학술논문
Improved Dark Matter Search Sensitivity Resulting from LUX Low-Energy Nuclear Recoil Calibration
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article
Author
Collaboration, LUX; Akerib, DS; Alsum, S; Araújo, HM; Bai, X; Balajthy, J; Bang, J; Baxter, A; Bernard, EP; Bernstein, A; Biesiadzinski, TP; Boulton, EM; Boxer, B; Brás, P; Burdin, S; Byram, D; Carmona-Benitez, MC; Chan, C; Cutter, JE; Viveiros, L de; Druszkiewicz, E; Fan, A; Fiorucci, S; Gaitskell, RJ; Ghag, C; Gilchriese, MGD; Gwilliam, C; Hall, CR; Haselschwardt, SJ; Hertel, SA; Hogan, DP; Horn, M; Huang, DQ; Ignarra, CM; Jacobsen, RG; Jahangir, O; Ji, W; Kamdin, K; Kazkaz, K; Khaitan, D; Korolkova, EV; Kravitz, S; Kudryavtsev, VA; Leason, E; Lesko, KT; Liao, J; Lin, J; Lindote, A; Lopes, MI; Manalaysay, A; Mannino, RL; Marangou, N; McKinsey, DN; Mei, D-M; Morad, JA; Murphy, A St J; Naylor, A; Nehrkorn, C; Nelson, HN; Neves, F; Nilima, A; Oliver-Mallory, KC; Palladino, KJ; Rhyne, C; Riffard, Q; Rischbieter, GRC; Rossiter, P; Shaw, S; Shutt, TA; Silva, C; Solmaz, M; Solovov, VN; Sorensen, P; Sumner, TJ; Swanson, N; Szydagis, M; Taylor, DJ; Taylor, R; Taylor, WC; Tennyson, BP; Terman, PA; Tiedt, DR; To, WH; Tvrznikova, L; Utku, U; Vacheret, A; Vaitkus, A; Velan, V; Webb, RC; White, JT; Whitis, TJ; Witherell, MS; Wolfs, FLH; Woodward, D; Xiang, X; Xu, J; Zhang, C
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Abstract
Dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) detectors have demonstratedsuperior search sensitivities to dark matter over a wide range of particlemasses. To extend their sensitivity to include low-mass dark matterinteractions, it is critical to characterize both the light and chargeresponses of liquid xenon to sub-keV nuclear recoils. In this work, we report anew nuclear recoil calibration in the LUX detector $\textit{in situ}$ usingneutron events from a pulsed Adelphi Deuterium-Deuterium neutron generator. Wedemonstrate direct measurements of light and charge yields down to 0.45 keV(1.4 scintillation photons) and 0.27 keV (1.3 ionization electrons),respectively, approaching the physical limit of liquid xenon detectors. Wediscuss the implication of these new measurements on the physics reach ofdual-phase xenon TPCs for nuclear-recoil-based low-mass dark matter detection.