Author
B. N. Edwards
Other affiliations: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Imperial College London
Bio: B. N. Edwards is an academic researcher from Yale University. The author has contributed to research in topics: ZEPLIN-III & Dark matter. The author has an hindex of 32, co-authored 60 publications receiving 7169 citations. Previous affiliations of B. N. Edwards include Rutherford Appleton Laboratory & Imperial College London.
Topics: ZEPLIN-III, Dark matter, WIMP, Xenon, Large Underground Xenon experiment
Papers
More filters
••
Case Western Reserve University1, Imperial College London2, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology3, University of Maryland, College Park4, Yale University5, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory6, University of South Dakota7, University of California, Santa Barbara8, Brown University9, University of Coimbra10, University of Edinburgh11, University of Rochester12, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory13, University of California, Davis14, University College London15, University of California, Berkeley16, Texas A&M University17, Harvard University18
TL;DR: The first WIMP search data set is reported, taken during the period from April to August 2013, presenting the analysis of 85.3 live days of data, finding that the LUX data are in disagreement with low-mass W IMP signal interpretations of the results from several recent direct detection experiments.
Abstract: The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment is a dual-phase xenon time-projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Lead, South Dakota). The LUX cryostat was filled for the first time in the underground laboratory in February 2013. We report results of the first WIMP search data set, taken during the period from April to August 2013, presenting the analysis of 85.3 live days of data with a fiducial volume of 118 kg. A profile-likelihood analysis technique shows our data to be consistent with the background-only hypothesis, allowing 90% confidence limits to be set on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering with a minimum upper limit on the cross section of 7.6 × 10(-46) cm(2) at a WIMP mass of 33 GeV/c(2). We find that the LUX data are in disagreement with low-mass WIMP signal interpretations of the results from several recent direct detection experiments.
1,962 citations
••
Case Western Reserve University1, University of Wisconsin-Madison2, Imperial College London3, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology4, University of Maryland, College Park5, University of California, Berkeley6, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory7, University of Coimbra8, University of South Dakota9, Yale University10, University of California, Santa Barbara11, Brown University12, University of California, Davis13, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory14, University College London15, University of Rochester16, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory17, Texas A&M University18, State University of New York System19, University of Edinburgh20
TL;DR: This search yields no evidence of WIMP nuclear recoils and constraints on spin-independent weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP)-nucleon scattering using a 3.35×10^{4} kg day exposure of the Large Underground Xenon experiment are reported.
Abstract: We report constraints on spin-independent weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP)-nucleon scattering using a 3.35×10^{4} kg day exposure of the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment. A dual-phase xenon time projection chamber with 250 kg of active mass is operated at the Sanford Underground Research Facility under Lead, South Dakota (USA). With roughly fourfold improvement in sensitivity for high WIMP masses relative to our previous results, this search yields no evidence of WIMP nuclear recoils. At a WIMP mass of 50 GeV c^{-2}, WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross sections above 2.2×10^{-46} cm^{2} are excluded at the 90% confidence level. When combined with the previously reported LUX exposure, this exclusion strengthens to 1.1×10^{-46} cm^{2} at 50 GeV c^{-2}.
1,844 citations
••
Case Western Reserve University1, Imperial College London2, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology3, University of Maryland, College Park4, University of Edinburgh5, Yale University6, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory7, University of California, Santa Barbara8, Brown University9, University of South Dakota10, University of California, Davis11, University of Coimbra12, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory13, University College London14, University of Rochester15, University of California, Berkeley16, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory17, Texas A&M University18, State University of New York System19
TL;DR: This new analysis incorporates several advances: single-photon calibration at the scintillation wavelength, improved event-reconstruction algorithms, a revised background model including events originating on the detector walls in an enlarged fiducial volume, and new calibrations from decays of an injected tritium β source and from kinematically constrained nuclear recoils down to 1.1 keV.
Abstract: We present constraints on weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP)-nucleus scattering from the 2013 data of the Large Underground Xenon dark matter experiment, including 1.4×10^{4} kg day of search exposure. This new analysis incorporates several advances: single-photon calibration at the scintillation wavelength, improved event-reconstruction algorithms, a revised background model including events originating on the detector walls in an enlarged fiducial volume, and new calibrations from decays of an injected tritium β source and from kinematically constrained nuclear recoils down to 1.1 keV. Sensitivity, especially to low-mass WIMPs, is enhanced compared to our previous results which modeled the signal only above a 3 keV minimum energy. Under standard dark matter halo assumptions and in the mass range above 4 GeV c^{-2}, these new results give the most stringent direct limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section. The 90% C.L. upper limit has a minimum of 0.6 zb at 33 GeV c^{-2} WIMP mass.
