arXiv subjects

Guofang Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Guofang Shen.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

A Search for the Cosmic Ray Boosted Sub-GeV Dark Matter at the PandaX-II Experiment

We report a novel search for the cosmic ray boosted dark matter using the 100~tonne$\cdot$day full data set of the PandaX-II detector located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. With the extra energy gained from the cosmic rays, sub-GeV dark matter particles can produce visible recoil signals in the detector. The diurnal modulations in rate and energy spectrum are utilized to further enhance the signal sensitivity. Our result excludes the dark matter-nucleon elastic scattering cross section between 10$^{-31}$cm$^{2}$ and 10$^{-28}$cm$^{2}$ for a dark matter masses from 0.1 MeV/$c^2$ to 0.1 GeV/$c^2$, with a large parameter space previously unexplored by experimental collaborations.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Nuclear mass table in deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum: I. even-even nuclei

Ground-state properties of even-even nuclei with $8\le Z\le120$ from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line have been investigated using the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc) with the density functional PC-PK1. With the effects of deformation and continuum included simultaneously, 2583 even-even nuclei are predicted to be bound. The calculated binding energies, two-nucleon separation energies, root-mean-square (rms) radii of neutron, proton, matter, and charge distributions, quadrupole deformations, and neutron and proton Fermi surfaces are tabulated and compared with available experimental data. The rms deviation from the 637 mass data is 1.518 MeV, providing one of the best microscopic descriptions for nuclear masses. The drip lines obtained from DRHBc calculations are compared with other calculations, including the spherical relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) and triaxial relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (TRHB) calculations with PC-PK1. The deformation and continuum effects on the limits of the nuclear landscape are discussed. Possible peninsulas consisting of bound nuclei beyond the two-neutron drip line are predicted. The systematics of the two-nucleon separation energies, two-nucleon gaps, rms radii, quadrupole deformations, potential energy curves, neutron densities, neutron mean-field potentials, and pairing energies in the DRHBc calculations are also discussed. In addition, the $α$ decay energies extracted are in good agreement with available data.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2021

Dark Matter Search Results from the PandaX-4T Commissioning Run

We report the first dark matter search results using the commissioning data from PandaX-4T. Using a time projection chamber with 3.7-tonne of liquid xenon target and an exposure of 0.63 tonne$\cdot$year, 1058 candidate events are identified within an approximate nuclear recoil energy window between 5 and 100 keV. No significant excess over background is observed. Our data set a stringent limit to the dark matter-nucleon spin-independent interactions, with a lowest excluded cross section (90% C.L.) of $3.8\times10^{-47} $cm$^2$ at a dark matter mass of 30 GeV/$c^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2021

Light yield and field dependence measurement in PandaX-II dual-phase xenon detector

The dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) is one of the most sensitive detector technology for dark matter direct search, where the energy deposition of incoming particle can be converted into photons and electrons through xenon excitation and ionization. The detector response to signal energy deposition varies significantly with the electric field in liquid xenon. We study the detector's light yield and its dependence on the electric field in the PandaX-II dual-phase detector containing 580~kg liquid xenon in the sensitive volume. From our measurements, the light yield at electric fields from 0~V/cm to 317~V/cm is obtained for energy depositions up to 236~keV.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

A search for solar axions and anomalous neutrino magnetic moment with the complete PandaX-II data

We report a search for new physics signals using the low energy electron recoil events in the complete data set from PandaX-II, in light of the recent event excess reported by XENON1T. The data correspond to a total exposure of 100.7 ton-day with liquid xenon. With robust estimates of the dominant background spectra, we perform sensitive searches on solar axions and neutrinos with enhanced magnetic moment. We find that the axion-electron coupling $g_{Ae}<4.6\times 10^{-12}$ for an axion mass less than $\rm 0.1~keV/c^2$ and the neutrino magnetic moment $μ_ν<4.9\times 10^{-11}μ_{B}$ at 90% confidence level. The observed excess from XENON1T is within our experimental constraints.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2021

Constraining self-interacting dark matter with the full dataset of PandaX-II

Self-interacting Dark Matter (SIDM) is a leading candidate proposed to solve discrepancies between predictions of the prevailing cold dark matter theory and observations of galaxies. Many SIDM models predict the existence of a light force carrier that mediate strong dark matter self-interactions. If the mediator couples to the standard model particles, it could produce characteristic signals in dark matter direct detection experiments. We report searches for SIDM models with a light mediator using the full dataset of the PandaX-II experiment, based on a total exposure of 132 tonne-days. No significant excess over background is found, and our likelihood analysis leads to a strong upper limit on the dark matter-nucleon coupling strength. We further combine the PandaX-II constraints and those from observations of the light element abundances in the early universe, and show that direct detection and cosmological probes can provide complementary constraints on dark matter models with a light mediator.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2021

