arXiv subjects

B. Cleveland

Publications and source records attributed to B. Cleveland.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The nEXO Radioassay Program

Material radioactivity compilations, such as the one presented here, are important enablers of science. They are useful for the selection of radiopure materials used in the design and construction of low-energy rare-event search experiments. They allow researchers developing such experiments to save time on material studies and avoid costly duplication of effort. The data presented here were generated in support of the planned nEXO double-beta decay search. This work contains among the most restrictive constraints on the natural radioactivity content of materials of general interest to the low-radioactivity community, found in any tabulation of this kind. In this study, various techniques were employed; they are described here.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Search for Double Beta Decays of $^{134}$Xe with EXO-200 Phase II

EXO-200 was a leading double beta decay experiment consisting of a single-phase, enriched liquid xenon time projection chamber filled with an admixture of 80.672% $^{136}$Xe and 19.098% $^{134}$Xe. The detector operated at WIPP between 2010 and 2018 and was designed to search for double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe. Data was acquired in two phases separated by a period of detector upgrades. We report on the search for $0\nu\beta\beta$ and $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay of $^{134}$Xe with Phase II EXO-200 data, with median 90% C.L. exclusion sensitivity $T_{1/2}^{0\nu} \geq 3.7\times 10^{23}$ yr and $T_{1/2}^{2\nu} \geq 2.6 \times 10^{21}$ yr, respectively. No statistically significant signal is observed for either decay mode. We set a world-leading lower limit on the half-life of the neutrinoless decay mode of $^{134}$Xe of $T_{1/2}^{0\nu} \geq 8.7\times10^{23}$ (90% C.L.) and the second strongest constraint on the two-neutrino decay of $T_{1/2}^{2\nu} \geq 2.9\times10^{21}$ (90% C.L.), a 3-fold improvement over the EXO-200 Phase I measurement. New constraints are also set for the $2\nu\beta\beta$ and $0\nu\beta\beta$ decays of $^{134}$Xe to the lowest excited state of $^{134}$Ba.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Sensitivity to low-mass WIMPs with an improved liquid argon ionization response model within the DarkSide programme

Dark matter detection experiments using liquid argon rely on a precise characterization of the ionization response to nuclear recoils, especially in the keV energy range relevant for light dark matter interactions. In this work, we present a comprehensive analysis that combines new measurements from the ReD setup, part of the DarkSide experimental program, with calibration data from DarkSide-50, as well as results from the ARIS and SCENE experiments. These combined datasets enable improved constraints on atomic screening effects in the modeling of the ionization response of liquid argon to nuclear recoils. The analysis is performed within the Thomas-Imel recombination framework adopted in previous DarkSide studies, and is here further constrained by the inclusion of ReD data, which allow the screening function to be determined from calibration measurements. By including the updated ionization model into the DarkSide-50 analysis framework, we obtain stronger exclusion limits on low-mass WIMP interactions, setting new world-leading constraints in the 1-3 GeV/c^2 WIMP mass range. Finally, we recast the sensitivity projections for the upcoming DarkSide-20k detector, demonstrating a significantly enhanced discovery potential for low-mass dark matter candidates.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Measurement of reactor antineutrino oscillations with 1.46 ktonne-years of data at SNO+

The SNO+ Collaboration reports new results on reactor antineutrino oscillations using data acquired from May 2022 through July 2025. The spectral analysis of a flux dominated by nuclear reactors at 240, 350, and 355 kilometers yields the mass-squared difference $\Delta m^2_{21}=(7.93^{+0.21}_{-0.24})\times 10^{-5}$ eV$^2$. This result is compatible with and approaches the precision of the only other long-baseline reactor antineutrino measurement, by KamLAND. Combining these measurements, along with those from solar neutrino experiments, the global values of the neutrino mixing parameters become: $\Delta m^2_{21}$ = $(7.63\pm0.17)\times 10^{-5}$ eV$^2$ and $\sin^2{\theta_{12}}=0.310\pm0.012$. The analysis of geoneutrinos at SNO+ is also improved, with a measured signal of 49$^{+13}_{-12}$ TNU.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Cosmogenic Neutron Production in Water at SNO+

Accurate measurement of the cosmogenic muon-induced neutron yield is crucial for constraining a significant background in a wide range of low-energy physics searches. Although previous underground experiments have measured this yield across various cosmogenic muon energies, SNO+ is uniquely positioned due to its exposure to one of the highest average cosmogenic muon energies at $364\,\text{GeV}$. Using ultra-pure water, we have determined a neutron yield of $Y_{n}=(3.38^{+0.23}_{-0.30})\times10^{-4}\,\text{cm}^{2}\text{g}^{-1}\mu^{-1}$ at SNO+. Comparison with simulations demonstrates clear agreement with the FLUKA neutron production model, highlighting discrepancies with the widely used GEANT4 model. Furthermore, this measurement reveals a lower cosmogenic neutron yield than that observed by the SNO experiment, which used heavy water under identical muon flux conditions. This result provides new evidence that nuclear structure and target material composition significantly influence neutron production by cosmogenic muons, offering fresh insight with important implications for the design and background modelling of future underground experiments.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

