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arXiv · 2408.17391

Two-neutrino double electron capture of $^{124}$Xe in the first LUX-ZEPLIN exposure

J. Aalbers·D. S. Akerib·A. K. Al Musalhi·F. Alder·C. S. Amarasinghe·A. Ames·T. J. Anderson·N. Angelides·H. M. Araújo·J. E. Armstrong·M. Arthurs·A. Baker·S. Balashov·J. Bang·J. W. Bargemann·E. E. Barillier·K. Beattie·A. Bhatti·A. Biekert·T. P. Biesiadzinski·H. J. Birch·E. Bishop·G. M. Blockinger·B. Boxer·C. A. J. Brew·P. Brás·S. Burdin·M. Buuck·M. C. Carmona-Benitez·M. Carter·A. Chawla·H. Chen·Y. T. Chin·N. I. Chott·M. V. Converse·R. Coronel·A. Cottle·G. Cox·D. Curran·C. E. Dahl·A. David·J. Delgaudio·S. Dey·L. de Viveiros·L. Di Felice·C. Ding·J. E. Y. Dobson·E. Druszkiewicz·S. Dubey·S. R. Eriksen·A. Fan·N. M. Fearon·N. Fieldhouse·S. Fiorucci·H. Flaecher·E. D. Fraser·T. M. A. Fruth·R. J. Gaitskell·A. Geffre·J. Genovesi·C. Ghag·R. Gibbons·S. Gokhale·J. Green·M. G. D. van der Grinten·J. J. Haiston·C. R. Hall·S. Han·E. Hartigan-O'Connor·S. J. Haselschwardt·M. A. Hernandez·S. A. Hertel·G. Heuermann·G. J. Homenides·M. Horn·D. Q. Huang·D. Hunt·E. Jacquet·R. S. James·J. Johnson·A. C. Kaboth·A. C. Kamaha·M. Kannichankandy·D. Khaitan·A. Khazov·I. Khurana·J. Kim·Y. D. Kim·J. Kingston·R. Kirk·D. Kodroff·L. Korley·E. V. Korolkova·H. Kraus·S. Kravitz·L. Kreczko·V. A. Kudryavtsev·D. S. Leonard·K. T. Lesko·C. Levy
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Abstract

The broad physics reach of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment covers rare phenomena beyond the direct detection of dark matter. We report precise measurements of the extremely rare decay of $^{124}$Xe through the process of two-neutrino double electron capture (2$\nu$2EC), utilizing a $1.39\,\mathrm{kg} \times \mathrm{yr}$ isotopic exposure from the first LZ science run. A half-life of $T_{1/2}^{2\nu2\mathrm{EC}} = (1.09 \pm 0.14_{\text{stat}} \pm 0.05_{\text{sys}}) \times 10^{22}\,\mathrm{yr}$ is observed with a statistical significance of $8.3\,\sigma$, in agreement with literature. First empirical measurements of the KK capture fraction relative to other K-shell modes were conducted, and demonstrate consistency with respect to recent signal models at the $1.4\,\sigma$ level.

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J. Aalbers, D. S. Akerib, A. K. Al Musalhi, F. Alder, C. S. Amarasinghe, A. Ames, T. J. Anderson, N. Angelides, H. M. Araújo, J. E. Armstrong, M. Arthurs, A. Baker, S. Balashov, J. Bang, J. W. Bargemann, E. E. Barillier, K. Beattie, A. Bhatti, A. Biekert, T. P. Biesiadzinski, H. J. Birch, E. Bishop, G. M. Blockinger, B. Boxer, C. A. J. Brew, P. Brás, S. Burdin, M. Buuck, M. C. Carmona-Benitez, M. Carter, A. Chawla, H. Chen, Y. T. Chin, N. I. Chott, M. V. Converse, R. Coronel, A. Cottle, G. Cox, D. Curran, C. E. Dahl, A. David, J. Delgaudio, S. Dey, L. de Viveiros, L. Di Felice, C. Ding, J. E. Y. Dobson, E. Druszkiewicz, S. Dubey, S. R. Eriksen, A. Fan, N. M. Fearon, N. Fieldhouse, S. Fiorucci, H. Flaecher, E. D. Fraser, T. M. A. Fruth, R. J. Gaitskell, A. Geffre, J. Genovesi, C. Ghag, R. Gibbons, S. Gokhale, J. Green, M. G. D. van der Grinten, J. J. Haiston, C. R. Hall, S. Han, E. Hartigan-O'Connor, S. J. Haselschwardt, M. A. Hernandez, S. A. Hertel, G. Heuermann, G. J. Homenides, M. Horn, D. Q. Huang, D. Hunt, E. Jacquet, R. S. James, J. Johnson, A. C. Kaboth, A. C. Kamaha, M. Kannichankandy, D. Khaitan, A. Khazov, I. Khurana, J. Kim, Y. D. Kim, J. Kingston, R. Kirk, D. Kodroff, L. Korley, E. V. Korolkova, H. Kraus, S. Kravitz, L. Kreczko, V. A. Kudryavtsev, D. S. Leonard, K. T. Lesko, C. Levy. 2024-08-30. Two-neutrino double electron capture of $^{124}$Xe in the first LUX-ZEPLIN exposure. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6471%2Fad9039

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