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NEXT Collaboration(Mistry, K. et al), Carcel, S., Lopez-March, N., Martin-Albo, J., Novella, P., Querol, M., et al. (2024). Design, characterization and installation of the NEXT-100 cathode and electroluminescence regions. J. Instrum., 19(2), P02007–36pp.
Abstract: NEXT -100 is currently being constructed at the Laboratorio Subterraneo 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. The electrostatic deflection of the mesh is quantified and fit to a first -pr inciples 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.
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NEXT Collaboration, Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., Felkai, R., Kekic, M., Lopez-March, N., et al. (2020). Mitigation of backgrounds from cosmogenic Xe-137 in xenon gas experiments using He-3 neutron capture. J. Phys. G, 47(7), 075001–17pp.
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.
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Bevan, A. J. et al, Martinez-Vidal, F., Pich, A., Azzolini, V., Bernabeu, J., Lopez-March, N., et al. (2014). The Physics of the B Factories. Eur. Phys. J. C, 74(11), 3026–916pp.
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BABAR Collaboration(del Amo Sanchez, P. et al), Azzolini, V., Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2010). Search for CP violation using T-odd correlations in D-0 -> K+K-pi(+)pi(-) decays. Phys. Rev. D, 81(11), 111103–8pp.
Abstract: We search for CP violation in a sample of 4.7 x 10(4) Cabibbo suppressed D-0 -> K+K-pi(+)pi(-) decays. We use 470 fb(-1) of data recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) storage rings running at center-of-mass energies near 10.6 GeV. CP violation is searched for in the difference between the T-odd asymmetries, obtained using triple product correlations, measured for D-0 and (D) over bar (0) decays. The measured CP violation parameter is A(T) = (1.0 +/- 5.1(stat) +/- 4.4(syst)) x 10(-3).
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Azzolini, V., Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2010). Limits on tau lepton-flavor violating decays into three charged leptons. Phys. Rev. D, 81(11), 111101–8pp.
Abstract: A search for the neutrinoless, lepton-flavor violating decay of the tau lepton into three charged leptons has been performed using an integrated luminosity of 468 fb(-1) collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II collider. In all six decay modes considered, the numbers of events found in data are compatible with the background expectations. Upper limits on the branching fractions are set in the range (1.8-3.3) x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level.
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