Investigation of background electron emission in the LUX detector

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Abstract

Dual-phase xenon detectors, as currently used in direct detection dark matter experiments, have observed elevated rates of background electron events in the low energy region. While this background negatively impacts detector performance in various ways, its origins have only been partially studied. In this paper we report a systematic investigation of the electron pathologies observed in the LUX dark matter experiment. We characterize different electron populations based on their emission intensities and their correlations with preceding energy depositions in the detector. By studying the background under different experimental conditions, we identified the leading emission mechanisms, including photoionization and the photoelectric effect induced by the xenon luminescence, delayed emission of electrons trapped under the liquid surface, capture and release of drifting electrons by impurities, and grid electron emission. We discuss how these backgrounds can be mitigated in LUX and future xenon-based dark matter experiments.

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Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Akerib, DS Alsum, S Araújo, HM Bai, X Balajthy, J Baxter, A Bernard, EP Bernstein, A Biesiadzinski, TP Boulton, EM Boxer, B Brás, P Burdin, S Byram, D Carmona-Benitez, MC Chan, C Cutter, JE de Viveiros, L Druszkiewicz, E Fan, A Fiorucci, S Gaitskell, RJ Ghag, C Gilchriese, MGD Gwilliam, C Hall, CR Haselschwardt, SJ Hertel, SA Hogan, DP Horn, M Huang, DQ Ignarra, CM Jacobsen, RG Jahangir, O Ji, W Kamdin, K Kazkaz, K Khaitan, D Korolkova, EV Kravitz, S Kudryavtsev, VA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7018-5827 Leason, E Lenardo, BG Lesko, KT Liao, J Lin, J Lindote, A Lopes, MI Manalaysay, A Mannino, RL Marangou, N McKinsey, DN Mei, D-M Moongweluwan, M Morad, JA Murphy, ASJ Naylor, A Nehrkorn, C Nelson, HN Neves, F Nilima, A Oliver-Mallory, KC Palladino, KJ Pease, EK Riffard, Q Rischbieter, GRC Rhyne, C Rossiter, P Shaw, S Shutt, TA Silva, C Solmaz, M Solovov, VN Sorensen, P Sumner, TJ Szydagis, M Taylor, DJ Taylor, R Taylor, WC Tennyson, BP Terman, PA Tiedt, DR To, WH Tvrznikova, L Utku, U Uvarov, S Vacheret, A Velan, V Webb, RC White, JT Whitis, TJ Witherell, MS Wolfs, FLH Woodward, D Xu, J Zhang, C
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© 2020 American Physical Society. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Physical Review D. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Keywords:	physics.ins-det; physics.ins-det
Dates:	Published: 1 November 2020 Published (online): 10 November 2020 Accepted: 12 October 2020
Institution:	The University of Sheffield
Academic Units:	The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Physics and Astronomy (Sheffield)
Funding Information:	Funder Grant number SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL ST/M003469/1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL ST/N001141/1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL ST/N000277/1 Science and Technology Facilities Council ST/N000277/1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL ST/P00573X/1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL ST/S000747/1
Depositing User:	Symplectic Sheffield
Date Deposited:	27 Nov 2020 12:53
Last Modified:	01 Nov 2022 16:28
Status:	Published
Publisher:	American Physical Society (APS)
Refereed:	Yes
Identification Number:	10.1103/physrevd.102.092004
Related URLs:	arXiv URL
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:168487

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Investigation of background electron emission in the LUX detector. (deposited 01 Nov 2022 16:18)
- Investigation of background electron emission in the LUX detector. (deposited 27 Nov 2020 12:53) [Currently Displayed]

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Investigation of background electron emission in the LUX detector

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