arXiv subjects

T. Tolba

Publications and source records attributed to T. Tolba.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Search for Majoron-emitting modes of $^{136}$Xe double beta decay with the complete EXO-200 dataset

A search for Majoron-emitting modes of the neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{136}$Xe is performed with the full EXO-200 dataset. This dataset consists of a total $^{136}$Xe exposure of 234.1 kg$\cdot$yr, and includes data with detector upgrades that have improved the energy threshold relative to previous searches. A lower limit of T$_{1/2}^{\rm{^{136}Xe}}>$4.3$\cdot$10$^{24}$ yr at 90\% C.L. on the half-life of the spectral index $n=1$ Majoron decay was obtained, a factor of 3.6 more stringent than the previous limit from EXO-200, corresponding to a constraint on the Majoron-neutrino coupling constant of $|\langle g_{ee}^{M}\rangle|$$<(0.4$-$0.9)\cdot10^{-5}$. The lower threshold and the additional data taken resulted in a factor 8.4 improvement for the $n=7$ mode compared to the previous EXO search. This search provides the most stringent limits to-date on the Majoron-emitting decays of $^{136}$Xe with spectral indices $n=1,2,3,$ and 7.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2020

Measurement of the scintillation and ionization response of liquid xenon at MeV energies in the EXO-200 experiment

Liquid xenon (LXe) is employed in a number of current and future detectors for rare event searches. We use the EXO-200 experimental data to measure the absolute scintillation and ionization yields generated by $γ$ interactions from $^{228}$Th (2615~keV), $^{226}$Ra (1764~keV) and $^{60}$Co (1332~keV and 1173~keV) calibration sources, over a range of electric fields. The $W$-value that defines the recombination-independent energy scale is measured to be $11.5~\pm~0.5$~(syst.)~$\pm~0.1$~(stat.) eV. These data are also used to measure the recombination fluctuations in the number of electrons and photons produced by the calibration sources at the MeV-scale, which deviate from extrapolations of lower-energy data. Additionally, a semi-empirical model for the energy resolution of the detector is developed, which is used to constrain the recombination efficiency, i.e., the fraction of recombined electrons that result in the emission of a detectable photon. Detailed measurements of the absolute charge and light yields for MeV-scale electron recoils are important for predicting the performance of future neutrinoless double beta decay detectors.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

Measurement of the Spectral Shape of the beta-decay of 137Xe to the Ground State of 137Cs in EXO-200 and Comparison with Theory

We report on a comparison between the theoretically predicted and experimentally measured spectra of the first-forbidden non-unique $β$-decay transition $^{137}\textrm{Xe}(7/2^-)\to\,^{137}\textrm{Cs}(7/2^+)$. The experimental data were acquired by the EXO-200 experiment during a deployment of an AmBe neutron source. The ultra-low background environment of EXO-200, together with dedicated source deployment and analysis procedures, allowed for collection of a pure sample of the decays, with an estimated signal-to-background ratio of more than 99-to-1 in the energy range from 1075 to 4175 keV. In addition to providing a rare and accurate measurement of the first-forbidden non-unique $β$-decay shape, this work constitutes a novel test of the calculated electron spectral shapes in the context of the reactor antineutrino anomaly and spectral bump.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2019

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay with the Complete EXO-200 Dataset

A search for neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0νββ$) in $^{136}$Xe is performed with the full EXO-200 dataset using a deep neural network to discriminate between $0νββ$ and background events. Relative to previous analyses, the signal detection efficiency has been raised from 80.8% to 96.4$\pm$3.0% and the energy resolution of the detector at the Q-value of $^{136}$Xe $0νββ$ has been improved from $σ/E=1.23\%$ to $1.15\pm0.02\%$ with the upgraded detector. Accounting for the new data, the median 90% confidence level $0νββ$ half-life sensitivity for this analysis is $5.0 \cdot 10^{25}$ yr with a total $^{136}$Xe exposure of 234.1 kg$\cdot$yr. No statistically significant evidence for $0νββ$ is observed, leading to a lower limit on the $0νββ$ half-life of $3.5\cdot10^{25}$ yr at the 90% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

GEANT4 models of HPGe detectors for radioassay

Radiation transport models of two high purity germanium detectors, GeII and GeIII, located at the University of Alabama have been created in GEANT4 \cite{geant4}. These detectors have been used extensively for radioassay measurements of materials used in various low background experiments. The two models have been validated against actual data under several scenarios typically seen in radioassay measurements. The systematic uncertainties of the models for GeII and GeIII are estimated to be $\sim$12\% and $\sim$9\% respectively.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Deep Neural Networks for Energy and Position Reconstruction in EXO-200

