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Title: Helium–Xenon mixtures to improve the topological signature in high pressure gas xenon TPCs

Abstract

Within the framework of xenon-based double beta decay experiments, we propose the possibility to improve the background rejection of an electroluminescent Time Projection Chamber (EL TPC) by reducing the diffusion of the drifting electrons while keeping nearly intact the energy resolution of a pure xenon EL TPC. Additionally, based on state-of-the-art microscopic simulations, a substantial addition of helium, around 10 or 15 %, may reduce drastically the transverse diffusion down to 2.5 mm/ √m from the 10.5 mm/ √m of pure xenon. The longitudinal diffusion remains around 4 mm/ √m . Light production studies have been performed as well. They show that the relative variation in energy resolution introduced by such a change does not exceed a few percent, which leaves the energy resolution practically unchanged. Lastly, the technical caveats of using photomultipliers close to an helium atmosphere are also discussed in detail.

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO); European Union - Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme
Contributing Org.:
The NEXT Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1471585
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1495293
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-06CH11357; AC02-07CH11359; FG02-13ER42020; SC0017721; de sc0017721
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 905; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Double-beta decay; Electroluminescence; Helium; Xenon; Low diffusion; TPC

Citation Formats

Felkai, R., Monrabal, F., González-Díaz, D., Sorel, M., López-March, N., Gómez-Cadenas, J. J., Adams, C., Álvarez, V., Arazi, L., Azevedo, C. D. R., Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M., Borges, F. I. G. M., Botas, A., Cárcel, S., Carrión, J. V., Cebrián, S., Conde, C. A. N., Díaz, J., Diesburg, M., Escada, J., Esteve, R., Fernandes, L. M. P., Ferrario, P., Ferreira, A. L., Freitas, E. D. C., Goldschmidt, A., Guenette, R., Gutiérrez, R. M., Hafidi, K., Hauptman, J., Henriques, C. A. O., Hernandez, A. I., Hernando Morata, J. A., Herrero, V., Johnston, S., Jones, B. J. P., Labarga, L., Laing, A., Lebrun, P., Losada, M., Martín-Albo, J., Martínez-Lema, G., Martínez, A., McDonald, A. D., Monteiro, C. M. B., Mora, F. J., Moutinho, L. M., Vidal, J. Muñoz, Musti, M., Nebot-Guinot, M., Novella, P., Nygren, D. R., Palmeiro,, B., Para,, A., Pérez, J., Querol, M., Renner, J., Repond, J., Riordan, S., Ripoll, L., Romo-Luque, C., Rodríguez, J., Rogers, L., Santos, F. P., dos Santos, J. M. F., Simón, A., Sofka, C., Stiegler, T., Toledo, J. F., Torrent, J., Tsamalaidze, Z., Veloso, J. F. C. A., Webb, R., White, J. T., and Yahlali, N. Helium–Xenon mixtures to improve the topological signature in high pressure gas xenon TPCs. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2018.07.013.
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Felkai, R., Monrabal, F., González-Díaz, D., Sorel, M., López-March, N., Gómez-Cadenas, J. J., Adams, C., Álvarez, V., Arazi, L., Azevedo, C. D. R., Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M., Borges, F. I. G. M., Botas, A., Cárcel, S., Carrión, J. V., Cebrián, S., Conde, C. A. N., Díaz, J., Diesburg, M., Escada, J., Esteve, R., Fernandes, L. M. P., Ferrario, P., Ferreira, A. L., Freitas, E. D. C., Goldschmidt, A., Guenette, R., Gutiérrez, R. M., Hafidi, K., Hauptman, J., Henriques, C. A. O., Hernandez, A. I., Hernando Morata, J. A., Herrero, V., Johnston, S., Jones, B. J. P., Labarga, L., Laing, A., Lebrun, P., Losada, M., Martín-Albo, J., Martínez-Lema, G., Martínez, A., McDonald, A. D., Monteiro, C. M. B., Mora, F. J., Moutinho, L. M., Vidal, J. Muñoz, Musti, M., Nebot-Guinot, M., Novella, P., Nygren, D. R., Palmeiro,, B., Para,, A., Pérez, J., Querol, M., Renner, J., Repond, J., Riordan, S., Ripoll, L., Romo-Luque, C., Rodríguez, J., Rogers, L., Santos, F. P., dos Santos, J. M. F., Simón, A., Sofka, C., Stiegler, T., Toledo, J. F., Torrent, J., Tsamalaidze, Z., Veloso, J. F. C. A., Webb, R., White, J. T., & Yahlali, N. Helium–Xenon mixtures to improve the topological signature in high pressure gas xenon TPCs. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.07.013
