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arXiv · 2001.03281

Design and performance of a high-pressure xenon gas TPC as a prototype for a large-scale neutrinoless double-beta decay search

S. Ban·M. Hirose·A. K. Ichikawa·Y. Iwashita·T. Kikawa·A. Minamino·K. Miuchi·T. Nakadaira·Y. Nakajima·K. D. Nakamura·K. Z. Nakamura·T. Nakaya·S. Obara·K. Sakashita·H. Sekiya·B. Sugashima·S. Tanaka·K. Ueshima·M. Yoshida
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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 track end-point which can be used to distinguish $0\nu\beta\beta$ signals from gamma-ray backgrounds.

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S. Ban, M. Hirose, A. K. Ichikawa, Y. Iwashita, T. Kikawa, A. Minamino, K. Miuchi, T. Nakadaira, Y. Nakajima, K. D. Nakamura, K. Z. Nakamura, T. Nakaya, S. Obara, K. Sakashita, H. Sekiya, B. Sugashima, S. Tanaka, K. Ueshima, M. Yoshida. 2020-01-10. Design and performance of a high-pressure xenon gas TPC as a prototype for a large-scale neutrinoless double-beta decay search. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptaa030

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