Detection of the barium daughter in ¹³⁶Xe ↿sup>136Ba+2e^{∿/sup> by in situ single-molecule fluorescence imaging}

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• 作者：David R. Nygren ; ^{nygren@uta.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：Neutrino-less double beta-decay ; Xenon ; Barium daughter tagging ; Time Projection Chamber ; Single-molecule fluorescent imaging
• 刊名：Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：11 July 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：824
• 期：Complete
• 页码：2-5
• 全文大小：456 K

文摘

A robust technique for rejection of all γ-ray induced backgrounds in the search for the decay ¹³⁶Xe→¹³⁶Ba+2e⁻ is needed to proceed to ton-scale detection systems. Efficient detection of the barium daughter would provide a long-sought pathway toward this goal. Single-molecule fluorescent imaging may offer a new way to detect the barium daughter atom in a naturally ionized state. A doubly charged barium ion can initiate a chelation process with a non-fluorescent precursor molecule, leading to a highly fluorescent complex. Repeated photo-excitation of the complex can reveal both presence and location of a single ionized atom with high precision and selectivity. Detection would be automatic, and is accomplished within the active volume of a xenon gas Time Projection Chamber operating at high pressure.