Nuclear Recoil Calibration at Sub-keV Energies in LUX and Its Impact on Dark Matter Search Sensitivity
Physical Review Letters American Physical Society (APS) 134:6 (2025) 061002
DarkSide-20k sensitivity to light dark matter particles
Communications Physics Springer Nature 7:1 (2024) 422
Abstract:
The dual-phase liquid argon time projection chamber is presently one of the leading technologies to search for dark matter particles with masses below 10 GeV c−2. This was demonstrated by the DarkSide-50 experiment with approximately 50 kg of low-radioactivity liquid argon as target material. The next generation experiment DarkSide-20k, currently under construction, will use 1,000 times more argon and is expected to start operation in 2027. Based on the DarkSide-50 experience, here we assess the DarkSide-20k sensitivity to models predicting light dark matter particles, including Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and sub-GeV c−2 particles interacting with electrons in argon atoms. With one year of data, a sensitivity improvement to dark matter interaction cross-sections by at least one order of magnitude with respect to DarkSide-50 is expected for all these models. A sensitivity to WIMP–nucleon interaction cross-sections below 1 × 10−42 cm2 is achievable for WIMP masses above 800 MeV c−2. With 10 years exposure, the neutrino fog can be reached for WIMP masses around 5 GeV c−2.First constraint for atmospheric millicharged particles with the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment
(2024)
Two-neutrino double electron capture of 124 Xe in the first LUX-ZEPLIN exposure
Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics IOP Publishing 52:1 (2024) 015103
Abstract:
The broad physics reach of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment covers rare phenomena beyond the direct detection of dark matter. We report precise measurements of the extremely rare decay of 124Xe through the process of two-neutrino double electron capture, utilizing a 1.39 kg × yr isotopic exposure from the first LZ science run. A half-life of T1/22ν2EC=(1.09±0.14stat±0.05sys)×1022yr is observed with a statistical significance of 8.3σ, in agreement with literature. First empirical measurements of the KK capture fraction relative to other K-shell modes were conducted, and demonstrate consistency with respect to recent signal models at the 1.4σ level.Constraints on Covariant Dark-Matter–Nucleon Effective Field Theory Interactions from the First Science Run of the LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment
Physical Review Letters American Physical Society (APS) 133:22 (2024) 221801