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Title: Two distinct components of the delayed single electron noise in liquid xenon emission detectors

Abstract

Single electron noise which persists for many milliseconds is known to follow ionizing events in liquid/gas xenon emission detectors. Due to the long timescale, this noise can be mistaken for a genuine signal. Therefore, it is a limiting background to the low-energy threshold of dark matter searches, and could prevent discovery-class searches for MeV scale hidden sector dark matter. A systematic study reveals distinct fast and slow components to the noise. The fast component is compatible with the hypothesis of electrons which were trapped below the liquid surface, and can be reduced by increasing the electric field across the liquid/gas interface. However, the slow component increases linearly with electric field. Hypotheses for the origin of this effect are discussed, and techniques for mitigation are suggested.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
OSTI Identifier:
1485080
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Instrumentation
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 02; Journal ID: ISSN 1748-0221
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.); Noble liquid detectors (scintillation, ionization, double-phase); Time projection Chambers (TPC)

Citation Formats

Sorensen, P., and Kamdin, K. Two distinct components of the delayed single electron noise in liquid xenon emission detectors. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/13/02/p02032.
Sorensen, P., & Kamdin, K. Two distinct components of the delayed single electron noise in liquid xenon emission detectors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/13/02/p02032
Sorensen, P., and Kamdin, K. Tue . "Two distinct components of the delayed single electron noise in liquid xenon emission detectors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/13/02/p02032. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1485080.
@article{osti_1485080,
title = {Two distinct components of the delayed single electron noise in liquid xenon emission detectors},
author = {Sorensen, P. and Kamdin, K.},
abstractNote = {Single electron noise which persists for many milliseconds is known to follow ionizing events in liquid/gas xenon emission detectors. Due to the long timescale, this noise can be mistaken for a genuine signal. Therefore, it is a limiting background to the low-energy threshold of dark matter searches, and could prevent discovery-class searches for MeV scale hidden sector dark matter. A systematic study reveals distinct fast and slow components to the noise. The fast component is compatible with the hypothesis of electrons which were trapped below the liquid surface, and can be reduced by increasing the electric field across the liquid/gas interface. However, the slow component increases linearly with electric field. Hypotheses for the origin of this effect are discussed, and techniques for mitigation are suggested.},
doi = {10.1088/1748-0221/13/02/p02032},
journal = {Journal of Instrumentation},
number = 02,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Tue Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Cited by: 28 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: (Left) A schematic sectional view of the internal construction of the cylindrical test bed, with segmented anode (A), cathode grid (K), shield grid (G) and the location of the 210Po source (S) indicated. (Right) The configuration of the segmented anode as seen from below.

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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Low-Energy Physics Reach of Xenon Detectors for Nuclear-Recoil-Based Dark Matter and Neutrino Experiments
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