arXiv subjects

Jianglai Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Jianglai Liu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Precise Measurement of $^{216}$Po Half-life with Exact Parent-daughter Pairing in PandaX-4T

We report a precise measurement of $^{216}\rm Po$ half-life using the PandaX-4T liquid xenon time projection chamber (TPC). $^{220}\rm Rn $, emanating from a $^{228}\rm Th $ calibration source, is injected to the detector and undergoes successive $α$ decays, first to $^{216}\rm Po$ and then to $^{212}\rm Pb$. PandaX-4T detector measures the 5-dimensional (5D) information of each decay, including time, energy, and 3-dimensional positions. Therefore, we can identify the $^{220}\rm Rn $ and $^{216}\rm Po$ decay events and pair them exactly to extract the lifetime of each $^{216}\rm Po$. With a large data set and high-precision $^{220}\rm $Rn-$^{216}\rm $Po pairing technique, we measure the $^{216}\rm Po$ half-life to be $143.7\pm0.5$ ms, which is the most precise result to date and agrees with previously published values. The leading precision of this measurement demonstrates the power of 5D calorimeter and the potential of exact parent-daughter pairing in the xenon TPC.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Thermal Management Design and Key Technology Validation for PandaX Underground Experiment

The scale of liquid xenon experiments for rare events searching is expanding, which is planned even to fifty tons level. The detector and distillation tower require a reliable cooling source with large cooling power at liquid xenon temperature range. Pulse tube refrigerators and GM refrigerators, which were widely used in previous detectors, have the disadvantages of small cooling power, large space occupation, and non-standby mutuality, which become bottlenecks of the experiment scale expansion. In this study, an auto-cascade refrigerator with ethanol coolant is developed, and the heat transfer effect is improved by adopting the concentric shaft heat exchanger and after-pumping heat transfer scheme. The 2.5 kW stable cooling power is obtained at 155 K. Further, the feasibility and key technology of the centralized cooling system of 5 kw at 160 K is discussed. The study can simplify liquid xenon experimental auxiliary devices, which will be helpful for the PandaX-xT experiment scheme and its laboratory infrastructure design.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Characterization of Hamamatsu R11410-23 Photomultiplier Tubes and Performance in the PandaX-4T Detector

The PandaX-4T liquid xenon detector uses Hamamatsu 3-inch R11410-23 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as the light sensors for ultra-low radioactivity, high quantum efficiency, and long-term stability at cryogenic temperature. Each PMT was thoroughly tested in a dedicated chamber before being installed in the detector to ensure compliance with experimental requirements. Main PMT characteristics, including gain, dark count rate, and after-pulse probability, were measured and the distributions of these parameters were presented. Additionally, all PMTs were tested in a cryogenic environment to simulate their operating conditions in an actual detector environment. Finally, we report the long-term of all PMTs during the commissioning run of the PandaX-4T experiment, and most of the PMTs worded well.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Measurement of two-neutrino double electron capture half-life of $^{124}$Xe with PandaX-4T

Detailed studies of two-neutrino double electron capture (2$ν$DEC) is a crucial step towards searching for the neutrino-less mode to explore the Majorana nature of neutrinos. We have measured precisely the half-life of the 2$ν$DEC process in $^{124}$Xe, utilizing a total exposure of 1.73 tonne$\cdot$year from the commissioning run and the first science run of the PandaX-4T experiment. A time-dependent background model in the $\mathcal{O}$(10 keV) energy is constructed for the first time in PandaX-4T data. With an unbinned maximum likelihood fit, we determine the half-life of the 2$ν$DEC process to be $(1.03\pm0.15_{\rm stat}\pm0.08_{\rm sys})\times 10^{22}$$\,$yr. Furthermore, we have evaluated the branching ratio for both electrons captured from the $K$ shell ($KK$) to be $(65\pm5)\%$, which aligns with the $^{124}$Xe nuclear model calculations within 1.8$\,$$σ$.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Search for Solar Boosted Dark Matter Particles at the PandaX-4T Experiment

