arXiv subjects

Xiaopeng Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Xiaopeng Zhou.

52 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

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↗

arXiv2019

An Improved Evaluation of the Neutron Background in the PandaX-II Experiment

In dark matter direct detection experiments, neutron is a serious source of background, which can mimic the dark matter-nucleus scattering signals. In this paper, we present an improved evaluation of the neutron background in the PandaX-II dark matter experiment by a novel approach. Instead of fully relying on the Monte Carlo simulation, the overall neutron background is determined from the neutron-induced high energy signals in the data. In addition, the probability of producing a dark-matter-like background per neutron is evaluated with a complete Monte Carlo generator, where the correlated emission of neutron(s) and $γ$(s) in the ($α$, n) reactions and spontaneous fissions is taken into consideration. With this method, the neutron backgrounds in the Run 9 (26-ton-day) and Run 10 (28-ton-day) data sets of PandaX-II are estimated to be 0.66$\pm$0.24 and 0.47$\pm$0.25 events, respectively.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

Searching for Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay of $^{136}$Xe with PandaX-II Liquid Xenon Detector

We report the Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay (NLDBD) search results from PandaX-II dual-phase liquid xenon time projection chamber. The total live time used in this analysis is 403.1 days from June 2016 to August 2018. With NLDBD-optimized event selection criteria, we obtain a fiducial mass of 219 kg of natural xenon. The accumulated xenon exposure is 242 kg$\cdot$yr, or equivalently 22.2 kg$\cdot$yr of $^{136}$Xe exposure. At the region around $^{136}$Xe decay Q-value of 2458 keV, the energy resolution of PandaX-II is 4.2%. We find no evidence of NLDBD in PandaX-II and establish a lower limit for decay half-life of 2.4 $ \times 10^{23} $ yr at the 90% confidence level, which corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass $m_{ββ} < (1.3 - 3.5)$ eV. This is the first NLDBD result reported from a dual-phase xenon experiment.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

PandaX-II Constraints on Spin-Dependent WIMP-Nucleon Effective Interactions

We present PandaX-II constraints on candidate WIMP-nucleon effective interactions involving the nucleon or WIMP spin, including, in addition to standard axial spin-dependent (SD) scattering, various couplings among vector and axial currents, magnetic and electric dipole moments, and tensor interactions. The data set corresponding to a total exposure of 54-ton-days is reanalyzed to determine constraints as a function of the WIMP mass and isospin coupling. We obtain WIMP-nucleon cross section bounds of $\rm 1.6 \times 10^{-41} cm^2$ and $\rm 9.0 \times 10^{-42} cm^2$ ($90\%$ c.l.) for neutron-only SD and tensor coupling, respectively, for a mass $M_\mathrm{WIMP} \sim {\rm 40~GeV}/c^2$. The SD limits are the best currently available for $M_\mathrm{WIMP} > {\rm 40~GeV}/c^2$. We show that PandaX-II has reached a sensitivity sufficient to probe a variety of other candidate spin-dependent interactions at the weak scale.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2018

Constraining Dark Matter Models with a Light Mediator from PandaX-II Experiment

We search for nuclear recoil signals of dark matter models with a light mediator in PandaX-II, a direct detection experiment in China Jinping underground Laboratory. Using data collected in 2016 and 2017 runs, corresponding to a total exposure of 54 ton day, we set upper limits on the zero-momentum dark matter-nucleon cross section. These limits have a strong dependence on the mediator mass when it is comparable to or below the typical momentum transfer. We apply our results to constrain self-interacting dark matter models with a light mediator mixing with standard model particles, and set strong limits on the model parameter space for the dark matter mass ranging from $5~{\rm GeV}$ to $10~{\rm TeV}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Dark matter direct search sensitivity of the PandaX-4T experiment

The PandaX-4T experiment, a four-ton scale dark matter direct detection experiment, is being planned at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. In this paper we present a simulation study of the expected background in this experiment. In a 2.8-ton fiducial mass and the signal region between 1 to 10 keV electron equivalent energy, the total electron recoil background is found to be 4.9x10^{-5} /(kg day keV). The nuclear recoil background in the same region is 2.8x10^{-7}/(kg day keV). With an exposure of 5.6 ton-years, the sensitivity of PandaX-4T could reach a minimum spin-independent dark matter-nucleon cross section of 6x10^{-48} cm^{2} at a dark matter mass of 40 GeV/c^{2}.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Exploring the dark matter inelastic frontier with 79.6 days of PandaX-II data

We report here the results of searching for inelastic scattering of dark matter (initial and final state dark matter particles differ by a small mass splitting) with nucleon with the first 79.6-day of PandaX-II data (Run 9). We set the upper limits for the spin independent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section up to a mass splitting of 300 keV/c$^2$ at two benchmark dark matter masses of 1 and 10 TeV/c$^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Limits on Axion Couplings from the first 80-day data of PandaX-II Experiment

