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arXiv · 2611.00010

The Skin Detector System of the LZ Dark Matter Experiment

D. S. Akerib·A. K. Al Musalhi·F. Alder·B. J. Almquist·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. Beauchene·A. Bhatti·T. P. Biesiadzinski·H. J. Birch·E. Bishop·G. M. Blockinger·C. A. J. Brew·P. Brás·S. Burdin·M. C. Carmona-Benitez·M. Carter·A. Chawla·Y. T. Chin·S. Contreras·M. V. Converse·R. Coronel·A. Cottle·G. Cox·D. Curran·C. E. Dahl·I. Darlington·S. Dave·A. David·J. Delgaudio·S. Dey·L. de Viveiros·L. Di Felice·C. Ding·J. E. Y. Dobson·E. Druszkiewicz·S. Dubey·C. L. Dunbar·S. R. Eriksen·N. M. Fearon·N. Fieldhouse·S. Fiorucci·H. Flaecher·E. D. Fraser·T. M. A. Fruth·P. W. Gaemers·R. J. Gaitskell·A. Geffre·J. Genovesi·C. Ghag·J. Ghamsari·A. Ghosh·S. Ghosh·R. Gibbons·S. Gokhale·J. Green·M. G. D. van der Grinten·J. J. Haiston·C. R. Hall·T. Hall·R. N. Hampp·S. J. Haselschwardt·M. A. Hernandez·S. A. Hertel·G. J. Homenides·M. Horn·D. Q. Huang·D. Hunt·E. Jacquet·R. James·K. Jenkins·A. C. Kaboth·A. C. Kamaha·M. K. Kannichankandy·D. Khaitan·A. Khazov·J. Kim·Y. D. Kim·D. Kodroff·E. V. Korolkova·H. Kraus·S. Kravitz·L. Kreczko·V. A. Kudryavtsev·T. A. Kumar·C. Lawes·E. B. Leon·D. S. Leonard·K. T. Lesko
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Abstract

This paper presents the design, calibration, and performance of the Skin Detector component of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter experiment. The Skin Detector consists of approximately 2 tonnes of liquid xenon instrumented with 131 photomultiplier tubes, surrounding the central time-projection chamber and functions as an active veto system for background rejection. Energy calibration with monoenergetic gamma sources established a position-dependent energy scale and determined prompt and delayed veto thresholds. Radon decays in the Skin can be identified with less than 15~mm spatial resolution, revealing stable convective flow patterns with measured velocities ranging from 2-4 mm/s that persisted throughout extended data-taking periods. The achieved Skin veto threshold meets or exceeds the design goal of 100~keV throughout the Skin volume. The prompt veto efficiency for gamma rays emitted following electron capture in $^{127}$Xe is found to be ($88 \pm 2$)\%, consistent with the simulated value of ($90.4 \pm 0.6$)\%. M-shell EC decays are used to validate the LZ detector sensitivity for low-mass dark matter during the first science run.

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D. S. Akerib, A. K. Al Musalhi, F. Alder, B. J. Almquist, 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. Beauchene, A. Bhatti, T. P. Biesiadzinski, H. J. Birch, E. Bishop, G. M. Blockinger, C. A. J. Brew, P. Brás, S. Burdin, M. C. Carmona-Benitez, M. Carter, A. Chawla, Y. T. Chin, S. Contreras, M. V. Converse, R. Coronel, A. Cottle, G. Cox, D. Curran, C. E. Dahl, I. Darlington, S. Dave, A. David, J. Delgaudio, S. Dey, L. de Viveiros, L. Di Felice, C. Ding, J. E. Y. Dobson, E. Druszkiewicz, S. Dubey, C. L. Dunbar, S. R. Eriksen, N. M. Fearon, N. Fieldhouse, S. Fiorucci, H. Flaecher, E. D. Fraser, T. M. A. Fruth, P. W. Gaemers, R. J. Gaitskell, A. Geffre, J. Genovesi, C. Ghag, J. Ghamsari, A. Ghosh, S. Ghosh, R. Gibbons, S. Gokhale, J. Green, M. G. D. van der Grinten, J. J. Haiston, C. R. Hall, T. Hall, R. N. Hampp, S. J. Haselschwardt, M. A. Hernandez, S. A. Hertel, G. J. Homenides, M. Horn, D. Q. Huang, D. Hunt, E. Jacquet, R. James, K. Jenkins, A. C. Kaboth, A. C. Kamaha, M. K. Kannichankandy, D. Khaitan, A. Khazov, J. Kim, Y. D. Kim, D. Kodroff, E. V. Korolkova, H. Kraus, S. Kravitz, L. Kreczko, V. A. Kudryavtsev, T. A. Kumar, C. Lawes, E. B. Leon, D. S. Leonard, K. T. Lesko. 2026-09-11. The Skin Detector System of the LZ Dark Matter Experiment. https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00010

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