We present a novel constraint on light dark matter utilizing $1.54$ tonne$\cdot$year of data acquired from the PandaX-4T dual-phase xenon time projection chamber. This constraint is derived through detecting electronic recoil signals resulting from the interaction with solar-enhanced dark matter flux. Low-mass dark matter particles, lighter than a few MeV/$c^2$, can scatter with the thermal electrons in the Sun. Consequently, with higher kinetic energy, the boosted dark matter component becomes detectable via contact scattering with xenon electrons, resulting in a few keV energy deposition that exceeds the threshold of PandaX-4T. We calculate the expected recoil energy in PandaX-4T considering the Sun's acceleration and the detection capabilities of the xenon detector. The first experimental search results using the xenon detector yield the most stringent cross-section of $3.51 \times 10^{-39}~\mathrm{cm}^2$ at $0.08~\mathrm{MeV}$/$c^2$ for a solar boosted dark matter mass ranging from $0.02$ to $10~ \mathrm{MeV}$/$c^2$, achieving a 23 fold improvement compared with earlier experimental studies.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Search for Double Beta Decay of $^{136}$Xe to the $0^+_1$ Excited State of $^{136}$Ba with PandaX-4T

We perform a search of double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe to the excited state, $0^+_1$, of $^{136}$Ba (2$νββ$-0$_1^+$), using the dual-phase xenon detector of PandaX-4T with the first 94.9-day commissioning data. The multi-site events are reconstructed up to the MeV energy scale, which helps to improve the background model significantly. The background contribution from the stainless steel platform outside PandaX-4T cryostat is evaluated for the first time. No significant evidence for 2$νββ$-$0_1^+$ is observed, resulting in a lower limit on half-life of $7.5 \times 10^{22}$ yr at the 90% confidence level. This is the first experimental limit on such a rare decay in a natural xenon-based detector.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Search for MeV-Scale Axionlike Particles and Dark Photons with PandaX-4T

Axionlike particles (ALPs) and dark photons (DPs) are viable dark matter particle candidates. We have searched for possible ALP/DP signals in the PandaX-4T liquid xenon detector using 440 kg$\cdot$yr of data. A binned likelihood fit is constructed to search for possible mono-energetic peaks induced by the absorption processes between ALPs/DPs and atomic electrons of xenon. A detailed temporal model of decays associated with xenon isotopes is introduced to constrain the number of background events. No signal excess over background expectations is observed, and we have established the most stringent exclusion limits for most ALP/DP masses across the range of 150 keV/$c^2$ to 1 MeV/$c^2$. The improvement is particularly significant within the mass range of \text{150-400}~keV/$c^2$, with the average factor of 3.5 compared to previous results.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Development of High-Sensitivity Radon Emanation Measurement Systems with Surface Treatment Optimization

Radon and its progenies are significant sources of background in rare event detection experiments, including dark matter searches like the PandaX-4T experiment and other rare decay studies such as neutrinoless double beta decay (NLDBD). In order to measure and control radon emanation for these experiments, we have developed two specialized radon measurement systems: a radon emanation measurement system suitable for small-sized samples with a blank rate of $0.03 \pm 0.01$ mBq in the 12.3 L counting chamber, and a radon trap system designed for large-volume samples using low-temperature radon trapping techniques, which improves the sensitivity by a factor of 30 with 1 standard liter per minute (slpm) gas flow and 6 hours trapping time. To boost the detection sensitivity, various surface treatments of the chambers were investigated, including mechanical polishing, electrochemical polishing, and mirror polishing, which reveals that smoother surfaces lead to lower radon emanation rates. In addition, treatments such as applying epoxy coating and covering with aluminized Mylar to stainless steel chambers can also reduce the radon emanation by ($90 \pm 7)\%$ and ($60 \pm 12)\%$, respectively.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Position reconstruction and surface background model for the PandaX-4T detector

We report the position reconstruction methods and surface background model for the PandaX-4T dark matter direct search experiment. This work develops two position reconstruction algorithms: template matching (TM) method and photon acceptance function (PAF) method. Both methods determine the horizontal position of events based on the light pattern of secondary scintillation collected by the light sensors. After a comprehensive evaluation of resolution, uniformity, and robustness, the PAF method was selected for position reconstruction, while the TM method was employed for verification. The PAF method achieves a bulk event resolution of 1.0 mm and a surface event resolution of 4.4 mm for a typical $S2$ signal with a bottom charge of 1500 PE (about 14 keV). The uniformity is around 20\%. Robustness studies reveal average deviations of 5.1 mm and 8.8 mm for the commissioning run (Run0) and the first science run (Run1), respectively, due to the deactivation of certain PMTs. A data-driven surface background model is developed based on the PAF method. The surface background is estimated to be $0.09 \pm 0.06$ events for Run0 (0.54 tonne$\cdot$year) and $0.17 \pm 0.11$ events for Run1 (1.00 tonne$\cdot$year).