First Evidence of Solar Neutrino Interactions on $^{13}$C

The SNO+ Collaboration reports the first evidence of $^{8}\text{B}$ solar neutrinos interacting on $^{13}\text{C}$ nuclei. The charged current interaction proceeds through $^{13}\text{C} + \nu_e \rightarrow {}^{13}\text{N} + e^-$ which is followed, with a 10 minute half-life, by ${}^{13}\text{N} \rightarrow {}^{13}\text{C} + e^+ +\nu_e .$ The detection strategy is based on the delayed coincidence between the electron and the positron. Evidence for the charged current signal is presented with a significance of 4.2$\sigma$. Using the natural abundance of $^{13}\text{C}$ present in the scintillator, 5.7 tonnes of $^{13}\text{C}$ over 231 days of data were used in this analysis. The 5.6$^{+3.0}_{-2.3}$ observed events in the data set are consistent with the expectation of 4.7$^{+0.6}_{-1.3}$ events. This result is the second real-time measurement of CC interactions of $^{8}\text{B}$ neutrinos with nuclei and constitutes the lowest energy observation of neutrino interactions on $^{13}\text{C}$ generally. This enables the first direct measurement of the CC $\nu_e$ reaction to the ground state of ${}^{13}\text{N}$, yielding an average cross section of $(16.1 ^{+8.5}_{-6.7} (\text{stat.}) ^{+1.6}_{-2.7} (\text{syst.}) )\times 10^{-43}$ cm$^{2}$ over the relevant $^{8}\text{B}$ solar neutrino energies.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Production, Quality Assurance and Quality Control of the SiPM Tiles for the DarkSide-20k Time Projection Chamber

The DarkSide-20k dark matter direct detection experiment will employ a 21 m^2 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array, instrumenting a dual-phase 50 tonnes liquid argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC). SiPMs are arranged into modular photosensors called Tiles, each integrating 24 SiPMs onto a printed circuit board (PCB) that provides signal amplification, power distribution, and a single-ended output for simplified readout. 16 Tiles are further grouped into Photo-Detector Units (PDUs). This paper details the production of the Tiles and the quality assurance and quality control (QA-QC) protocol established to ensure their performance and uniformity. The production and QA-QC of the Tiles are carried out at Nuova Officina Assergi (NOA), an ISO-6 clean room facility at LNGS. This process includes wafer-level cryogenic characterisation, precision flip-chip bonding, wire bonding, and extensive electrical and optical validation of each Tile. The overall production yield exceeds 83.5%, matching the requirements of the DarkSide-20k production plan. These results validate the robustness of the Tile design and its suitability for operation in a cryogenic environment.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Measurement of reactor antineutrino oscillation at SNO+

The SNO+ collaboration reports its second spectral analysis of reactor antineutrino oscillation using 286 tonne-years of new data. The measured energies of reactor antineutrino candidates were fitted to obtain the second-most precise determination of the neutrino mass-squared difference $\Delta m^2_{21}$ = ($7.96^{+0.48}_{-0.42}$) $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ eV$^2$. Constraining $\Delta m^2_{21}$ and $\sin^2\theta_{12}$ with measurements from long-baseline reactor antineutrino and solar neutrino experiments yields $\Delta m^2_{21}$ = ($7.58^{+0.18}_{-0.17}$) $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ eV$^2$ and $\sin^2\theta_{12} = 0.308 \pm 0.013$. This fit also yields a first measurement of the flux of geoneutrinos in the Western Hemisphere, with $73^{+47}_{-43}$ TNU at SNO+.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Flow and thermal modelling of the argon volume in the DarkSide-20k TPC

The DarkSide-20k dark matter experiment, currently under construction at LNGS, features a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) with a ~50 t argon target from an underground well. At this scale, it is crucial to optimise the argon flow pattern for efficient target purification and for fast distribution of internal gaseous calibration sources with lifetimes of the order of hours. To this end, we have performed computational fluid dynamics simulations and heat transfer calculations. The residence time distribution shows that the detector is well-mixed on time-scales of the turnover time (~40 d). Notably, simulations show that despite a two-order-of-magnitude difference between the turnover time and the half-life of $^{83\text{m}}$Kr of 1.83 h, source atoms have the highest probability to reach the centre of the TPC 13 min after their injection, allowing for a homogeneous distribution before undergoing radioactive decay. We further analyse the thermal aspects of dual-phase operation and define the requirements for the formation of a stable gas pocket on top of the liquid. We find a best-estimate value for the heat transfer rate at the liquid-gas interface of 62 W with an upper limit of 144 W and a minimum gas pocket inlet temperature of 89 K to avoid condensation on the acrylic anode. This study also informs the placement of liquid inlets and outlets in the TPC. The presented techniques are widely applicable to other large-scale, noble-liquid detectors.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Quality Assurance and Quality Control of the $26~\text{m}^2$ SiPM production for the DarkSide-20k dark matter experiment

