Development of a 127Xe calibration source for nEXO. (1st July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lenardo, B.G.; Hardy, C.A.; Tsang, R.H.M.; Nzobadila Ondze, J.C.; Piepke, A.; Triambak, S.; Jamil, A.; Adhikari, G.; Al Kharusi, S.; Angelico, E.; Arnquist, I.J.; Belov, V.; Bernard, E.P.; Bhat, A.; Bhatta, T.; Bolotnikov, A.; Breur, P.A.; Brodsky, J.P.; Brown, E.; Brunner, T.; Caden, E.; Cao, G.F.; Cao, L.; Chana, B.; Charlebois, S.A.; Chernyak, D.; Chiu, M.; Cohen, J.R.; Collister, R.; Dalmasson, J.; Daniels, T.; Darroch, L.; DeVoe, R.; di Vacri, M.L.; Ding, Y.Y.; Dolinski, M.J.; Echevers, J.; Eckert, B.; Elbeltagi, M.; Fabris, L.; Fairbank, D.; Fairbank, W.; Farine, J.; Fu, Y.S.; Gallina, G.; Gautam, P.; Giacomini, G.; Gillis, W.; Gingras, C.; Gornea, R.; Gratta, G.; Harouaka, K.; Heffner, M.; Hein, E.; Hößl, J.; House, A.; Iverson, A.; Jiang, X.S.; Karelin, A.; Kaufman, L.J.; Krücken, R.; Kuchenkov, A.; Kumar, K.S.; Larson, A.; Leach, K.G.; Leonard, D.S.; Li, G.; Li, S.; Li, Z.; Licciardi, C.; Lindsay, R.; MacLellan, R.; Masbou, J.; McMichael, K.; Medina Peregrina, M.; Mong, B.; Moore, D.C.; Murray, K.; Nattress, J.; Natzke, C.R.; Ngwadla, X.E.; Ni, K.; Ning, Z.; Orrell, J.L.; Ortega, G.S.; Ostrovskiy, I.; Overman, C.T.; Perna, A.; Pinto Franco, T.; Pocar, A.; Pratte, J.F.; Priel, N.; Raguzin, E.; Ramonnye, G.J.; Rasiwala, H.; Raymond, K.; Richardson, G.; Richman, M.; Ringuette, J.; Rowson, P.C.; Saldanha, R.; Sangiorgio, S.; Shang, X.; Soma, A.K.; Spadoni, F.; Stekhanov, V.; Sun, X.L.; Thibado, S.; Tidball, A.; Todd, J.; Totev, T.; Tyuka, O.A.; Vachon, F.; Veeraraghavan, V.; Viel, S.; Wamba, K.; Wang, Y.; Wang, Q.; Wei, W.; Wen, L.J.; Wichoski, U.; Wilde, S.; Wu, W.H.; Yan, W.; Yang, L.; Zeldovich, O.; Zhao, J.; Ziegler, T.;
• Is Part Of: Journal of instrumentation. Volume 17:Number 7(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07-01
• Subjects: Cryogenic detectors -- Double-beta decay detectors -- Liquid detectors -- Time projection chambers; Scientific apparatus and instruments -- Periodicals; 502.84
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/17/07/P07028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-0221

Abstract

Abstract: We study a possible calibration technique for the nEXO experiment using a 127 Xe electron capture source. nEXO is a next-generation search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0 νββ ) that will use a 5-tonne, monolithic liquid xenon time projection chamber (TPC). The xenon, used both as source and detection medium, will be enriched to 90% in 136 Xe. To optimize the event reconstruction and energy resolution, calibrations are needed to map the position- and time-dependent detector response. The 36.3 day half-life of 127 Xe and its small Q-value compared to that of 136 Xe 0 νββ would allow a small activity to be maintained continuously in the detector during normal operations without introducing additional backgrounds, thereby enabling in-situ calibration and monitoring of the detector response. In this work we describe a process for producing the source and preliminary experimental tests. We then use simulations to project the precision with which such a source could calibrate spatial corrections to the light and charge response of the nEXO TPC.