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Broader Impacts of XENON Research

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Broader Impacts of XENON Research XENON: A Liquid Xe Dark Matter Search Experiment at LNGS Columbia University: Elena Aprile, Karl-Ludwig Giboni, Pawel Majewski, Kaixuan Ni, Bhartendu Singh, Masaki Yamashita Brown University: Richard Gaitskell, Peter Sorensen, Luiz DeViveiros University of Florida: Laura Baudis, David Day Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: William Craig, Adam Bernstein, Chris Hagmann Princeton University: Tom Shutt, John Kwong, Kirk McDonald Rice University: Uwe Oberlack, Omar Vargas Yale University: Daniel McKinsey, Richard Hasty, Hugh Lippincott Contact person Elena Aprile ([email protected]) Letter of Intent 1 1. The physics case The goal of the XENON experimental program is direct detection of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with an array of ten identical liquid Xe detector modules each with a 100 kg fiducial mass (XENON100).Current theoretical models indicate that WIMP interaction rates probably lie between the current sensitivity of existing experiments which is equivalent to ~0.25 evts/kg/day and ~2 evts/100 kg/yr normalized for a Xe target. The best prospects for the unambiguous identification of a WIMP nuclear recoil signal lie in detectors that have negligible radioactive background competing with the dark matter signal. This can be achieved principally by using nuclear recoil discrimination in order to veto competing electron recoil events (associated with gamma and beta backgrounds), effective neutron shielding, and through the operation of a large homogeneous detector volume with 3-D position resolution. The latter information can be used to select single hit events characteristic of a WIMP interaction while rejecting multiple hit events associated with backgrounds that propagate from the edge of the detector into the fiducial volume. Combined analyses of the latest observational data continue to provide compelling evidence for a significant cold dark matter component in the composition of the Universe. Reviews of the data can be found in [2-4] and also in a discussion of the latest direct detection results in Chardin [5] and the Drees and Gerbier article in the reviews section of the Particle Data Group [6]. The power of the background rejection has been fully demonstrated by experiments such as CDMS [7] and EDELWEISS [8]. The EDELWEISS experiment in the Frejus Tunnel in Europe has reported the best limit characterized by a sensitivity to 100 GeV WIMPs with a normalized cross section of ~1.5x10-42 cm2 based on an exposure of 32 kg-days with a single cryogenic Ge detector of mass 0.32 kg. In 2004 this experiment will upgrade to 8 kg of Ge detectors in a new cryostat. The CDMS II [7] experiment is expected to report a larger exposure using 6 Ge and Si detectors, with lower energy threshold, before the end of 2004, and make subsequent upgrades to 7 kg total mass. The sensitivity of the cryogenic detector based experiments for a dark matter search will ultimately be limited by the mass of available target given the huge challenges involved in scaling well beyond target masses of ~50 kg. The DAMA experiment has operated an array of 100 kg of NaI over a period of 7 years and has reported [9] the observation of an annual modulation signal (>6 ) which is attributed to WIMP interactions. The sensitivity of this experiment is limited by gamma backgrounds which will be reduced in the LIBRA [10] upgrade of the experiment, but these backgrounds are not expected to fall by more than a factor of a few. The dominant systematics (stability of cuts) involved with attempting limited gamma discrimination from NaI will not improve the sensitivity of the annual modulation technique. The Japanese XMASS-DM [11- 13] and Boulby Dark Matter ZEPLIN [14] programs are now operating prototype Xe detectors in underground sites of 2 kg and 6 kg respectively. Using discrimination based on primary scintillation light alone, the ZEPLIN I experiment has reported results within a factor of 2 of that of EDELWEISS. These experiments represent the first stage of Xe detector programs that will ultimately deploy detectors of the order of 1 tonne. The GENIUS-TF [15], GEDEON [16] and MAJORANA [17] experiments are all based on Ge detectors which do not have any intrinsic background discrimination. Their improvement in sensitivity will be based on aggressive reduction of external and internal radioactive sources. In order to achieve an increase in scattering rate sensitivity to ~10-46 cm2 a fiducial target mass on the order of 1 tonne will be required, with less than ~10 background events per year. An increase in target mass alone is not sufficient, unless the competing backgrounds are eliminated. Even the smallest background rate observed in all current experiments will increase with the mass and the exposure time and will be the true limiting factor of any kind of experiment. Efficient and redundant background rejection schemes are a key requirement