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

A Novel Low-Background Photomultiplier Tube Developed for Xenon Based Detectors

Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are essential in xenon detectors like PandaX, LZ, and XENON experiments for dark matter searches and neutrino properties measurement. To minimize PMT-induced backgrounds, stringent requirements on PMT radioactivity are crucial. A novel 2-inch low-background R12699 PMT has been developed through a collaboration between the PandaX team and Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. corporation. Radioactivity measurements conducted with a high-purity germanium detector show levels of approximately 0.08 mBq/PMT for $\rm^{60}Co$ and 0.06~mBq/PMT for the $\rm^{238}U$ late chain, achieving a 15-fold reduction compared to R11410 PMT used in PandaX-4T. The radon emanation rate is below 3.2 $\rm μ$Bq/PMT (@90\% confidence level), while the surface $\rm^{210}Po$ activity is less than 18.4 $μ$Bq/cm$^2$. The electrical performance of these PMTs at cryogenic temperature was evaluated. With an optimized readout base, the gain was enhanced by 30\%, achieving an average gain of $4.23 \times 10^6$ at -1000~V and -100~$^{\circ}$C. The dark count rate averaged 2.5~Hz per channel. Compactness, low radioactivity, and robust electrical performance in the cryogenic temperature make the R12699 PMT ideal for next-generation liquid xenon detectors and other rare event searches.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Dark Matter Search Results from 1.54 Tonne$\cdot$Year Exposure of PandaX-4T

In this letter, we report the dark matter search results from the commissioning run and the first science run of the PandaX-4T experiment. A blind analysis is carried out on the entire data set. The data processing is improved compared to previous work, unifying the low-level signal reconstruction in a wide energy range up to 120 keV. With a total exposure of 1.54 tonne$\cdot$year, no significant excess of nuclear recoil events is found. The lowest 90% confidence level exclusion on the spin-independent cross section is $1.6 \times 10^{-47}\,\mathrm{cm}^2$ at a dark matter mass of 40 GeV$/c^2$. Our results represent the most stringent constraint for a dark matter mass above 100 GeV$/c^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Exploring New Physics with PandaX-4T Low Energy Electronic Recoil Data

New particles beyond the standard model of particle physics, such as axions, can be effectively searched through their interactions with electrons. We use the large liquid xenon detector PandaX-4T to search for novel electronic recoil signals induced by solar axions, neutrinos with anomalous magnetic moment, axionlike particles, dark photons, and light fermionic dark matter. A detailed background model is established using the latest datasets with 1.54 $\rm ton \cdot yr$ exposure. No significant excess above the background has been observed, and we have obtained competitive constraints for axion couplings, neutrino magnetic moment, and fermionic dark matter interactions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Searching for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay of $^{136}$Xe with PandaX-4T

We report the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{136}$Xe from the PandaX-4T experiment with a 3.7-tonne natural xenon target. The data reconstruction and the background modeling are optimized in the MeV energy region. A blind analysis is performed with data from the commissioning run and the first science run. No significant excess of signal over the background is observed. A lower limit on the half-life of $^{136}$Xe neutrinoless double-beta decay is established to be $2.1 \times 10^{24}$~yr at the 90\% confidence level, with a $^{136}$Xe exposure of 44.6~kg$\cdot$year. Our result represents the most stringent constraint from a natural xenon detector to date.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2024

Customized calibration sources in the JUNO experiment

We customized a laser calibration system and four radioactive $γ$-ray calibration sources for the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20-kton liquid scintillator-based neutrino detector. The laser source system was updated to realize the isotropic light emission timing within $\pm0.25$~nsec level and to allow the tuning of the laser intensity covering more than four orders of magnitude. In addition, methods to prepare four different radioactive sources ($^{18}{\rm F}$, $^{40}{\rm K}$, $^{226}{\rm Ra}$, and $^{241}{\rm Am}$), covering energies from O(10)~keV to O(1)~MeV, for the JUNO detector were established in this study. The radioactivity of each source and the risk of impurities leaking into the detector from the source were confirmed to meet the experimental requirements.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2024

PandaX-xT: a Multi-ten-tonne Liquid Xenon Observatory at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

