Quenching Factor for Low Energy Nuclear Recoils in a Plastic Scintillator

Plastic scintillators are widely used in industry, medicine and scientific research, including nuclear and particle physics. Although one of their most common applications is in neutron detection, experimental data on their response to low-energy nuclear recoils are scarce. Here, the relative scintillation efficiency for neutron-induced nuclear recoils in a polystyrene-based plastic scintillator (UPS-923A) is presented, exploring recoil energies between 125 keV and 850 keV. Monte Carlo simulations, incorporating light collection efficiency and energy resolution effects, are used to generate neutron scattering spectra which are matched to observed distributions of scintillation signals to parameterise the energy-dependent quenching factor. At energies above 300 keV the dependence is reasonably described using the semi-empirical formulation of Birks and a kB factor of (0.014+/-0.002) g/MeVcm^2 has been determined. Below that energy the measured quenching factor falls more steeply than predicted by the Birks formalism.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figure

Advances in Cryogenic Avalanche Detectors

Cryogenic Avalanche Detectors (CRADs) are referred to as a new class of noble-gas detectors operated at cryogenic temperatures with electron avalanching performed directly in the detection medium, the latter being in gaseous, liquid or two-phase (liquid-gas) state. Electron avalanching is provided by Micro-Pattern Gas Detector (MPGD) multipliers, in particular GEMs and THGEMs, operated at cryogenic temperatures in dense noble gases. The final goal for this kind of detectors is the development of large-volume detectors of ultimate sensitivity for rare-event experiments and medical applications, such as coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering, direct dark matter search, astrophysical (solar and supernova) neutrino detection experiments and Positron Emission Tomography technique. This review is the first attempt to summarize the results on CRAD performances obtained by different groups. A brief overview of the available CRAD concepts is also given and the most remarkable CRAD physics effects are discussed.Comment: 60 pages, 58 figures. Invited talk at MPGD2011 Conference, Aug 29 - Sep 3, 2011, Kobe, Japan. Journal version + Fig. 1a adde

The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector: performance study using an end-to-end simulation tool

We present results from a GEANT4-based Monte Carlo tool for end-to-end simulations of the ZEPLIN-III dark matter experiment. ZEPLIN-III is a two-phase detector which measures both the scintillation light and the ionisation charge generated in liquid xenon by interacting particles and radiation. The software models the instrument response to radioactive backgrounds and calibration sources, including the generation, ray-tracing and detection of the primary and secondary scintillations in liquid and gaseous xenon, and subsequent processing by data acquisition electronics. A flexible user interface allows easy modification of detector parameters at run time. Realistic datasets can be produced to help with data analysis, an example of which is the position reconstruction algorithm developed from simulated data. We present a range of simulation results confirming the original design sensitivity of a few times $10^{-8}$ pb to the WIMP-nucleon cross-section.Comment: Submitted to Astroparticle Physic

Preliminary results on position reconstruction for ZEPLIN III

ZEPLIN III is a two-phase xenon detector for direct dark matter search that will look for rare nuclear recoils from elastic scattering of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles off xenon atoms. ZEPLIN III measures both the scintillation and ionisation signals produced in the liquid by the interacting particle. The prompt scintillation is detected by an array of 31 photomultipliers (PM) immersed in the liquid, and a strong electric field extracts the ionisation electrons to the vapour phase. Electroluminescence photons are produced in the gas and detected by the same PM array. In this paper we describe position reconstruction methods that use both these signals to achieve a position accuracy of a few millimetres in the horizontal plane and sub-millimetre in the vertical coordinate.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TJM-4MD310K-D/1/a5d0b57794dcd67b6d2dd09a098299d

A model for the secondary scintillation pulse shape from a gas proportional scintillation counter

Proportional scintillation counters (PSCs), both single- and dual-phase, can measure the scintillation (S1) and ionization (S2) channels from particle interactions within the detector volume. The signal obtained from these detectors depends first on the physics of the medium (the initial scintillation and ionization), and second how the physics of the detector manipulates the resulting photons and liberated electrons. In this paper we develop a model of the detector physics that incorporates event topology, detector geometry, electric field configuration, purity, optical properties of components, and wavelength shifters. We present an analytic form of the model, which allows for general study of detector design and operation, and a Monte Carlo model which enables a more detailed exploration of S2 events. This model may be used to study systematic effects in current detectors such as energy and position reconstruction, pulse shape discrimination, event topology, dead time calculations, purity, and electric field uniformity. We present a comparison of this model with experimental data collected with an argon gas proportional scintillation counter (GPSC), operated at 20 C and 1 bar, and irradiated with an internal, collimated 55Fe source. Additionally we discuss how the model may be incorporated in Monte Carlo simulations of both GPSCs and dual-phase detectors, increasing the reliability of the simulation results and allowing for tests of the experimental data analysis algorithms