The XENON dark matter search

T. Shutt CWRU

The XENON collboration

Columbia University Elena Aprile (PI), Edward Baltz ,Karl-Ludwig Giboni, Sharmila Kamat, Pawel Majewski ,Kaixuan Ni, Bhartendu Singh, and Masaki Yamashita Rice University Uwe Oberlack ,Omar Vargas Case Western Reserve University Alex Bolozdynya, Eric Dahl, Jennifer Kalb, John Kwong, Tom Shutt, Matt Whilden Brown University Richard Gaitskell, Peter Sorensen, Luiz DeViveiros Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Adam Bernstein, Chris Hagmann and Celeste Winant

University of Florida L. Baudis, J. Orboek, A. Manalaysay Yale University D. McKinsey, R. Hasty, A. Mazur

T. Shutt 8/16/05

Current limits

S II CDM

eiss Edelw

~ 0.1 cnts/ kg/day

T. Shutt 8/16/05

How big?
Calculations in minimal supersymmetry framework (MSSM).

Current limits: 0.2 event/kg/day

Ellis, Olive, Santoso,Spanos, hep-ph/ 030875

Motivation for very large detector clear "Generic" test of MSSM possible with 1-10 tons
Less restrictive framework can allow lower rates

If signal seen, need larger mass to probe modulation.

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Promise of liquid Xenon.

Good WIMP target. Readily purified Self-shielding - high density, high Z. Can separate spin, no spin isotopes
129Xe, 130Xe, 131Xe, 132Xe, 134Xe, 136Xe

Rich detection media

Scintillation Ionization

Scalable to large mass

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Basic processes in liquid Xenon

Complicated atomic processes
Scintillation - 175 nm
Singlet ( 3 ns), triplet ( 27 ns)

Ionization
Recombination ( 15 ns) 

Energy per quanta (electron recoils):

charge: 20 eV Photon: 20 eV

Difference between e and n recoils

dE v2 dx
Nuclear recoils, electronic excitations suppressed by 5. Nuclear recoils suffer recombination

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Dual Phase, LXe TPC

Very good event location. Good discrimination despite
small number of e-,
Time

PMTs

Need single charge, photon sensitivity

Use charge amplification instead of increasing E/kT.

~1 s 5 s/cm ~40 ns

Es LXe Ed

Competitors:
ZEPPLIN II, III ITEP XMASS_DM

---

Ar detectors (Icarus, FLARE)

Charge drift easier. 39Ar background.
T. Shutt 8/16/05

WIMP
A. Bolozdynya, NIMA 422 p314 (1999).
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Discrimination of nuclear recoils

Electron recoils - background. Gammas, X-rays, betas. Nuclear recoils - signal:
High density track. Charge recombination. Possible changes in scintillation time profile. Suppression (Lindhard) of both charge and scintillation.

Effect of recombination Scintillation

(122 keV gammas)

discrimination
charge light Background: electron recoils Recombination for nuclear recoils

Re com bin ati on

Ionization
T. Shutt 8/16/05

Signal: nuclear recoils

light
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Detectors

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2004 - 1 kg LXe Currently - 3 kg LXe

Ionization/Scintillation
PMT

Ambient s Ionization (S2)

210Po

122 keV 57Co

5.3 MeV 210Po

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Scintillation - Energy (S1)

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Neutron beam calibration of scintillation

Liquid Xe neutron beam

Liquid scintillator

Er = En

4mM 1 (1+ cos ) 2 m+ M

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Columbia/Yale

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Full measurement of nuclear recoils

Case
40keV gamma (inelastic n-Xe)

Measured by two groups, detectors.

Case Columbia/Brown

Detectors: 4 cm , 1 & 2 cm deep. Xe recoils from

neutrons
206Pb-recoils

Columbia/Brown

Charge calibrated directly with 122 keV gammas and alphas. Energy relies on previous n-beam calibrations. Note: Columbia geometry has x 5 light collection over Case.
PMT in liquid instead of gas.
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Preliminary look at discrimination

Neutrons
n-recoils

Gamma Background
gammas

Limitations:
Light collection statistics
With current data, rejection robust ~ 20 keV.

Poor charge collection

At edges (only?) Rejection > 104 for alphas in center of detector.

Currently 98 % at high energies.

Basic processes compatible with very high discrimination for E > ~20 keV.

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Ionization yield
Versus energy Versus electric field
Electrons/keVnre

Larger than expected based on alphas.

Easy to measure! Not as distinct from gammas as expected.

Physics: dq/dx(E,E) (from dE/dx) + recombination Surprising field independence Increase at low energy agrees with dE/dx. T. Shutt 8/16/05

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LXe processes
Quenching Factors vs Drift Field
1 0.9

Quenching factors, normalized to full (no) recombination for light (charge))

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

Alpha Charge (Po210) Gamma Charge (Co57) Alpha Light (Po210) Gamma Light (Co57)

0.1

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Drift Field (V/cm)

New measurement of 122 keV gammas (57Co). Agreement between single phase and dual phase data.
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Single electrons and photons

Threshold and stability quite important.
Electric fields present challenge: 5 kV/cm liquid; 12 kV/cm gas.
Single photoelectron threshold

With single-PMT system, have demonstrated stable triggering over 2months. Charge threshold ~ 1 electron.

Light: < 1 p.e.

Issue is light collection.

S1: ~ 5 keVnr
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S2: ~ 1.5 electrons

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Light collection
Scintillation peak ~175 nm (VUV). Total internal reflection
n ~ 1.6, 40% transmission (2). Collection at bottom ~ 5 times better than collection above.
PMTs top and bottom, PTFE walls, 4 grids Top PMT Bottom PMT

Current technology: PMTs in liquid and gas

Hamamatsu 5820, 1 square, 17 % effective QE. ~ 1 p.e./keV for nuclear recoils.

