Kavli Affiliate: T. A. Shutt
| First 5 Authors: D. S. Akerib, S. Alsum, H. M. Araújo, X. Bai, J. Balajthy
| Summary:
Dual-phase xenon detectors, as currently used in direct detection dark matter
experiments, have observed elevated rates of background electron events in the
low energy region. While this background negatively impacts detector
performance in various ways, its origins have only been partially studied. In
this paper we report a systematic investigation of the electron pathologies
observed in the LUX dark matter experiment. We characterize different electron
populations based on their emission intensities and their correlations with
preceding energy depositions in the detector. By studying the background under
different experimental conditions, we identified the leading emission
mechanisms, including photoionization and the photoelectric effect induced by
the xenon luminescence, delayed emission of electrons trapped under the liquid
surface, capture and release of drifting electrons by impurities, and grid
electron emission. We discuss how these backgrounds can be mitigated in LUX and
future xenon-based dark matter experiments.
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