Modeling ionization and recombination from low energy nuclear recoils in liquid argon

Foxe, M.; Hagmann, C.; Jovanovic, I.; Bernstein, A.; Joshi, T. H.; Kazkaz, K.; Mozin, V.; Pereverzev, S. V.; Sangiorgio, S.; Sorensen, P.

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2015.03.005

Title: Modeling ionization and recombination from low energy nuclear recoils in liquid argon

Journal Article · Fri Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astroparticle Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2015.03.005· OSTI ID:1426070

Foxe, M. ^[1]; Hagmann, C. ^[2]; Jovanovic, I. ^[3]; Bernstein, A. ^[2]; Joshi, T. H. ^[4]; Kazkaz, K. ^[2]; Mozin, V. ^[2]; Pereverzev, S. V. ^[2]; Sangiorgio, S. ^[2]; Sorensen, P. ^[2]

Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CENNS) is an as-yet undetected, flavor-independent neutrino interaction predicted by the Standard Model. Detection of CENNS could offer benefits for detection of supernova and solar neutrinos in astrophysics, or for detection of antineutrinos for nuclear reactor monitoring and nuclear nonproliferation. One challenge with detecting CENNS is the low energy deposition associated with a typical CENNS nuclear recoil. In addition, nuclear recoils result in lower ionization yields than those produced by electron recoils of the same energy. While a measurement of the nuclear recoil ionization yield in liquid argon in the keV energy range has been recently reported, a corresponding model for low-energy ionization yield in liquid argon does not exist. For this reason, a Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to predict the ionization yield at sub-10 keV energies. The model consists of two distinct components: (1) simulation of the atomic collision cascade with production of ionization, and (2) the thermalization and drift of ionization electrons in an applied electric field including local recombination. As an application of our results we report updated estimates of detectable ionization in liquid argon from CENNS at a nuclear reactor.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1426070

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1250264

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-744459; TRN: US1802216

Journal Information:: Astroparticle Physics, Vol. 69, Issue C; ISSN 0927-6505

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 3 works

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