DarkSide-20k is a novel liquid argon dark matter detector currently under construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) that will push the sensitivity for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) detection into the neutrino fog. The core of the apparatus is a dual-phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC), filled with \SI{50} {tonnes} of low radioactivity underground argon (UAr) acting as the WIMP target. NUV-HD-cryo Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM)s designed by Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) (Trento, Italy) were selected as the photon sensors covering two $10.5~\text{m}^2$ Optical Planes, one at each end of the TPC, and a total of $5~\text{m}^2$ photosensitive surface for the liquid argon veto detectors. This paper describes the Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) plan and procedures accompanying the production of FBK~NUV-HD-cryo SiPM wafers manufactured by LFoundry s.r.l. (Avezzano, AQ, Italy). SiPM characteristics are measured at 77~K at the wafer level with a custom-designed probe station. As of March~2025, 1314 of the 1400 production wafers (94% of the total) for DarkSide-20k were tested. The wafer yield is $93.2\pm2.5$\%, which exceeds the 80\% specification defined in the original DarkSide-20k production plan.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Benchmarking the design of the cryogenics system for the underground argon in DarkSide-20k

DarkSide-20k (DS-20k) is a dark matter detection experiment under construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy. It utilises ~100 t of low radioactivity argon from an underground source (UAr) in its inner detector, with half serving as target in a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The UAr cryogenics system must maintain stable thermodynamic conditions throughout the experiment's lifetime of over 10 years. Continuous removal of impurities and radon from the UAr is essential for maximising signal yield and mitigating background. We are developing an efficient and powerful cryogenics system with a gas purification loop with a target circulation rate of 1000 slpm. Central to its design is a condenser operated with liquid nitrogen which is paired with a gas heat exchanger cascade, delivering a combined cooling power of more than 8 kW. Here we present the design choices in view of the DS-20k requirements, in particular the condenser's working principle and the cooling control, and we show test results obtained with a dedicated benchmarking platform at CERN and LNGS. We find that the thermal efficiency of the recirculation loop, defined in terms of nitrogen consumption per argon flow rate, is 95 % and the pressure in the test cryostat can be maintained within $\pm$(0.1-0.2) mbar. We further detail a 5-day cool-down procedure of the test cryostat, maintaining a cooling rate typically within -2 K/h, as required for the DS-20k inner detector. Additionally, we assess the circuit's flow resistance, and the heat transfer capabilities of two heat exchanger geometries for argon phase change, used to provide gas for recirculation. We conclude by discussing how our findings influence the finalisation of the system design, including necessary modifications to meet requirements and ongoing testing activities.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

Measurement of the $^8$B Solar Neutrino Flux Using the Full SNO+ Water Phase Dataset

The SNO+ detector operated initially as a water Cherenkov detector. The implementation of a sealed covergas system midway through water data taking resulted in a significant reduction in the activity of $^{222}$Rn daughters in the detector and allowed the lowest background to the solar electron scattering signal above 5 MeV achieved to date. This paper reports an updated SNO+ water phase $^8$B solar neutrino analysis with a total livetime of 282.4 days and an analysis threshold of 3.5 MeV. The $^8$B solar neutrino flux is found to be $\left(2.32^{+0.18}_{-0.17}\text{(stat.)}^{+0.07}_{-0.05}\text{(syst.)}\right)\times10^{6}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ assuming no neutrino oscillations, or $\left(5.36^{+0.41}_{-0.39}\text{(stat.)}^{+0.17}_{-0.16}\text{(syst.)} \right)\times10^{6}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ assuming standard neutrino oscillation parameters, in good agreement with both previous measurements and Standard Solar Model Calculations. The electron recoil spectrum is presented above 3.5 MeV.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

