Design and performance of a high-pressure xenon gas TPC as a prototype for a large-scale neutrinoless double-beta decay search. (26th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ban, S; Hirose, M; Ichikawa, A K; Iwashita, Y; Kikawa, T; Minamino, A; Miuchi, K; Nakadaira, T; Nakajima, Y; Nakamura, K D; Nakamura, K Z; Nakaya, T; Obara, S; Sakashita, K; Sekiya, H; Sugashima, B; Tanaka, S; Ueshima, K; Yoshida, M
• Is Part Of: Progress of theoretical and experimental physics. Volume 2020:Number 3(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03-26
• Subjects: H20; Physics -- Periodicals; Mathematical physics -- Periodicals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1093/ptep/ptaa030
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-3911

Abstract

Abstract: A high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber, with a unique cellular readout structure based on electroluminescence, has been developed for a large-scale neutrinoless double-beta decay search. In order to evaluate the detector performance and validate its design, a 180 L size prototype is being constructed and its commissioning with partial detector has been performed. The obtained energy resolution at 4.0 bar is 1.73 $\pm$ 0.07% (FWHM) at 511 keV. The energy resolution at the $^{136}$ Xe neutrinoless double-beta decay $Q$ -value is estimated to be between 0.79 and 1.52% (FWHM) by extrapolation. Reconstructed event topologies show patterns peculiar to the track endpoint that can be used to distinguish $0\nu\beta\beta$ signals from gamma-ray backgrounds.