| Record |
Author  |
Freitas, E.D.C.; Monteiro, C.M.B.; Ball, M.; Gomez-Cadenas, J.J.; Lopes, J.A.M.; Lux, T.; Sanchez, F.; dos Santos, J.M.F. |
| Title |
Secondary scintillation yield in high-pressure xenon gas for neutrinoless double beta decay (0 nu beta beta) search |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Physics Letters B |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Lett. B |
| Volume |
684 |
Issue |
4-5 |
Pages |
205-210 |
| Keywords |
Neutrino; Neutrinoless double-beta decay; Secondary scintillation; Xenon; High-pressure |
| Abstract |
The search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0 nu beta beta) is an important topic in contemporary physics with many active experiments. New projects are planning to use high-pressure xenon gas as both source and detection medium. The secondary scintillation processes available in noble gases permit large amplification with negligible statistical fluctuations, offering the prospect of energy resolution approaching the Fano factor limit. This Letter reports results for xenon secondary scintillation yield, at room temperature, as a function of electric field in the gas scintillation gap for pressures ranging from 2 to 10 bar. A Large Area Avalanche Photodiode (LAAPD) collected the VUV secondary scintillation produced in the gas. X-rays directly absorbed in the LAAPD are used as a reference for determining the number of charge carriers produced by the scintillation pulse and, hence, the number of photons impinging the LAAPD. The number of photons produced per drifting electron and per kilovolt, the so-called scintillation amplification parameter, displays a small increase with pressure, ranging from 141 +/- 6 at 2 bar to 170 +/- 10 at 8 bar. In our setup, this Parameter does not increase above 8 bar due to nonnegligible electron attachment. The results are in good agreement with those presented in the literature in the 1 to 3 bar range. The increase of the scintillation amplification parameter with pressure for high gas densities has been also observed in former work at cryogenic temperatures. |
| Address |
[Freitas, E. D. C.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Lopes, J. A. M.; dos Santos, J. M. F.] Univ Coimbra, GIAN CI, Dept Fis, P-3004516 Coimbra, Portugal, Email: jmf@gian.fis.uc.pt |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Elsevier Science Bv |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0370-2693 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
ISI:000275009600006 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ elepoucu @ |
Serial |
487 |
| Permanent link to this record |
