Measurements of proportional scintillation and electron multiplication in liquid xenon using thin wires

Aprile, E.; Contreras, H.; Goetzke, L. W.; Fernandez, A. J. Melgarejo; Messina, M.; Naganoma, J.; Plante, G.; Rizzo, Anthony; Shagin, P.; Wall, R.

doi:10.1088/1748-0221/9/11/p11012

Cited by 38 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…We note that with a charge gain of ~2, an S2 yield of ~50 photons/electron is consistent with that obtained for thin wires in [17], where an S2 yield of ~290 photons/electron was obtained with a charge gain of ~13. Figure 14: Charge gain as a function of the THGEM voltage at 1.30 bar and 2.05 bar under 'steady state S2' conditions.…”

Section: Additional Observationssupporting

confidence: 89%

“…A possible solution to this problem is to move from a dual-phase TPC configuration to a single-phase liquid-only TPC scheme in which S2 signals would be generated by electrodes immersed within the liquid, rather than in the vapor phase [15,16]. One implementation, suggested in [16] and studied in [17] and [18], relies on thin (Ø5-20 μm) anode wires. In this scheme ionization electrons released at the point of interaction drift towards the immersed wires, where they induce secondary scintillation (accompanied by modest charge multiplication) in the intense field close to the wire surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Liquid Hole Multipliers: bubble-assisted electroluminescence in liquid xenon

Arazi¹,

Erdal²,

Coimbra³

et al. 2015

J. Inst.

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In this work we discuss the mechanism behind the large electroluminescence signals observed at relatively low electric fields in the holes of a Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (THGEM) electrode immersed in liquid xenon. We present strong evidence that the scintillation light is generated in xenon bubbles trapped below the THGEM holes. The process is shown to be remarkably stable over months of operation, providing -under specific thermodynamic conditions -energy resolution similar to that of present dual-phase liquid xenon experiments. The observed mechanism may serve as the basis for the development of Liquid Hole Multipliers (LHMs), capable of producing local charge-induced electroluminescence signals in large-volume single-phase noble-liquid detectors for dark matter and neutrino physics experiments.

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Section: Additional Observationssupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Liquid Hole Multipliers: bubble-assisted electroluminescence in liquid xenon

Arazi¹,

Erdal²,

Coimbra³

et al. 2015

J. Inst.

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“…The electrostatic design methodology adopted by previous experiments was thus found to be compromised. This was based on the onsets for electroluminescence and charge multiplication in LXe at 412 +10 −133 kV/cm and 725 +48 −139 kV/cm, respectively [8] (see also [9,10]), while practical LXe-TPC cathodes made from stainless steel wires have been limited to surface fields of 40-65 kV/cm [11][12][13][14][15][16]. A detector with gold-plated stainless steel wires could not operate at the design field either [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study and mitigation of spurious electron emission from cathodic wires in noble liquid time projection chambers

Tomás

Araújo

Bailey

et al. 2018

Astroparticle Physics

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Noble liquid radiation detectors have long been afflicted by spurious electron emission from their cathodic electrodes. This phenomenon must be understood and mitigated in the next generation of liquid xenon (LXe) experiments searching for WIMP dark matter or neutrinoless double beta decay, and in the large liquid argon (LAr) detectors for the longbaseline neutrino programmes. We present a systematic study of this spurious emission involving a series of slow voltage-ramping tests on fine metal wires immersed in a two-phase xenon time projection chamber with single electron sensitivity. Emission currents as low as 10 −18 A can thus be detected by electron counting, a vast improvement over previous dedicated measurements. Emission episodes were recorded at surface fields as low as ∼10 kV/cm in some wires and observed to have complex emission patterns, with average rates of 10-200 counts per second (c/s) and outbreaks as high as ∼10 6 c/s. A fainter, less variable type of emission was also present in all untreated samples. There is evidence of a partial conditioning effect, with subsequent tests yielding on average fewer emitters occurring at different fields for the same wire. We find no evidence for an intrinsic threshold particular to the metal-LXe interface which might have limited previous experiments up to fields of at least 160 kV/cm. The general phenomenology is not consistent with enhanced field emission from microscopic filaments, but it appears instead to be related to the quality of the wire surface in terms of corrosion and the nature of its oxide layer. This study concludes that some surface treatments, in particular nitric acid cleaning applied to stainless steel wires, can bring about at least order-of-magnitude improvements in overall electron emission rates, and this should help the next generation of detectors achieve the required electrostatic performance.

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“…For example, many researchers considered electron multiplication in the liquid phase unlikely due to the strong scattering effects that are expected for such high density. Yet, electron avalanches have already been observed in liquid argon, [61][62][63] xenon, [64][65][66] nitrogen, 61 sulfur, 67 cyclohexane, 68,69 and propane. 69 For cryogenic liquids, the lower breakdown strength of the liquid phase as compared to the gaseous phase has been explained with the absence of inelastic electron energy losses in liquid.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma physics of liquids—A focused review

Vanraes

Bogaerts

2018

Applied Physics Reviews

163

118

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The interaction of plasma with liquids has led to various established industrial implementations as well as promising applications, including high-voltage switching, chemical analysis, nanomaterial synthesis, and plasma medicine. Along with these numerous accomplishments, the physics of plasma in liquid or in contact with a liquid surface has emerged as a bipartite research field, for which we introduce here the term "plasma physics of liquids." Despite the intensive research investments during the recent decennia, this field is plagued by some controversies and gaps in knowledge, which might restrict further progress. The main difficulties in understanding revolve around the basic mechanisms of plasma initiation in the liquid phase and the electrical interactions at a plasma-liquid interface, which require an interdisciplinary approach. This review aims to provide the wide applied physics community with a general overview of the field, as well as the opportunities for interdisciplinary research on topics, such as nanobubbles and the floating water bridge, and involving the research domains of amorphous semiconductors, solid state physics, thermodynamics, material science, analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, and molecular dynamics simulations. In addition, we provoke awareness of experts in the field on yet underappreciated question marks. Accordingly, a strategy for future experimental and simulation work is proposed.

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Measurements of proportional scintillation and electron multiplication in liquid xenon using thin wires

Cited by 38 publications

References 24 publications

Liquid Hole Multipliers: bubble-assisted electroluminescence in liquid xenon

Liquid Hole Multipliers: bubble-assisted electroluminescence in liquid xenon

Study and mitigation of spurious electron emission from cathodic wires in noble liquid time projection chambers

Plasma physics of liquids—A focused review

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