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Author (up) NEXT Collaboration; Carcel, S.; Carrion, J.V.; Felkai, R.; Kekic, M.; Lopez-March, N.; Martin-Albo, J.; Martinez, A.; Martinez-Lema, G.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Novella, P.; Palmeiro, B.; Querol, M.; Romo-Luque, C.; Sorel, M.; Uson, A.; Yahlali, N.
Title Mitigation of backgrounds from cosmogenic Xe-137 in xenon gas experiments using He-3 neutron capture Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Journal of Physics G Abbreviated Journal J. Phys. G
Volume 47 Issue 7 Pages 075001 - 17pp
Keywords gaseous detectors; scintillators; scintillation and light emission processes; solid; gas and liquid scintillators
Abstract Xe-136 is used as the target medium for many experiments searching for 0 nu beta beta. Despite underground operation, cosmic muons that reach the laboratory can produce spallation neutrons causing activation of detector materials. A potential background that is difficult to veto using muon tagging comes in the form of Xe-137 created by the capture of neutrons on Xe-136. This isotope decays via beta decay with a half-life of 3.8 min and a Q(beta) of similar to 4.16 MeV. This work proposes and explores the concept of adding a small percentage of He-3 to xenon as a means to capture thermal neutrons and reduce the number of activations in the detector volume. When using this technique we find the contamination from Xe-137 activation can be reduced to negligible levels in tonne and multi-tonne scale high pressure gas xenon neutrinoless double beta decay experiments running at any depth in an underground laboratory.
Address [Rogers, L.; Jones, B. J. P.; Laing, A.; Pingulkar, S.; Smithers, B.; Woodruff, K.; Byrnes, N.; Dingler, R.; McDonald, A. D.; Nygren, D. R.] Univ Texas Arlington, Dept Phys, POB 19059, Arlington, TX 76019 USA, Email: leslie.rogers@mavs.uta.edu
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0954-3899 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000537753800001 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 4423
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Author (up) Nygren, D.R.; Jones, B.J.P.; Lopez-March, N.; Mei, Y.; Psihas, F.; Renner, J.
Title Neutrinoless double beta decay with 82SeF6 and direct ion imaging Type Journal Article
Year 2018 Publication Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 13 Issue Pages P03015 - 23pp
Keywords Charge transport and multiplication in gas; Gaseous detectors; Ion identification systems; Ionization and excitation processes
Abstract We present a new neutrinoless double beta decay concept: the high pressure selenium hexafluoride gas time projection chamber. A promising new detection technique is outlined which combines techniques pioneered in high pressure xenon gas, such as topological discrimination, with the high Q-value afforded by the double beta decay isotope Se-82. The lack of free electrons in SeF6 mandates the use of an ion TPC. The microphysics of ion production and drift, which have many nuances, are explored. Background estimates are presented, suggesting that such a detector may achieve background indices of better than 1 count per ton per year in the region of interest at the 100 kg scale, and still better at the ton-scale.
Address [Nygren, D. R.; Jones, B. J. P.; Lopez-March, N.; Psihas, F.] Univ Texas Arlington, Dept Phys, Arlington, TX 76019 USA, Email: ben.jones@uta.edu
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000428146300005 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3541
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Author (up) Renner, J.; Cervera-Villanueva, A.; Hernando, J.A.; Izmaylov, A.; Monrabal, F.; Muñoz, J.; Nygren, D.; Gomez-Cadenas, J.J.
Title Improved background rejection in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments using a magnetic field in a high pressure xenon TPC Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 10 Issue Pages P12020 - 19pp
Keywords Pattern recognition, cluster finding, calibration and fitting methods; Double-beta decay detectors; Time projection chambers; Particle tracking detectors (Gaseous detectors)
Abstract We demonstrate that the application of an external magnetic field could lead to an improved background rejection in neutrinoless double-beta (0 nu beta beta) decay experiments using a high-pressure xenon (HPXe) TPC. HPXe chambers are capable of imaging electron tracks, a feature that enhances the separation between signal events (the two electrons emitted in the 0 nu beta beta decay of Xe-136) and background events, arising chiefly from single electrons of kinetic energy compatible with the end-point of the 0 nu beta beta decay (Q(beta beta)). Applying an external magnetic field of sufficiently high intensity (in the range of 0.5-1 Tesla for operating pressures in the range of 5-15 atmospheres) causes the electrons to produce helical tracks. Assuming the tracks can be properly reconstructed, the sign of the curvature can be determined at several points along these tracks, and such information can be used to separate signal (0 nu beta beta) events containing two electrons producing a track with two different directions of curvature from background (single-electron) events producing a track that should spiral in a single direction. Due to electron multiple scattering, this strategy is not perfectly efficient on an event-by-event basis, but a statistical estimator can be constructed which can be used to reject background events by one order of magnitude at a moderate cost (about 30%) in signal efficiency. Combining this estimator with the excellent energy resolution and topological signature identification characteristic of the HPXe TPC, it is possible to reach a background rate of less than one count per ton-year of exposure. Such a low background rate is an essential feature of the next generation of 0 nu beta beta experiments, aiming to fully explore the inverse hierarchy of neutrino masses.
Address [Renner, J.; Imzaylov, A.; Monrabal, F.; Munoz, J.; Gomez-Cadenas, J. J.] CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, Calle Catedrat Jose Beltran 2, Valencia 46980, Spain, Email: jrenner@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000369998500053 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2549
Permanent link to this record