We apply deep neural networks (DNN) to data from the EXO-200 experiment. In the studied cases, the DNN is able to reconstruct the relevant parameters - total energy and position - directly from raw digitized waveforms, with minimal exceptions. For the first time, the developed algorithms are evaluated on real detector calibration data. The accuracy of reconstruction either reaches or exceeds what was achieved by the conventional approaches developed by EXO-200 over the course of the experiment. Most existing DNN approaches to event reconstruction and classification in particle physics are trained on Monte Carlo simulated events. Such algorithms are inherently limited by the accuracy of the simulation. We describe a unique approach that, in an experiment such as EXO-200, allows to successfully perform certain reconstruction and analysis tasks by training the network on waveforms from experimental data, either reducing or eliminating the reliance on the Monte Carlo.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Study of Silicon Photomultiplier Performance in External Electric Fields

We report on the performance of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) light sensors operating in electric field strength up to 30 kV/cm and at a temperature of 149K, relative to their performance in the absence of an external electric field. The SiPM devices used in this study show stable gain, photon detection efficiency, and rates of correlated pulses, when exposed to external fields, within the estimated uncertainties. No observable physical damage to the bulk or surface of the devices was caused by the exposure.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

Search for nucleon decays with EXO-200

A search for instability of nucleons bound in $^{136}$Xe nuclei is reported with 223 kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{136}$Xe in the EXO-200 experiment. Lifetime limits of 3.3$\times 10^{23}$ and 1.9$\times 10^{23}$ yrs are established for nucleon decay to $^{133}$Sb and $^{133}$Te, respectively. These are the most stringent to date, exceeding the prior decay limits by a factor of 9 and 7, respectively.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2018

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay with the Upgraded EXO-200 Detector

Results from a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay $0νββ$ of $^{136}$Xe are presented using the first year of data taken with the upgraded EXO-200 detector. Relative to previous searches by EXO-200, the energy resolution of the detector has been improved to $σ/E$=1.23%, the electric field in the drift region has been raised by 50%, and a system to suppress radon in the volume between the cryostat and lead shielding has been implemented. In addition, analysis techniques that improve topological discrimination between $0νββ$ and background events have been developed. Incorporating these hardware and analysis improvements, the median 90% confidence level $0νββ$ half-life sensitivity after combining with the full data set acquired before the upgrade has increased 2-fold to $3.7 \times 10^{25}$ yr. No statistically significant evidence for $0νββ$ is observed, leading to a lower limit on the $0νββ$ half-life of $1.8\times10^{25}$ yr at the 90% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Searches for Double Beta Decay of $^{134}$Xe with EXO-200

Searches for double beta decay of $^{134}$Xe were performed with EXO-200, a single-phase liquid xenon detector designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe. Using an exposure of $29.6\text{ kg}\!\cdot\!\text{yr}$, the lower limits of $\text{T}_{1/2}^{2νβ\!β}>8.7\cdot10^{20}\text{ yr}$ and $\text{T}_{1/2}^{0νβ\!β}>1.1\cdot10^{23}\text{ yr}$ at 90% confidence level were derived, with corresponding half-life sensitivities of $1.2\cdot10^{21}\text{ yr}$ and $1.9\cdot10^{23}\text{ yr}$. These limits exceed those in the literature for $^{134}$Xe, improving by factors of nearly $10^{5}$ and 2 for the two antineutrino and neutrinoless modes, respectively.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurements of the ion fraction and mobility of alpha and beta decay products in liquid xenon using EXO-200

Alpha decays in the EXO-200 detector are used to measure the fraction of charged $^{218}\mathrm{Po}$ and $^{214}\mathrm{Bi}$ daughters created from alpha and beta decays, respectively. $^{222}\mathrm{Rn}$ alpha decays in liquid xenon (LXe) are found to produce $^{218}\mathrm{Po}^{+}$ ions $50.3 \pm 3.0\%$ of the time, while the remainder of the $^{218}\mathrm{Po}$ atoms are neutral. The fraction of $^{214}\mathrm{Bi}^{+}$ from $^{214}\mathrm{Pb}$ beta decays in LXe is found to be $76.4 \pm 5.7\%$, inferred from the relative rates of $^{218}\mathrm{Po}$ and $^{214}\mathrm{Po}$ alpha decays in the LXe. The average velocity of $^{218}\mathrm{Po}$ ions is observed to decrease for longer drift times. Initially the ions have a mobility of $0.390 \pm 0.006~\mathrm{cm}^2/(\mathrm{kV}~\mathrm{s})$, and at long drift times the mobility is $0.219 \pm 0.004~\mathrm{cm}^2/(\mathrm{kV}~\mathrm{s})$. Time constants associated with the change in mobility during drift of the $^{218}\mathrm{Po}^{+}$ ions are found to be proportional to the electron lifetime in the LXe.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Trace radioactive impurities in final construction materials for EXO-200

We report results from a systematic measurement campaign conducted to identify low radioactivity materials for the construction of the EXO-200 double beta decay experiment. Partial results from this campaign have already been reported in a 2008 paper by the EXO collaboration. Here we release the remaining data, collected since 2007, to the public. The data reported were obtained using a variety of analytic techniques. The measurement sensitivities are among the best in the field. Construction of the EXO-200 detector has been concluded, and Phase-I data was taken from 2011 to 2014. The detector's extremely low background implicitly verifies the measurements and the analysis assumptions made during construction and reported in this paper.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