We report new searches for the solar axions and galactic axion-like dark matter particles, using the first low-background data from PandaX-II experiment at China Jinping Underground Laboratory, corresponding to a total exposure of about $2.7\times 10^4$ kg$\cdot$day. No solar axion or galactic axion-like dark matter particle candidate has been identified. The upper limit on the axion-electron coupling ($g_{Ae}$) from the solar flux is found to be about $4.35 \times 10^{-12}$ in mass range from $10^{-5}$ to 1 keV/$c^2$ with 90\% confidence level, similar to the recent LUX result. We also report a new best limit from the $^{57}$Fe de-excitation. On the other hand, the upper limit from the galactic axions is on the order of $10^{-13}$ in the mass range from 1 keV/$c^2$ to 10 keV/$c^2$ with 90\% confidence level, slightly improved compared with the LUX.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Dark Matter Results From 54-Ton-Day Exposure of PandaX-II Experiment

We report a new search of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) using the combined low background data sets in 2016 and 2017 from the PandaX-II experiment in China. The latest data set contains a new exposure of 77.1 live day, with the background reduced to a level of 0.8$\times10^{-3}$ evt/kg/day, improved by a factor of 2.5 in comparison to the previous run in 2016. No excess events were found above the expected background. With a total exposure of 5.4$\times10^4$ kg day, the most stringent upper limit on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section was set for a WIMP with mass larger than 100 GeV/c$^2$, with the lowest exclusion at 8.6$\times10^{-47}$ cm$^2$ at 40 GeV/c$^2$.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Spin-Dependent Weakly-Interacting-Massive-Particle--Nucleon Cross Section Limits from First Data of PandaX-II Experiment

New constraints are presented on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon interaction from the PandaX-II experiment, using a data set corresponding to a total exposure of 3.3$\times10^4$ kg-days. Assuming a standard axial-vector spin-dependent WIMP interaction with $^{129}$Xe and $^{131}$Xe nuclei, the most stringent upper limits on WIMP-neutron cross sections for WIMPs with masses above 10 GeV/c$^{2}$ are set in all dark matter direct detection experiments. The minimum upper limit of $4.1\times 10^{-41}$ cm$^2$ at 90\% confidence level is obtained for a WIMP mass of 40 GeV/c$^{2}$. This represents more than a factor of two improvement on the best available limits at this and higher masses. These improved cross-section limits provide more stringent constraints on the effective WIMP-proton and WIMP-neutron couplings.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Dark Matter Results from First 98.7-day Data of PandaX-II Experiment

We report the WIMP dark matter search results using the first physics-run data of the PandaX-II 500 kg liquid xenon dual-phase time-projection chamber, operating at the China JinPing Underground Laboratory. No dark matter candidate is identified above background. In combination with the data set during the commissioning run, with a total exposure of 3.3$\times10^4$ kg-day,the most stringent limit to the spin-independent interaction between the ordinary and WIMP dark matter is set for a range of dark matter mass between 3.5 and 1000 GeV/c$^2$. The best upper limit on the scattering cross section is found $2.5\times 10^{-46}$ cm$^2$ for the WIMP mass 40 GeV/c$^2$ at 90% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Dark Matter Search Results from the Commissioning Run of PandaX-II

We present the results of a search for WIMPs from the commissioning run of the PandaX-II experiment located at the China Jinping underground Laboratory. A WIMP search data set with an exposure of 306$\times$19.1 kg-day was taken, while its dominant $^{85}$Kr background was used as the electron recoil calibration. No WIMP candidates are identified, and a 90\% upper limit is set on the spin-independent elastic WIMP-nucleon cross section with a lowest excluded cross section of 2.97$\times$10$^{-45}$~cm$^2$ at a WIMP mass of 44.7~GeV/c$^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Performance of Photosensors in the PandaX-I Experiment

We report the long term performance of the photosensors, 143 one-inch R8520-406 and 37 three-inch R11410-MOD photomultipliers from Hamamatsu, in the first phase of the PandaX dual-phase xenon dark matter experiment. This is the first time that a significant number of R11410 photomultiplier tubes were operated in liquid xenon for an extended period, providing important guidance to the future large xenon-based dark matter experiments.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Low-mass dark matter search results from full exposure of PandaX-I experiment

We report the results of a weakly-interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter search using the full 80.1\;live-day exposure of the first stage of the PandaX experiment (PandaX-I) located in the China Jin-Ping Underground Laboratory. The PandaX-I detector has been optimized for detecting low-mass WIMPs, achieving a photon detection efficiency of 9.6\%. With a fiducial liquid xenon target mass of 54.0\,kg, no significant excess event were found above the expected background. A profile likelihood analysis confirms our earlier finding that the PandaX-I data disfavor all positive low-mass WIMP signals reported in the literature under standard assumptions. A stringent bound on the low mass WIMP is set at WIMP mass below 10\,GeV/c$^2$, demonstrating that liquid xenon detectors can be competitive for low-mass WIMP searches.

hep-ex↗