Increasing the sensitivity of LXe TPCs to dark matter by doping with helium or neon

Lippincott, W. H.; Alexander, T.; Hime, A.

doi:10.22323/1.282.0285

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…For example, for a 12 C-based detector, one would be able to use the Born approximation, and therefore the scaling relations, up to about 3000 times larger dark matter-nucleon cross section than a 131 Xe-based detector. Therefore, robustly covering the large crosssection regime may be best accomplished by detectors using light nuclei (e.g., [32,[104][105][106]).…”

Section: A Scaling Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Equation(38) grows only ∝ logðAÞ, such that, for a fixed total detector mass, the total energy deposited in the detector would be larger for nuclei with smaller A. Direct-detection experiments that focus on protons and other light nuclei, such as Refs [32,[104][105][106],. may therefore be effective ways of constraining the landscape for model-dependent direct detection.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Not as big as a barn: Upper bounds on dark matter-nucleus cross sections

et al. 2019

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Critical probes of dark matter come from tests of its elastic scattering with nuclei. The results are typically assumed to be model independent, meaning that the form of the potential need not be specified and that the cross sections on different nuclear targets can be simply related to the cross section on nucleons. For pointlike spin-independent scattering, the assumed scaling relation is σ χA ∝ A 2 μ 2 A σ χN ∝ A 4 σ χN , where the A 2 comes from coherence and the μ 2 A ≃ A 2 m 2 N from kinematics for m χ ≫ m A. Here we calculate where model independence ends, i.e., where the cross section becomes so large that it violates its defining assumptions. We show that the assumed scaling relations generically fail for dark matter-nucleus cross sections σ χA ∼ 10 −32-10 −27 cm 2 , significantly below the geometric sizes of nuclei and well within the regime probed by underground detectors. Last, we show on theoretical grounds, and in light of existing limits on light mediators, that pointlike dark matter cannot have σ χN ≳ 10 −25 cm 2 , above which many claimed constraints originate from cosmology and astrophysics. The most viable way to have such large cross sections is composite dark matter, which introduces significant additional model dependence through the choice of form factor. All prior limits on dark matter with cross sections σ χN > 10 −32 cm 2 with m χ ≳ 1 GeV must therefore be reevaluated and reinterpreted.

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Section: A Scaling Constraintsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Not as big as a barn: Upper bounds on dark matter-nucleus cross sections

et al. 2019

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“…A minority amount of helium will remain in the liquid, as implied by Henry's law, though the Henry coefficients for helium in xenon are not presently known. The LUX collaboration has shown that helium can be loaded into liquid xenon at the level of .003 -.009% by mass [15], but this level of doping is insufficient to affect a significant reduction in 137 Xe contamination, based on the studies presented in this work.…”

mentioning

confidence: 80%

Mitigation of backgrounds from cosmogenic ¹³⁷Xe in xenon gas experiments using ³He neutron capture

Rogers

Jones

Laing

et al. 2020

J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys.

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136 Xe is used as the target medium for many experiments searching for 0νββ. Despite underground operation, cosmic muons that reach the laboratory can produce spallation neutrons causing activation of detector materials. A potential background that is difficult to veto using muon tagging comes in the form of 137 Xe created by the capture of neutrons on 136 Xe. This isotope decays via beta decay with a half-life of 3.8 minutes and a Q β of ∼4.16 MeV. This work proposes and explores the concept of adding a small percentage of 3 He to xenon as a means to capture thermal neutrons and reduce the number of activations in the detector volume. When using this technique we find the contamination from 137 Xe activation can be reduced to negligible levels in tonne and multi-tonne scale high pressure gas xenon neutrinoless double beta decay experiments running at any depth in an underground laboratory.

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“…For high-mass WIMPs, scaling by a coherent-scattering factor of 20 2 /130 2 suggests 500 T Ne has a similar event rate to 10 T Xe. For lower-mass WIMPs, scaling from proposed 25 kg target of [17] suggests we might do neutrino-floor-limited WIMP searches down to 2-3 GeV.…”

Section: Solar Neutrinos and Dark Matter In Ne At 100 T Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

High-pressure TPCs in pressurized caverns: opportunities in dark matter and neutrino physics

Monreal¹

2022

Preprint

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The natural gas and hydrogen storage industries have experience creating huge, pressurized underground spaces. The most common of these is "solution mining", a method for making brine-filled cavities in salt formations. Unlike conventionally-mined underground spaces, these spaces are (a) inexpensive to construct and operate, (b) naturally serve as pressure vessels, at size scales impossible to construct in a conventional lab, and (b) permit safe use of flammable and/or toxic materials. If various engineering challenges could be met, solution-mined caverns would allow unprecedentedly-large high pressure gas TPCs. Lined rock caverns (LRC) may permit high pressure TPCs of considerable size in more conventional spaces. In this whitepaper, we review some of the new physics opportunities available in these caverns and suggest an R&D program needed to realize them.

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Increasing the sensitivity of LXe TPCs to dark matter by doping with helium or neon

Cited by 7 publications

References 22 publications

Not as big as a barn: Upper bounds on dark matter-nucleus cross sections

Not as big as a barn: Upper bounds on dark matter-nucleus cross sections

Mitigation of backgrounds from cosmogenic ¹³⁷Xe in xenon gas experiments using ³He neutron capture

High-pressure TPCs in pressurized caverns: opportunities in dark matter and neutrino physics

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Increasing the sensitivity of LXe TPCs to dark matter by doping with helium or neon

Cited by 7 publications

References 22 publications

Not as big as a barn: Upper bounds on dark matter-nucleus cross sections

Not as big as a barn: Upper bounds on dark matter-nucleus cross sections

Mitigation of backgrounds from cosmogenic 137 Xe in xenon gas experiments using 3 He neutron capture

High-pressure TPCs in pressurized caverns: opportunities in dark matter and neutrino physics

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Product

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Mitigation of backgrounds from cosmogenic ¹³⁷Xe in xenon gas experiments using ³He neutron capture