Status and design of two-phase liquid-Xenon compton-imaging detector

Abstract

PIXeY (Particle Identification in Xenon at Yale) is an R&D detector that uses xenon in gas-phase, liquid-phase, or two phase mode. It features drift and proportional electric field regions set with 92%-transparent wire grids, highly reflective Teflon walls, and 14 high-quantum-efficiency PMTs (Hamamatsu R8778) to record both initial scintillation light (SI) andproportional scintillation light (S2) from the drifting of charge in the proportional region. It promises energy resolution and gamma/neutron discrimination that are competitive with previous systems. Recently, PIXeY has run stably for 12 weeks and the first data have been collected. Initial results are presented, along with planned design modifications that will transform PIXeY into a Compton imager. Crossed wires with 3-mm spacing will be used to record interaction locations. A preamp to read out each wire is also being designed to fulfill space and noise constraints. Finally, in order to precisely know the energy from each gamma-ray interaction, the scintillation light from each interaction must be distinguished from that due to others. Simulation is used to determine the optimal optical segmentation of the active volume using thin Teflon walls.

Calibration of a two-phase xenon time projection chamber with a37Ar source

“…These detectors are also employed to detect coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering from nuclear reactors, spallation sources, and supernova neutrinos [6][7][8][9][10]. Two-phase xenon TPCs are currently being explored for use in neutrinoless double beta decay, neutrino magnetic moment searches [11,12], and Compton imaging of gamma rays [13].…”

Extraction efficiency of drifting electrons in a two-phase xenon time projection chamber

“…Two-phase xenon detectors have become a leading detector technology in searches for WIMP (weakly interacting massive particle) dark matter [1][2][3], searches for axions and axion-like particles [4,5], and detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering from nuclear reactor, spallation source, and supernova neutrinos [6][7][8][9]. They have other potential applications in radiation/particle detection such as searches for neutrinoless double beta decay [10,11] and Compton imaging of gamma-rays [12]. The understanding of charge and light production in liquid xenon has developed substantially over the past few decades, and the mechanisms which generate detectable signals from energy deposition in the liquid xenon are reviewed in [13,14].…”

A Tetramethylsilane TPC with Cherenkov light readout and 3D reconstruction

“…Ref. [3][4][5]), and are also being explored for applications in radiation imaging [6][7][8][9][10].…”