We propose a major upgrade to the existing PandaX-4T experiment in the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. The new experiment, PandaX-xT, will be a multi-ten-tonne liquid xenon, ultra-low background, and general-purpose observatory. The full-scaled PandaX-xT contains a 43-tonne liquid xenon active target. Such an experiment will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of particle physics and astrophysics. The sensitivity of dark matter direct detection will be improved by nearly two orders of magnitude compared to the current best limits, approaching the so-called "neutrino floor" for a dark matter mass above 10 GeV/$c^2$, providing a decisive test to the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle paradigm. By searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe isotope in the detector, the effective Majorana neutrino mass can be measured to a [10 -- 41] meV/$c^2$ sensitivity, providing a key test to the Dirac/Majorana nature of neutrino s. Astrophysical neutrinos and other ultra-rare interactions can also be measured and searched for with an unprecedented background level, opening up new windows of discovery. Depending on the findings, PandaX-xT will seek the next stage upgrade utilizing isotopic separation on natural xenon.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Deciphering the Kinematic Substructure of Local Dark Matter with LAMOST K Giants

Numerical simulations indicate that correlations exist between the velocity distributions of stars and dark matter (DM). We study the local DM velocity distribution based on these correlations. We select K giants from LAMOST DR8 cross-matched with {\gaia} DR3, which have robust measurements of velocity and metallicity, and separate them into the disk, halo substructure and isotropic halo components in the chemodynamical space utilizing the Gaussian Mixture Model. The substructure component is highly radially anisotropic, and possibly related to the \gaia-Enceladus-Sausage (GES) merger event, while the isotropic halo component is accreted from the earliest mergers following the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution (Standard Halo Model, SHM). We find that the GES-like substructure contributes $\sim85\%$ of the local nondisk stars in the Solar neighbourhood, which is nearly invariant when applying different volume cuts or additional angular momentum constraints. Utilizing the metallicity-stellar mass relation and the stellar mass-halo mass relation, we find that $\sim25_{-15}^{+24}\%$ of local DM is in the kinematic substructure. Combined with the stellar distributions of nondisk components, we modify the heliocentric velocity distribution of local DM. It shifts to a lower speed with a sharper peak compared to the SHM, and updates the detection limits of DM direct detection experiments. We discuss extensively the degeneracies present in the GMM fitting and propose that more kinematic and chemical information such as $α$ abundance could help to break the degeneracy in the future. Our work confirms that the local DM velocity distribution deviates significantly from the SHM, and needs to be properly accounted for in the DM detection experiments.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

First Indication of Solar $^8$B Neutrino Flux through Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering in PandaX-4T

The PandaX-4T liquid xenon detector at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory is used to measure the solar $^8$B neutrino flux by detecting neutrinos through coherent scattering with xenon nuclei. Data samples requiring the coincidence of scintillation and ionization signals (paired), as well as unpaired ionization-only signals (US2), are selected with energy threshold of approximately 1.1 keV (0.33 keV) nuclear recoil energy. Combining the commissioning run and the first science run of PandaX-4T, a total exposure of 1.20 and 1.04 tonne$\cdot$year are collected for the paired and US2, respectively. After unblinding, 3 and 332 events are observed with an expectation of 2.8$\pm$0.5 and 251$\pm$32 background events, for the paired and US2 data, respectively. A combined analysis yields a best-fit $^8$B neutrino signal of 3.5 (75) events from the paired (US2) data sample, with $\sim$37\% uncertainty, and the background-only hypothesis is disfavored at 2.64$σ$ significance. This gives a solar $^8$B neutrino flux of ($8.4\pm3.1$)$\times$10$^6$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, consistent with the standard solar model prediction. It is also the first indication of solar $^8$B neutrino ``fog'' in a dark matter direct detection experiment.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2024

Search for Cosmic-ray Boosted Sub-MeV Dark-Matter-Electron Scattering in PandaX-4T

We report the first search for the elastic scatterings between cosmic-ray boosted sub-MeV dark matter and electrons in the PandaX-4T liquid xenon experiment. Sub-MeV dark matter particles can be accelerated by scattering with electrons in the cosmic rays and produce detectable electron recoil signals in the detector. Using the commissioning data from PandaX-4T of 0.63~tonne$\cdot$year exposure, we set new constraints on DM-electron scattering cross sections for DM masses ranging from 10~eV/$c^2$ to 3~keV/$c^2$.

hep-ex↗