arXiv subjects

E. Vázquez-Jáuregui

Publications and source records attributed to E. Vázquez-Jáuregui.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Measurement of the scintillation time spectra and pulse-shape discrimination of low-energy beta and nuclear recoils in liquid argon with DEAP-1

The DEAP-1 low-background liquid argon detector was used to measure scintillation pulse shapes of electron and nuclear recoil events and to demonstrate the feasibility of pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) down to an electron-equivalent energy of 20 keV. In the surface dataset using a triple-coincidence tag we found the fraction of beta events that are misidentified as nuclear recoils to be $<1.4\times 10^{-7}$ (90% C.L.) for energies between 43-86 keVee and for a nuclear recoil acceptance of at least 90%, with 4% systematic uncertainty on the absolute energy scale. The discrimination measurement on surface was limited by nuclear recoils induced by cosmic-ray generated neutrons. This was improved by moving the detector to the SNOLAB underground laboratory, where the reduced background rate allowed the same measurement with only a double-coincidence tag. The combined data set contains $1.23\times10^8$ events. One of those, in the underground data set, is in the nuclear-recoil region of interest. Taking into account the expected background of 0.48 events coming from random pileup, the resulting upper limit on the electronic recoil contamination is $<2.7\times10^{-8}$ (90% C.L.) between 44-89 keVee and for a nuclear recoil acceptance of at least 90%, with 6% systematic uncertainty on the absolute energy scale. We developed a general mathematical framework to describe PSD parameter distributions and used it to build an analytical model of the distributions observed in DEAP-1. Using this model, we project a misidentification fraction of approx. $10^{-10}$ for an electron-equivalent energy threshold of 15 keV for a detector with 8 PE/keVee light yield. This reduction enables a search for spin-independent scattering of WIMPs from 1000 kg of liquid argon with a WIMP-nucleon cross-section sensitivity of $10^{-46}$ cm$^2$, assuming negligible contribution from nuclear recoil backgrounds.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

Improved dark matter search results from PICO-2L Run 2

New data are reported from a second run of the 2-liter PICO-2L C$_3$F$_8$ bubble chamber with a total exposure of 129$\,$kg-days at a thermodynamic threshold energy of 3.3$\,$keV. These data show that measures taken to control particulate contamination in the superheated fluid resulted in the absence of the anomalous background events observed in the first run of this bubble chamber. One single nuclear-recoil event was observed in the data, consistent both with the predicted background rate from neutrons and with the observed rate of unambiguous multiple-bubble neutron scattering events. The chamber exhibits the same excellent electron-recoil and alpha decay rejection as was previously reported. These data provide the most stringent direct detection constraints on weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP)-proton spin-dependent scattering to date for WIMP masses $<$ 50$\,$GeV/c$^2$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

The transverse momentum dependence of charged kaon Bose-Einstein correlations in the SELEX experiment

We report on the measurement of the one-dimensional charged kaon correlation functions using 600~GeV/{\it c} $Σ^-$, $π^-$ and 540~GeV/{\it c} $p$ beams from the SELEX~(E781) experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron. $K^{\pm}K^{\pm}$ correlation functions are studied for three transverse pair momentum, $k_T$, ranges and parameterized by a Gaussian form. The emission source radii, $R$, and the correlation strength, $λ$, are extracted. The analysis shows a decrease of the source radii with increasing kaon transverse pair momentum for all beam types.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

DEAP-3600 Dark Matter Search

The DEAP-3600 experiment is located 2 km underground at SNOLAB, in Sudbury, Ontario. It is a single-phase detector that searches for dark matter particle interactions within a 1000-kg fiducial mass target of liquid argon. A first generation prototype detector (DEAP-1) with a 7-kg liquid argon target mass demonstrated a high level of pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) for reducing $β$/$γ$ backgrounds and helped to develop low radioactivity techniques to mitigate surface-related $α$ backgrounds. Construction of the DEAP-3600 detector is nearly complete and commissioning is starting in 2014. The target sensitivity to spin-independent scattering of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on nucleons of 10$^{-46}$ cm$^2$ will allow one order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over current searches at 100 GeV WIMP mass. This paper presents an overview and status of the DEAP-3600 project and discusses plans for a future multi-tonne experiment, DEAP-50T.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

Radon backgrounds in the DEAP-1 liquid-argon-based Dark Matter detector

The DEAP-1 \SI{7}{kg} single phase liquid argon scintillation detector was operated underground at SNOLAB in order to test the techniques and measure the backgrounds inherent to single phase detection, in support of the \mbox{DEAP-3600} Dark Matter detector. Backgrounds in DEAP are controlled through material selection, construction techniques, pulse shape discrimination and event reconstruction. This report details the analysis of background events observed in three iterations of the DEAP-1 detector, and the measures taken to reduce them. The $^{222}$Rn decay rate in the liquid argon was measured to be between 16 and \SI{26}{\micro\becquerel\per\kilogram}. We found that the background spectrum near the region of interest for Dark Matter detection in the DEAP-1 detector can be described considering events from three sources: radon daughters decaying on the surface of the active volume, the expected rate of electromagnetic events misidentified as nuclear recoils due to inefficiencies in the pulse shape discrimination, and leakage of events from outside the fiducial volume due to imperfect position reconstruction. These backgrounds statistically account for all observed events, and they will be strongly reduced in the DEAP-3600 detector due to its higher light yield and simpler geometry.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

Direct Measurement of the Bubble Nucleation Energy Threshold in a CF3I Bubble Chamber

We have directly measured the energy threshold and efficiency for bubble nucleation from iodine recoils in a CF3I bubble chamber in the energy range of interest for a dark matter search. These interactions cannot be probed by standard neutron calibration methods, so we develop a new technique by observing the elastic scattering of 12 GeV/c negative pions. The pions are tracked with a silicon pixel telescope and the reconstructed scattering angle provides a measure of the nuclear recoil kinetic energy. The bubble chamber was operated with a nominal threshold of (13.6+-0.6) keV. Interpretation of the results depends on the response to fluorine and carbon recoils, but in general we find agreement with the predictions of the classical bubble nucleation theory. This measurement confirms the applicability of CF3I as a target for spin-independent dark matter interactions and represents a novel technique for calibration of superheated fluid detectors.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2012

First dark matter search results from a 4-kg CF$_3$I bubble chamber operated in a deep underground site

New data are reported from the operation of a 4.0 kg CF$_{3}$I bubble chamber in the 6800-foot-deep SNOLAB underground laboratory. The effectiveness of ultrasound analysis in discriminating alpha-decay background events from single nuclear recoils has been confirmed, with a lower bound of $>$99.3% rejection of alpha-decay events. Twenty single nuclear recoil event candidates and three multiple bubble events were observed during a total exposure of 553 kg-days distributed over three different bubble nucleation thresholds. The effective exposure for single bubble recoil-like events was 437.4 kg-days. A neutron background internal to the apparatus, of known origin, is estimated to account for five single nuclear recoil events and is consistent with the observed rate of multiple bubble events. This observation provides world best direct detection constraints on WIMP-proton spin-dependent scattering for WIMP masses $>$20 GeV/c$^{2}$ and demonstrates significant sensitivity for spin-independent interactions.

astro-ph.CO↗