Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We explore aspects of an unorthodox ton-scale xenon gas time projection chamber detector operated at normal temperature and pressure (NTP), designed for $0νββ$ discovery at $\sim10^{27}$ year sensitivity. At fixed active mass, a greater transparency to $γ$-ray backgrounds and better track clarity exists at NTP relative to higher density. Operation at NTP also alleviates difficulties with pressure containment and significantly reduces HV requirements. With metre-scale electron tracks at a few MeV, event topology can be used to efficiently reject the copious $γ$-ray backgrounds by factors ranging from 550--1200, largely compensating for the greater surface area of the detector. Event topology is captured from anode plane signals combined with sensing the secondary ion component arriving at the cathode plane. A molecular gas admixture limits diffusion of the secondary electron tracks to less than one cm rms and provides stable proportional avalanche gain for measurement of energy. An energy resolution $δ$E/E $\leq$ 1\% FWHM seems possible. A 100 kg scale demonstrator for this detector technology could lead directly to a ton-scale search.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Mei, Y., Mistry, K., Nygren, D. R.
Institution: The University of Texas at Arlington
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Fermilab
OpenAlex ID: W7212014055