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Ko Abe

Publications and source records attributed to Ko Abe.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Combined Pre-Supernova Alert System with Kamland and Super-Kamiokande

Preceding a core-collapse supernova, various processes produce an increasing amount of neutrinos of all flavors characterized by mounting energies from the interior of massive stars. Among them, the electron antineutrinos are potentially detectable by terrestrial neutrino experiments such as KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande via inverse beta decay interactions. Once these pre-supernova neutrinos are observed, an early warning of the upcoming core-collapse supernova can be provided. In light of this, KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande, both located in the Kamioka mine in Japan, have been monitoring pre-supernova neutrinos since 2015 and 2021, respectively. Recently, we performed a joint study between KamLAND and Super-Kamiokande on pre-supernova neutrino detection. A pre-supernova alert system combining the KamLAND detector and the Super-Kamiokande detector was developed and put into operation, which can provide a supernova alert to the astrophysics community. Fully leveraging the complementary properties of these two detectors, the combined alert is expected to resolve a pre-supernova neutrino signal from a 15 M$_{\odot}$ star within 510 pc of the Earth, at a significance level corresponding to a false alarm rate of no more than 1 per century. For a Betelgeuse-like model with optimistic parameters, it can provide early warnings up to 12 hours in advance.

hep-ex

Development of a low-background micro pixel chamber for directional dark matter searches

Direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) can provide strong evidence of their existence and the directional method would have an advantage over other methods to detect the clear signal of WIMPs. Time projection chambers with micro-patterned gaseous detectors (MPGDs) are one of the common devices used in directional WIMP searches. A micro pixel chamber ($\mu$-PIC), one of the various types of MPGDs, with specially selected low background materials (LBG$\mu$-PIC) was developed and its performance was studied. The radon emission of the LBG$\mu$-PIC was less than 1/60 of that of the $\mu$-PIC currently in use. Although a non-negligible gain non-homogeneity was seen for the LBG$\mu$-PIC, it can be used for the directional WIMP search with the correction of the non-homogeneity.

physics.ins-det

Direction-sensitive dark matter search with three-dimensional vector-type tracking in NEWAGE

NEWAGE is a direction-sensitive dark matter search experiment with a three-dimensional tracking detector based on a gaseous micro time projection chamber. A direction-sensitive dark matter search was carried out at Kamioka Observatory with a total live time of 318.0 days resulting in an exposure of 3.18 kg$\cdot$days. A new gamma-ray rejection and a head-tail determination analysis were implemented for this work. No significant non-isotropic signal from the directional analysis was found and a 90% confidence level upper limit on spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross section of 25.7 pb for WIMP mass of 150 GeV/c2 was derived. This upper limit is the most stringent in the direction-sensitive dark matter searches.

hep-ex

Measurement of radon emanation and impurity adsorption from argon gas using ultralow radioactive zeolite

The amount of radioactive impurities contaminated in the detector gases is required to be kept at a very low level for rare event particle physics such as dark matter and neutrino observation experiments. Zeolite is a well-known class of materials and is one of the possible candidates for removing impurities from these gases. At the same time, the amount of radioactive impurities released from the adsorbent material needs to be sufficiently small. In this paper, a development of a new ultralow radioactive zeolite as a product of the selection of ultralow radioactive materials is reported. Results on the radon emanation and impurity adsorption from argon gas measurements are also described.

physics.ins-det

Direction-sensitive dark matter search with a low-background gaseous detector NEWAGE-0.3b''

NEWAGE is a direction-sensitive dark matter search using a low-pressure gaseous time projection chamber. A low alpha-ray emission rate micro pixel chamber had been developed in order to reduce background for dark matter search. We conducted the dark matter search at the Kamioka Observatory in 2018. The total live time was 107.6 days corresponding to an exposure of 1.1 kg${\cdot}$days. Two events remained in the energy region of 50-60 keV which was consistent with 2.5 events of the expected background. A directional analysis was carried out and no significant forward-backward asymmetry derived from the WIMP-nucleus elastic scatterings was found. Thus a 90% confidence level upper limit on Spin-Dependent WIMP-proton cross section of 50 pb for a WIMP mass of 100 GeV/c2 was derived. This limit is the most stringent yet obtained from direction-sensitive dark matter search experiments.

hep-ex

Development of a low-$\alpha$-emitting $\mu$-PIC as a readout device for direction-sensitive dark matter detectors

Direction sensitivity could provide robust evidence for the direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles constituting dark matter. However, the sensitivity of this method remains low due to the radioactive backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to develop a low-background detector as a two-dimensional imaging device for a gaseous time projection chamber. In direction-sensitive dark matter experiments~(e.g. NEWAGE), $\alpha$-rays emitted from the detector components often create substantial radioactive backgrounds. Based on the study of the background of NEWAGE, a new detector "low-$\alpha$ $\mu$-PIC" is developed. The produced $\mu$-PIC performs well as a gas detector and the $\alpha$-ray emission rate from the $\mu$-PIC reduced by a factor of 100.

physics.ins-det

Development of a time projection chamber with a sheet-resistor field cage

A new-concept time projection chamber (TPC) using a commercial resistive sheet, sheet-resistor micro-TPC SR-microPIC, was developed and its performance was measured. SR-microTPC has the potential to create a more uniform electric field than conventional TPCs with resistor-chains owing to its continuous sheet resistivity, and its production would be easier than that of conventional TPCs. The material used in this study, Achilles-Vynilas, was found to be thin, transparent, and low-radioactive. The performance test with cosmic muons showed very promising results, including the demonstration of a good tracking-performance. This type of TPC field cage can offer an alternative for the widely used conventional field cages

physics.ins-det