a quartz chamber.

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MiX: a position sensitive dual-phase liquid xenon detector

Journal of Instrumentation ◽

10.1088/1748-0221/10/10/p10040 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. P10040-P10040 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

S. Stephenson ◽

J. Haefner ◽

Q. Lin ◽

K. Ni ◽

K. Pushkin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dual Phase ◽

Liquid Xenon ◽

Phase Liquid ◽

Position Sensitive

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Self-shielding effect of a single phase liquid xenon detector for direct dark matter search

Astroparticle Physics ◽

10.1016/j.astropartphys.2012.01.005 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 35 (10) ◽

pp. 609-614 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. Minamino ◽

K. Abe ◽

Y. Ashie ◽

J. Hosaka ◽

K. Ishihara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Single Phase ◽

Shielding Effect ◽

Liquid Xenon ◽

Dark Matter Search ◽

Phase Liquid ◽

Direct Dark Matter

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Performance and fundamental processes at low energy in a two-phase liquid xenon dark matter detector

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment ◽

10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.104 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 579 (1) ◽

pp. 451-453 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

T. Shutt ◽

C.E. Dahl ◽

J. Kwong ◽

A. Bolozdynya ◽

P. Brusov

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Low Energy ◽

Liquid Xenon ◽

Two Phase ◽

Phase Liquid

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Recoil Directionality Experiment

EPJ Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/epjconf/201920901031 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 209 ◽

pp. 01031

Author(s):

S. Sanfilippo ◽

P. Agnes ◽

M. Arba ◽

M. Ave ◽

E. Baracchini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Liquid Argon ◽

Current Status ◽

Directional Sensitivity ◽

Dual Phase ◽

Test Beam ◽

Nuclear Recoils ◽

Phase Liquid ◽

Frame Work ◽

Time Projection

Directional sensitivity to nuclear recoils could provide a smoking gun for a possible discovery of dark matter in the form of WIMPs. A hint of directional dependence of the response of a dual-phase liquid argon Time Projection Chamber was found in the SCENE experiment. Given the potential importance of such a capability in the frame work of dark matter searches, a new dedicated experiment, ReD (Recoil Directionality), was designed in the framework of the DarkSide Collaboration, in order to scrutinize this hint. This contribution will describe the performance of the detectors achieved during the first test-beam, the current status of ReD and the perspectives for physics measurements during the forthcoming beam-time.

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