Light yield in DarkSide-10: A prototype two-phase argon TPC for dark matter searches

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• 作者：T. Alex ; er ; D. Alton ; K. Arisaka ; H.O. Back ; P. Beltrame ; J. Benziger ; G. Bonfini ; A. Brigatti ; J. Brodsky ; L. Cadonati ; F. Calaprice ; A. C ; ela ; H. Cao ; P. Cavalcante ; A. Chavarria ; A. Chepurnov ; D. Cline ; A.G. Cocco ; C. Condon ; D. D¡¯Angelo ; et al.
• 关键词：Dark matter ; Argon ; Time projection chamber ; Light yield ; Photoelectron yield
• 刊名：Astroparticle Physics
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：September, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：49
• 期：Complete
• 页码：44-51
• 全文大小：1204 K

文摘

As part of the DarkSide program of direct dark matter searches using two-phase argon TPCs, a prototype detector with an active volume containing 10 kg of liquid argon, DarkSide-10, was built and operated underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. A critically important parameter for such devices is the scintillation light yield, as photon statistics limits the rejection of electron-recoil backgrounds by pulse shape discrimination. We have measured the light yield of DarkSide-10 using the readily-identifiable full-absorption peaks from gamma ray sources combined with single-photoelectron calibrations using low-occupancy laser pulses. For gamma lines of energies in the range 122-1275 keV, we get light yields averaging 8.887¡À0.003(stat)¡À0.444(sys) p.e./keV_ee. With additional purification, the light yield measured at 511 keV increased to 9.142¡À0.006(stat) p.e./keV_ee.