DarkSide-20k sensitivity to light dark matter particles

The dual-phase liquid argon time projection chamber is presently one of the leading technologies to search for dark matter particles with masses below 10 GeV/c$^2$. This was demonstrated by the DarkSide-50 experiment with approximately 50 kg of low-radioactivity liquid argon as target material. The next generation experiment DarkSide-20k, currently under construction, will use 1,000 times more argon and is expected to start operation in 2027. Based on the DarkSide-50 experience, here we assess the DarkSide-20k sensitivity to models predicting light dark matter particles, including Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and sub-GeV/c$^2$ particles interacting with electrons in argon atoms. With one year of data, a sensitivity improvement to dark matter interaction cross-sections by at least one order of magnitude with respect to DarkSide-50 is expected for all these models. A sensitivity to WIMP--nucleon interaction cross-sections below $1\times10^{-42}$ cm$^2$ is achievable for WIMP masses above 800 MeV/c$^2$. With 10 years exposure, the neutrino fog can be reached for WIMP masses around 5 GeV/c$^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Initial measurement of reactor antineutrino oscillation at SNO+

The SNO+ collaboration reports its first spectral analysis of long-baseline reactor antineutrino oscillation using 114 tonne-years of data. Fitting the neutrino oscillation probability to the observed energy spectrum yields constraints on the neutrino mass-squared difference $\Delta m^2_{21}$. In the ranges allowed by previous measurements, the best-fit $\Delta m^2_{21}$ is (8.85$^{+1.10}_{-1.33}$) $\times$ 10$^{-5}$ eV$^2$. This measurement is continuing in the next phases of SNO+ and is expected to surpass the present global precision on $\Delta m^2_{21}$ with about three years of data.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

A new hybrid gadolinium nanoparticles-loaded polymeric material for neutron detection in rare event searches

Experiments aimed at direct searches for WIMP dark matter require highly effective reduction of backgrounds and control of any residual radioactive contamination. In particular, neutrons interacting with atomic nuclei represent an important class of backgrounds due to the expected similarity of a WIMP-nucleon interaction, so that such experiments often feature a dedicated neutron detector surrounding the active target volume. In the context of the development of DarkSide-20k detector at INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), several R&D projects were conceived and developed for the creation of a new hybrid material rich in both hydrogen and gadolinium nuclei to be employed as an essential element of the neutron detector. Thanks to its very high cross-section for neutron capture, gadolinium is one of the most widely used elements in neutron detectors, while the hydrogen-rich material is instrumental in efficiently moderating the neutrons. In this paper results from one of the R&Ds are presented. In this effort the new hybrid material was obtained as a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix, loaded with gadolinium oxide in the form of nanoparticles. We describe its realization, including all phases of design, purification, construction, characterization, and determination of mechanical properties of the new material.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Event-by-Event Direction Reconstruction of Solar Neutrinos in a High Light-Yield Liquid Scintillator

The direction of individual $^8$B solar neutrinos has been reconstructed using the SNO+ liquid scintillator detector. Prompt, directional Cherenkov light was separated from the slower, isotropic scintillation light using time information, and a maximum likelihood method was used to reconstruct the direction of individual scattered electrons. A clear directional signal was observed, correlated with the solar angle. The observation was aided by a period of low primary fluor concentration that resulted in a slower scintillator decay time. This is the first time that event-by-event direction reconstruction in high light-yield liquid scintillator has been demonstrated in a large-scale detector.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

Directionality of nuclear recoils in a liquid argon time projection chamber

The direct search for dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP) is performed by detecting nuclear recoils (NR) produced in a target material from the WIMP elastic scattering. A promising experimental strategy for direct dark matter search employs argon dual-phase time projection chambers (TPC). One of the advantages of the TPC is the capability to detect both the scintillation and charge signals produced by NRs. Furthermore, the existence of a drift electric field in the TPC breaks the rotational symmetry: the angle between the drift field and the momentum of the recoiling nucleus can potentially affect the charge recombination probability in liquid argon and then the relative balance between the two signal channels. This fact could make the detector sensitive to the directionality of the WIMP-induced signal, enabling unmistakable annual and daily modulation signatures for future searches aiming for discovery. The Recoil Directionality (ReD) experiment was designed to probe for such directional sensitivity. The TPC of ReD was irradiated with neutrons at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, and data were taken with 72 keV NRs of known recoil directions. The direction-dependent liquid argon charge recombination model by Cataudella et al. was adopted and a likelihood statistical analysis was performed, which gave no indications of significant dependence of the detector response to the recoil direction. The aspect ratio R of the initial ionization cloud is estimated to be 1.037 +/- 0.027 and the upper limit is R < 1.072 with 90% confidence level

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

An integrated online radioassay data storage and analytics tool for nEXO

Large-scale low-background detectors are increasingly used in rare-event searches as experimental collaborations push for enhanced sensitivity. However, building such detectors, in practice, creates an abundance of radioassay data especially during the conceptual phase of an experiment when hundreds of materials are screened for radiopurity. A tool is needed to manage and make use of the radioassay screening data to quantitatively assess detector design options. We have developed a Materials Database Application for the nEXO experiment to serve this purpose. This paper describes this database, explains how it functions, and discusses how it streamlines the design of the experiment.

physics.ins-det↗