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Extending light WIMP searches to single scintillation photons in LUX

Akerib, DS; Alsum, S; Araujo, HM; Bai, X; Balajthy, J; Baxter, A; Beltrame, P; ... Zhang, C; + view all (2020) Extending light WIMP searches to single scintillation photons in LUX. Physical Review D , 101 , Article 042001. 10.1103/PhysRevD.101.042001. Green open access

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Abstract

We present a novel analysis technique for liquid xenon time projection chambers that allows for a lower threshold by relying on events with a prompt scintillation signal consisting of single detected photons. The energy threshold of the LUX dark matter experiment is primarily determined by the smallest scintillation response detectable, which previously required a twofold coincidence signal in its photomultiplier arrays, enforced in data analysis. The technique presented here exploits the double photoelectron emission effect observed in some photomultiplier models at vacuum ultraviolet wavelengths. We demonstrate this analysis using an electron recoil calibration dataset and place new constraints on the spin-independent scattering cross section of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) down to 2.5     GeV / c 2 WIMP mass using the 2013 LUX dataset. This new technique is promising to enhance light WIMP and astrophysical neutrino searches in next-generation liquid xenon experiments.

Type: Article
Title: Extending light WIMP searches to single scintillation photons in LUX
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.101.042001
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.042001
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Physics, Particles & Fields, Physics, BACKGROUNDS, EMISSION, XENON
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Physics and Astronomy
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10092749
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