for any WIMP experiment, along with the capability to sense nuclear recoil energy depositions as low as a few keV. For the XENON[18] experiment, the design goal of 99.5% background rejection efficiency is achieved by the simultaneous measurement of the ionization and scintillation signals produced in pure LXe by a WIMP recoil, down to a threshold of ~16 keV recoil energy (at which the detector is fully efficient for dark matter detection). Event localization in 3-D and the use of a LXe self-shield provide additional discrimination power. The XENON detector modules will require a gamma event rate within their fiducial volume below 2x10-3 events/keVee/kg/day to reach the 2 target sensitivity after application of the 99.5% background rejection. The key reasons for proposing LXe as WIMP target and detector are: • The high density (3 g/cm3), high atomic number (Z=54) permit a compact self-shielded detector. • Simultaneous measurement of the ionization and scintillation signals produced by WIMP interactions and the different amplitude and time response of these signals for electron and nuclear recoils provides powerful and efficient discrimination against background events. • It is available in large quantities at a reasonable cost (about $1k/kg). • It can be purified to achieve long distance drift of free ionization electrons. Additional processing can reduce the traces of radioactive elements such 85Kr, 42Ar, Ra to the low level required. • It contains appreciable even/odd isotopes, suitable for spin-indep./spin-dependent interactions. The modular approach (10 x XENON100) is preferred over a monolithic 1-tonne detector, to permit design optimization with a single module with a phased construction over a reasonable time scale of the full scale experiment. The modular approach is also preferred from an operational stand–point to maximize exposure times, and facilitate safe operation. Each module is a liquid xenon time projection chamber (LXeTPC) operated in dual phase (with both liquid and gas) and an active fiducial region on the order of 100 kg. An additional layer of LXe (of comparable mass to the inner volume) will be operated as a scintillator veto. Monte Carlo simulations, taking into account the dominant background radiation expected in the active volume have been carried out to optimize the geometry and shield thickness. The current module baseline is very similar to that in the original XENON proposal, shown in Figure 1. The backgrounds, purification, and screening sections of this proposal outline the radioactivity targets and methods that will be employed to achieve them. The figure below shows the sensitivity projected for XENON1T (1-tonne) experiment, in comparison to current WIMP searches, which are probing event rates at ~0.25 evts/kg/day. The CDMS and EDELWEISS experiments are expected to improve sensitivity by over an order of magnitude in 2004–5. In order to continue progress in dark matter sensitivity it will be important to have a liquid xenon experiment at the 100kg scale operational and taking science data by 2006. The operation of the XENON100 (100 kg fiducial) module for 3 months once it is in zero background mode (which would be achieved if the background after rejection is below 1x10-5 cts/keVee/kg/day) would permit setting a sensitivity limit at ~2x10–45 cm2. It is expected that longer periods of operation would be required prior to this successful run in order to establish optimal operating conditions, and to perform the necessary calibrations. This module would be a prototype for a larger array of modules for XENON1T which would be capable of collecting 20 events/year for WIMPs with a cross section of ~2x10-46 cm2 (with a negligible background). Figure 0: (left) Current direct detection dark matter limits from experiments discussed in the text are shown, along with the projected sensitivity of XENON100 and XENON1T. (right) The original XENON100 prototype design from 2001 proposal. 3 The size of the XENON100 detector is such that it would enable direct verification of the DAMA annual modulation signal, the former having comparable size and recoil threshold with the latter. Natural Xe is sensitive to both spin independent, and spin dependent (odd neutron) interactions of the WIMPs. Given that the XENON100 detector will be operated with no background contamination for a signal corresponding to a normalized cross section of 10-41–10-42 cm2 (>1 evt/kg/day) the dark matter recoil spectrum will be measured directly, at the same time as testing for its annual modulation. However, it must be noted that the modulation occurs at a few % level of the overall interaction rate, and so the direct search for nuclear recoil events is a much more powerful search tool in the early phases of the experiment. A test for annual modulation would require the stable operation of the system for a number of annual cycles. The XENON1T array would allow annual modulation search at an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than the current DAMA sensitivity.
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