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arXiv · 1909.09343

AXEL: High-pressure Xe gas TPC for BG-free $0\nu2\beta$ decay search

S. Obara·S. Ban·M. Hirose·A. K. Ichikawa·T. Kikawa·K. Z. Nakamura·T. Nakaya·S. Tanaka·M. Yoshida·Y. Iwashita·H. Sekiya·Y. Nakajima·K. Ueshima·K. Miuchi·K. D. Nakamura·A. Minamino·T. Nakadaira·K. Sakashita
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Abstract

AXEL is a high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0n2b) search. The AXEL has a unique readout system called ELCC which has a cellular structure and photosensors to detect electroluminescence light produced by ionization electrons. We demonstrated the performance of the ELCC with a small prototype detector (AXEL-HP10L). The obtained energy resolution corresponds to 0.82 -- 1.74% (FWHM) at the 0n2b Q-value. We are constructing a new prototype (AXEL-HP180L) in order to study the energy resolution at the Q-value of 0n2b with a new design of ELCC with unit structure, newly developed electronics board, field-shaping electrodes, and Cockcroft-Walton-type high voltage power supply. For a future 1-ton scale large AXEL detector, we are developing new background-reduction techniques; topology identification with machine learning, positive-ion detection, and active-shield options.

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S. Obara, S. Ban, M. Hirose, A. K. Ichikawa, T. Kikawa, K. Z. Nakamura, T. Nakaya, S. Tanaka, M. Yoshida, Y. Iwashita, H. Sekiya, Y. Nakajima, K. Ueshima, K. Miuchi, K. D. Nakamura, A. Minamino, T. Nakadaira, K. Sakashita. 2019-09-20. AXEL: High-pressure Xe gas TPC for BG-free $0\nu2\beta$ decay search. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2019.162803

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