Horizontal Position Reconstruction in PandaX-II

Dual-phase noble-gas time projection chambers (TPCs) have improved the sensitivities for dark matter direct search in past decades. The capability of TPCs to reconstruct 3-D vertexes of keV scale recoilings is one of the most advantageous features. In this work, we develop two horizontal position reconstruction algorithms for the PandaX-II dark matter search experiment using the dual-phase liquid xenon TPC. Both algorithms are optimized by the $^{83m}$Kr calibration events and use photon distribution of ionization signals among photomultiplier tubes to infer the positions. According to the events coming from the gate electrode, the uncertainties in the horizontal positions are 3.4 mm (3.9 mm) in the analytical (simulation-based) algorithm for an ionization signal with several thousand photon electrons in the center of the TPC

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Search for Light Dark Matter-Electron Scatterings in the PandaX-II Experiment

We report constraints on light dark matter through its interactions with shell electrons in the PandaX-II liquid xenon detector with a total 46.9 tonne$\cdot$day exposure. To effectively search for these very low energy electron recoils, ionization-only signals are selected from the data. 1821 candidates are identified within ionization signal range between 50 to 75 photoelectrons, corresponding to a mean electronic recoil energy from 0.08 to 0.15 keV. The 90% C.L. exclusion limit on the scattering cross section between the dark matter and electron is calculated based on Poisson statistics. Under the assumption of point interaction, we provide the world's most stringent limit within the dark matter mass range from 15 to 30 $\rm MeV/c^2$, with the corresponding cross section from $2.5\times10^{-37}$ to $3.1\times10^{-38}$ cm$^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2021

Determination of responses of liquid xenon to low energy electron and nuclear recoils using the PandaX-II detector

We report a systematic determination of the responses of PandaX-II, a dual phase xenon time projection chamber detector, to low energy recoils. The electron recoil (ER) and nuclear recoil (NR) responses are calibrated, respectively, with injected tritiated methane or $^{220}$Rn source, and with $^{241}$Am-Be neutron source, within an energy range from $1-25$ keV (ER) and $4-80$ keV (NR), under the two drift fields of 400 and 317 V/cm. An empirical model is used to fit the light yield and charge yield for both types of recoils. The best fit models can well describe the calibration data. The systematic uncertainties of the fitted models are obtained via statistical comparison against the data.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Internal Calibration of the PandaX-II Detector with Radon Gaseous Sources

We have developed a low-energy electron recoil (ER) calibration method with $^{220}$Rn for the PandaX-II detector. $^{220}$Rn, emanated from natural thorium compounds, was fed into the detector through the xenon purification system. From 2017 to 2019, we performed three dedicated calibration campaigns with different radon sources. We studied the detector response to $α$, $β$, and $γ$ particles with focus on low energy ER events. During the runs in 2017 and 2018, the amount of radioactivity of $^{222}$Rn were on the order of 1\% of that of $^{220}$Rn and thorium particulate contamination was negligible, especially in 2018. We also measured the background contribution from $^{214}$Pb for the first time in PandaX-II with the help from a $^{222}$Rn injection. Calibration strategy with $^{220}$Rn and $^{222}$Rn will be implemented in the upcoming PandaX-4T experiment and can be useful for other xenon-based detectors as well.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Results of Dark Matter Search using the Full PandaX-II Exposure

We report the dark matter search results obtained using the full 132 ton$\cdot$day exposure of the PandaX-II experiment, including all data from March 2016 to August 2018. No significant excess of events is identified above the expected background. Upper limits are set on the spin-independent dark matter-nucleon interactions. The lowest 90% confidence level exclusion on the spin-independent cross section is $2.2\times 10^{-46}$ cm$^2$ at a WIMP mass of 30 GeV/$c^2$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum with point coupling functional: examples of even-even Nd isotopes

The aim of this work is to develop the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc) theory based on the point-coupling density functionals and extend it to provide a unified description for all even-even nuclei in the nuclear chart by overcoming all possible challenges. The nuclear superfluidity is considered via Bogoliubov transformation. Densities and potentials are expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials to include the axial deformation degrees of freedom. Sophisticated relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov equations in coordinate space are solved in the DiracWoods-Saxon basis to consider the continuum effects. Numerical checks are performed from light nuclei to heavy nuclei. The techniques to construct the DRHBc mass table for even-even nuclei are explored. The DRHBc theory is extended to study heavier nuclei beyond magnesium isotopes. Taking Nd isotopes as examples, the experimental binding energies, two-neutron separation energies, quadrupole deformations, and charge radii are reproduced rather well. The deformation and continuum play essential roles in the description of nuclear masses and prediction of drip-line nuclei. By examining the single-particle levels in the canonical basis and their contributions to the total density, the thickness of the neutron skin, the particles number in continuum, and the Coulomb barrier, the exotic structures including the neutron skin and the proton radioactivity are predicted.

nucl-th↗