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Felkai, R., Monrabal, F., González-Díaz, D., Sorel, M., López-March, N., Gómez-Cadenas, J. J., Adams, C., Álvarez, V., Arazi, L., Azevedo, C. D. R., Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M., Borges, F. I. G. M., Botas, A., Cárcel, S., Carrión, J. V., Cebrián, S., Conde, C. A. N., Díaz, J., Diesburg, M., Escada, J., Esteve, R., Fernandes, L. M. P., Ferrario, P., Ferreira, A. L., Freitas, E. D. C., Goldschmidt, A., Guenette, R., Gutiérrez, R. M., Hafidi, K., Hauptman, J., Henriques, C. A. O., Hernandez, A. I., Hernando Morata, J. A., Herrero, V., Johnston, S., Jones, B. J. P., Labarga, L., Laing, A., Lebrun, P., Losada, M., Martín-Albo, J., Martínez-Lema, G., Martínez, A., McDonald, A. D., Monteiro, C. M. B., Mora, F. J., Moutinho, L. M., Vidal, J. Muñoz, Musti, M., Nebot-Guinot, M., Novella, P., Nygren, D. R., Palmeiro,, B., Para,, A., Pérez, J., Querol, M., Renner, J., Repond, J., Riordan, S., Ripoll, L., Romo-Luque, C., Rodríguez, J., Rogers, L., Santos, F. P., dos Santos, J. M. F., Simón, A., Sofka, C., Stiegler, T., Toledo, J. F., Torrent, J., Tsamalaidze, Z., Veloso, J. F. C. A., Webb, R., White, J. T., and Yahlali, N. Sun . "Helium–Xenon mixtures to improve the topological signature in high pressure gas xenon TPCs". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.07.013. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1471585.
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@article{osti_1471585,
title = {Helium–Xenon mixtures to improve the topological signature in high pressure gas xenon TPCs},
author = {Felkai, R. and Monrabal, F. and González-Díaz, D. and Sorel, M. and López-March, N. and Gómez-Cadenas, J. J. and Adams, C. and Álvarez, V. and Arazi, L. and Azevedo, C. D. R. and Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M. and Borges, F. I. G. M. and Botas, A. and Cárcel, S. and Carrión, J. V. and Cebrián, S. and Conde, C. A. N. and Díaz, J. and Diesburg, M. and Escada, J. and Esteve, R. and Fernandes, L. M. P. and Ferrario, P. and Ferreira, A. L. and Freitas, E. D. C. and Goldschmidt, A. and Guenette, R. and Gutiérrez, R. M. and Hafidi, K. and Hauptman, J. and Henriques, C. A. O. and Hernandez, A. I. and Hernando Morata, J. A. and Herrero, V. and Johnston, S. and Jones, B. J. P. and Labarga, L. and Laing, A. and Lebrun, P. and Losada, M. and Martín-Albo, J. and Martínez-Lema, G. and Martínez, A. and McDonald, A. D. and Monteiro, C. M. B. and Mora, F. J. and Moutinho, L. M. and Vidal, J. Muñoz and Musti, M. and Nebot-Guinot, M. and Novella, P. and Nygren, D. R. and Palmeiro,, B. and Para,, A. and Pérez, J. and Querol, M. and Renner, J. and Repond, J. and Riordan, S. and Ripoll, L. and Romo-Luque, C. and Rodríguez, J. and Rogers, L. and Santos, F. P. and dos Santos, J. M. F. and Simón, A. and Sofka, C. and Stiegler, T. and Toledo, J. F. and Torrent, J. and Tsamalaidze, Z. and Veloso, J. F. C. A. and Webb, R. and White, J. T. and Yahlali, N.},
abstractNote = {Within the framework of xenon-based double beta decay experiments, we propose the possibility to improve the background rejection of an electroluminescent Time Projection Chamber (EL TPC) by reducing the diffusion of the drifting electrons while keeping nearly intact the energy resolution of a pure xenon EL TPC. Additionally, based on state-of-the-art microscopic simulations, a substantial addition of helium, around 10 or 15 %, may reduce drastically the transverse diffusion down to 2.5 mm/ √m from the 10.5 mm/ √m of pure xenon. The longitudinal diffusion remains around 4 mm/ √m . Light production studies have been performed as well. They show that the relative variation in energy resolution introduced by such a change does not exceed a few percent, which leaves the energy resolution practically unchanged. Lastly, the technical caveats of using photomultipliers close to an helium atmosphere are also discussed in detail.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2018.07.013},
journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
number = C,
volume = 905,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jul 29 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Sun Jul 29 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    High Pressure Gas Xenon TPCs for Double Beta Decay Searches
    journal, April 2019

    • Gomez-Cadenas, Juan J.; Monrabal Capilla, Francesc; Ferrario, Paola
    • Frontiers in Physics, Vol. 7
    • DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2019.00051

    Electron Drift and Longitudinal Diffusion in High Pressure Xenon-Helium Gas Mixtures
    text, January 2019

    High Pressure Gas Xenon TPCs for Double Beta Decay Searches
    preprint, January 2019

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