An apparatus to manipulate and identify individual Ba ions from bulk liquid Xe

We describe a system to transport and identify barium ions produced in liquid xenon, as part of R&D towards the second phase of a double beta decay experiment, nEXO. The goal is to identify the Ba ion resulting from an extremely rare nuclear decay of the isotope $^{136}$Xe, hence providing a confirmation of the occurrence of the decay. This is achieved through Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (RIS). In the test setup described here, Ba ions can be produced in liquid xenon or vacuum and collected on a clean substrate. This substrate is then removed to an analysis chamber under vacuum, where laser-induced thermal desorption and RIS are used with time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectroscopy for positive identification of the barium decay product.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

An Optimal Energy Estimator to Reduce Correlated Noise for the EXO-200 Light Readout

The energy resolution of the EXO-200 detector is limited by electronics noise in the measurement of the scintillation response. Here we present a new technique to extract optimal scintillation energy measurements for signals split across multiple channels in the presence of correlated noise. The implementation of these techniques improves the energy resolution of the detector at the neutrinoless double beta decay Q-value from $\left[1.9641\pm 0.0039\right]\%$ to $\left[1.5820\pm 0.0044\right]\%$.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Search for $2νββ$ decay of $^{136}$Xe to the 0$_1^+$ excited state of $^{136}$Ba with EXO-200

EXO-200 is a single phase liquid xenon detector designed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{136}$Xe to the ground state of $^{136}$Ba. We report here on a search for the two-neutrino double-beta decay of $^{136}$Xe to the first $0^+$ excited state, $0^+_1$, of $^{136}$Ba based on a 100 kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{136}$Xe. Using a specialized analysis employing a machine learning algorithm, we obtain a 90% CL half-life sensitivity of $1.7 \times 10^{24}$ yr. We find no statistically significant evidence for the $2νββ$ decay to the excited state resulting in a lower limit of $T^{2ν}_{1/2}$ ($0^+ \rightarrow 0^+_1$) $> 6.9 \times 10^{23}$ yr at 90% CL. This observed limit is consistent with the estimated half-life of $2.5\times10^{25}$ yr.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of the Drift Velocity and Transverse Diffusion of Electrons in Liquid Xenon with the EXO-200 Detector

The EXO-200 Collaboration is searching for neutrinoless double beta decay using a liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chamber. This measurement relies on modeling the transport of charge deposits produced by interactions in the LXe to allow discrimination between signal and background events. Here we present measurements of the transverse diffusion constant and drift velocity of electrons at drift fields between 20~V/cm and 615~V/cm using EXO-200 data. At the operating field of 380~V/cm EXO-200 measures a drift velocity of 1.705$_{-0.010}^{+0.014}$~mm/$μ$s and a transverse diffusion coefficient of 55$\pm$4~cm$^2$/s.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

Cosmogenic Backgrounds to 0νββ in EXO-200

As neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments become more sensitive and intrinsic radioactivity in detector materials is reduced, previously minor contributions to the background must be understood and eliminated. With this in mind, cosmogenic backgrounds have been studied with the EXO-200 experiment. Using the EXO-200 TPC, the muon flux (through a flat horizontal surface) underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has been measured to be Φ = 4.07 $\pm$ 0.14 (sys) $\pm$ 0.03 (stat) $\times$ $10^{-7}$cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, with a vertical intensity of $I_{v}$ = 2.97$^{+0.14}_{-0.13}$ (sys) $\pm$ 0.02 (stat) $\times$ $10^{-7}$cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ sr$^{-1}$. Simulations of muon-induced backgrounds identified several potential cosmogenic radionuclides, though only 137Xe is a significant background for the 136Xe 0νββ search with EXO-200. Muon-induced neutron backgrounds were measured using γ-rays from neutron capture on the detector materials. This provided a measurement of 137Xe yield, and a test of the accuracy of the neutron production and transport simulations. The independently measured rates of 136Xe neutron capture and of 137Xe decay agree within uncertainties. Geant4 and FLUKA simulations were performed to estimate neutron capture rates, and these estimates agreed to within ~40% or better with measurements. The ability to identify 136Xe(n,γ) events will allow for rejection of 137Xe backgrounds in future 0νββ analyses.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2016

First Search for Lorentz and CPT Violation in Double Beta Decay with EXO-200

A search for Lorentz- and CPT-violating signals in the double beta decay spectrum of $^{136}$Xe has been performed using an exposure of 100 kg$\cdot$yr with the EXO-200 detector. No significant evidence of the spectral modification due to isotropic Lorentz-violation was found, and a two-sided limit of $-2.65 \times 10^{-5 } \; \textrm{GeV} < \mathring{a}^{(3)}_{\text{of}} < 7.60 \times 10^{-6} \; \textrm{GeV}$ (90% C.L.) is placed on the relevant coefficient within the Standard-Model Extension (SME). This is the first experimental study of the effect of the SME-defined oscillation-free and momentum-independent neutrino coupling operator on the double beta decay process.

nucl-ex↗