Design, characterization and installation of the NEXT-100 cathode and electroluminescence regions

Journal Article · 02 February 2024 · Journal of Instrumentation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/19/02/p02007 · OSTI ID:2282617

Mistry, K. ^[1]; Rogers, L.; Jones, B. J.P.; Munson, B.; Norman, L.; Oliver, D.; Pingulkar, S.; Rodriguez-Tiscareno, M.; Silva, K.; Stogsdill, K.; Adams, C.; Almazán, H.; Álvarez, V.; Aparicio, B.; Aranburu, A. I.; Arazi, L.; Arnquist, I. J.; Auria-Luna, F.; Ayet, S.; Azevedo, C. D.R. ; Bailey, K.; Ballester, F.; del Barrio-Torregrosa, M.; Bayo, A.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I.G.M.; Brodolin, A.; Byrnes, N.; Cárcel, S.; Castillo, A.; Cebrián, S.; Church, E.; Cid, L.; Conde, C. A.N.; Contreras, T.; Cossío, F. P.; Dey, E.; Díaz, G.; Dickel, T.; Echevarria, C.; Elorza, M.; Escada, J.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. M.P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Foss, F. W.; Freitas, E. D.C.; Freixa, Z.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; González, R.; Grocott, J. W.R.; Guenette, R.; Hafidi, K.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. A.O.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero-Gómez, P.; Herrero, V.; Hervés Carrete, C.; Ifergan, Y.; Larizgoitia, L.; Larumbe, A.; Lebrun, P.; Lopez, F.; López-March, N.; Madigan, R.; Mano, R. D.P.; Marques, A. P.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez-Vara, M.; Meziani, Z. E.; Miller, R. L.; Molina-Canteras, J.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. M.B.; Mora, F. J.; Navarro, K. E.; Novella, P.; Nuñez, A.; Nygren, D. R.; Oblak, E.; Palacio, J.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Parmaksiz, I.; Pelegrin, J.; Pérez Maneiro, M.; Querol, M.; Redwine, A. B.; Renner, J.; Rivilla, I.; Rogero, C.; Romeo, B.; Romo-Luque, C.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M.F.; Seemann, M.; Shomroni, I.; Simón, A.; Soleti, S. R.; Sorel, M.; Soto-Oton, J.; Teixeira, J. M.R.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Trettin, A.; Usón, A.; Veloso, J. F.C.A.; Waiton, J.; Yubero, A.

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1. University of Texas at Arlington, TX (United States); The NEXT Collaboration. et al.

NEXT-100 is currently being constructed at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc in the Spanish Pyrenees and will search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure gaseous time projection chamber (TPC) with 100 kg of xenon. Charge amplification is carried out via electroluminescence (EL) which is the process of accelerating electrons in a high electric field region causing secondary scintillation of the medium proportional to the initial charge. The NEXT-100 EL and cathode regions are made from tensioned hexagonal meshes of 1 m diameter. This paper describes the design, characterization, and installation of these parts for NEXT-100. Simulations of the electric field are performed to model the drift and amplification of ionization electrons produced in the detector under various EL region alignments and rotations. Measurements of the electrostatic breakdown voltage in air characterize performance under high voltage conditions and identify breakdown points. Furthermore, the electrostatic deflection of the mesh is quantified and fit to a first-principles mechanical model. Measurements were performed with both a standalone test EL region and with the NEXT-100 EL region before its installation in the detector. Finally, we describe the parts as installed in NEXT-100, following their deployment in Summer 2023.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: European Research Council (ERC); Israel Science Foundation (ISF); Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC); National Science Foundation (NSF); Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT); USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
• Contributing Organization: The NEXT Collaboration
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357; AC02-07CH11359; SC0010813; SC0019054; SC0019223
• OSTI ID: 2282617
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB--23-680-ND; arXiv:2311.03528; oai:inspirehep.net:2719952
• Journal Information: Journal of Instrumentation, Journal Name: Journal of Instrumentation Journal Issue: 02 Vol. 19; ISSN 1748-0221
• Publisher: Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English