Alternative: CsI photocathode.

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Capacitance level sensor

Liquid level critical
With 2, determines field that gives charge signal.

Sensors: parallel plates capacitors

~ 1-2 pF empty-full
4 mm

Virtual ground readout f F sensitivity Independent of stray capacitance.

Zf Cx Vi
T. Shutt 8/16/05

Vi Z = Vo Z x

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MC: gamma Background from PMTs

Inner PMTs - Hamamatsu 8778 (232Th/238U/40K/60Co):
PMTs

XENON10 Target

XENON100 Target

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Hamamatsu PMTs
Model
Photo
Dimension & QE

Radioactive Background [mBq/tube]

U Series

Th Series 90

Comment

40K

60Co

R6041

5 cm x 4 cm QE 5-8%
5 cm x 4 cm QE 20% (2.5 cm)2x3.5cm QE >20% 5 cm x 12 cm QE 26%

360

504 0

10

5500 mBq (Dominated by glass seal at base)

Specifically designed for ops in LiqXe TPC

10

10

120

3
Evolution of 6041 Square/quad anode-good fill factor (66.2%). Columbia tested at 150K/4 atm
Designed for XMASS. Coverage Area: 49.7% Columbia tested at 150K/4 atm
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R9288

143 mBq (Use of Kovar for most of base)

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3 23 mBq

R8520

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60

R8778
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80 mBq (expect further improvement)

Gamma/Electron Background MC
Goal for XENON10, 8 < E < 16keVee: 0.140 cnts/kg/keV/day before 99.5 % rejection.
Assumes using 5 cm outer LXe active veto and inner multiple scatters cut
Source 7 Inner PMTs 16 Outer PMTs HV Shaping Ring Resistors Stainless Steel Cryostat Polyethylene Shield External/Pb shield Gammas Teflon Walls
85Kr 210Pb

Rate [ mdruee ] 9 (5 *) 0.64 1.6 12 9 <5 <1 <6 <5 (removed by Gas sep./getter)

(< 0.1 ppb)

Brem (Pb shield 30 Bq/kg) Tritium

Total
T. Shutt if a 1 cm * 8/16/05

~< 40 mdru
22 mdruee = 10-3 evts/keVee/kg/day

depth cut is made at top of inner LXe

XENON10 Neutron Background MC

Neutron Background Event Rates for XENON10 Module
XENON10 Goal is 1.3 evts/10kg/month => 360 drur (100GeV WIMP) Assumes LNGS 24 /m2/day (No muon veto required)
Source PMT/Stainless Internal (,n) Neutrons (,n)/Fission Neutrons from Cavern Muon-Induced Neutrons from Pb Shield Muon-Induced Neutrons from Poly Shield High Energy Muon-Induced Neutrons from Rock Inner Event Rate (no cuts) (@ 2 keVr) [ drur ] 0.01 15 10 * 6* 3 **

Total
* factor 2 uncertainty ** factor 4 uncertainty
T. Shutt 8/16/05

34 drur drur = 10-6 evts/keVr/kg/day

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Kr removal

85Kr

(, 687 keV endpoint). Best commercial Xe: 5 ppb Kr/Xe (XMASS) Goals: XENON10 (100,1000) < ppb, (100, 10 ppt) Distillation - (XMASS) Chromatography.

Kr Xe Xe

Kr

charcoal column

Possible separation methods:

Projected performance, 1 Kg charcoal column:

1.8 Kg Xe/day Purification 103 Use 14 stp m3 He/ Kg Xe processed.

High purity system being commissioned.

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Xe purity - chemical
Xe is not so noble.
high polarizability (same as alkanes) e- attachment during drift
SF6 N2O O2

Mitigation:
Detector cleanliness, bakeout. Commercial high temp., Zr-based getters Recirculation in gas phase

Demonstrated:
> 1 m drift length. ~ 2 month stability.
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TPC measurement

~ 40 cm

1 cm
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Basic R&D demonstrated:

XENON10 program
21 PMT array (top and bottom)

Discrimination of nuclear recoils at low energy. 1 kg, 7 PMT detector. > 1 m charge drift. Stable cryogenics.

3 kg, 21 PMT detector now under operation.

This fall -> 10 kg detector. PMTs top + bottom.

diving bell

10 kg detector in Gran Sasso in 2006

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Field shaping

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Gran Sasso Installation

First installation - modest size.
Power: 20 kW, (15 kW UPS) LN2 (440 liters/week)

100 kg installation will not be much larger.

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Projected sensitivity

eiss Edelw S II CDM l II goa DMS C N10 XENO

XENO

N100 N1T

XENO

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For a large-scale experiment

Purification in liquid phase - spark purifier CsI photocathode

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CsI photocathode
CsI photocathode good match to this application
VUV sensitive, "robust CsI radioactivity negligible for < m photocathode.
Anode Gate E1 E1 PMT PMT

E1
E0

Edrift S1 CsI photocathode

Edrift

Positive feedback: gating required.

Commercial: V ~ 10 kV in < 1 s. Preliminary tests encouraging.
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Transmission

Gated

S1 S2

S3 S4
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For a large-scale experiment

Purification in liquid phase - spark purifier CsI photocathode Charge-gain readout High quality x-y reconstruction. Especially lack of tails. Radioactivity Cost Gas gain of > 1000 needed. Measured gain, 175 K.

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Water (or scintillator) shielding for a very large experiment.

Time to think about this? Flexible shield.
Multiple modules probably needed Maximum size? - e.g., HV
feedthrough.

Surface tests at ~ 100 Hz could use small water shield.

Good for neutrons. Cherenkov -veto. Could swith to scintillator Common shield for several experiments? ~3m
detector

T. Shutt 8/16/05

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