460 citations
••
Case Western Reserve University1, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology2, Yale University3, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory4, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI5, University of South Dakota6, Texas A&M University7, Brown University8, University of California, Davis9, University of Coimbra10, University of Maryland, College Park11, University of Rochester12, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory13, University of California, Berkeley14, University of California, Santa Barbara15, Harvard University16
11 Mar 2013-Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment
TL;DR: The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) detector as mentioned in this paper is a dual-phase Xenon detector with a spin independent cross-section per nucleon of 2 × 10 − 46 cm 2, equivalent to ∼ 1 event / 100 kg / month in the inner 100-kg fiducial volume (FV) of the 370-kg detector.
Abstract: The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) collaboration has designed and constructed a dual-phase xenon detector, in order to conduct a search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), a leading dark matter candidate. The goal of the LUX detector is to clearly detect (or exclude) WIMPS with a spin independent cross-section per nucleon of 2 × 10 − 46 cm 2 , equivalent to ∼ 1 event / 100 kg / month in the inner 100-kg fiducial volume (FV) of the 370-kg detector. The overall background goals are set to have 1 background events characterized as possible WIMPs in the FV in 300 days of running. This paper describes the design and construction of the LUX detector.
339 citations
••
Stanford University1, Case Western Reserve University2, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory3, University of Wisconsin-Madison4, Imperial College London5, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology6, University of Maryland, College Park7, University of Edinburgh8, Yale University9, University of California, Berkeley10, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory11, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory12, University of Coimbra13, University of South Dakota14, Pennsylvania State University15, University of California, Santa Barbara16, Brown University17, University of California, Davis18, University College London19, University of Rochester20, State University of New York System21, University of Massachusetts Amherst22, Texas A&M University23
TL;DR: The spin-dependent WIMP-neutron limit is the most sensitive constraint to date.
Abstract: We present experimental constraints on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon elastic cross sections from the total 129.5 kg yr exposure acquired by the Large Underground Xenon experiment (LUX), operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota (USA). A profile likelihood ratio analysis allows 90% C.L. upper limits to be set on the WIMP-neutron (WIMP-proton) cross section of σ_{n}=1.6×10^{-41} cm^{2} (σ_{p}=5×10^{-40} cm^{2}) at 35 GeV c^{-2}, almost a sixfold improvement over the previous LUX spin-dependent results. The spin-dependent WIMP-neutron limit is the most sensitive constraint to date.
249 citations
Cited by
More filters
••
[...]
TL;DR: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one, which seems an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.
Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.
Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …
33,785 citations
••
[...]
TL;DR: In this paper, a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) is presented.
Abstract: Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These
9,929 citations
••
Columbia University1, University of Amsterdam2, University of Bologna3, University of Mainz4, University of Münster5, University of Coimbra6, New York University Abu Dhabi7, University of Zurich8, Stockholm University9, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute10, Max Planck Society11, Weizmann Institute of Science12, University of Freiburg13, University of Nantes14, University of California, San Diego15, University of Chicago16, Purdue University17, Rice University18, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University19, University of California, Los Angeles20
TL;DR: In this article, a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) using 278.8 days of data collected with the XENON1T experiment at LNGS is reported.
Abstract: We report on a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) using 278.8 days of data collected with the XENON1T experiment at LNGS. XENON1T utilizes a liquid xenon time projection chamber with a fiducial mass of (1.30±0.01) ton, resulting in a 1.0 ton yr exposure. The energy region of interest, [1.4,10.6] keVee ([4.9,40.9] keVnr), exhibits an ultralow electron recoil background rate of [82-3+5(syst)±3(stat)] events/(ton yr keVee). No significant excess over background is found, and a profile likelihood analysis parametrized in spatial and energy dimensions excludes new parameter space for the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent elastic scatter cross section for WIMP masses above 6 GeV/c2, with a minimum of 4.1×10-47 cm2 at 30 GeV/c2 and a 90% confidence level.
1,808 citations
••
Columbia University1, University of Amsterdam2, University of Mainz3, University of Coimbra4, New York University Abu Dhabi5, University of Zurich6, Stockholm University7, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute8, Max Planck Society9, Weizmann Institute of Science10, University of Freiburg11, Purdue University12, University of Nantes13, University of Bologna14, University of California, San Diego15, University of Münster16, University of Chicago17, Rice University18, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University19, University of California, Los Angeles20
TL;DR: The first dark matter search results from XENON1T, a ∼2000-kg-target-mass dual-phase (liquid-gas) xenon time projection chamber in operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, are reported and a profile likelihood analysis shows that the data are consistent with the background-only hypothesis.
Abstract: We report the first dark matter search results from XENON1T, a ∼2000-kg-target-mass dual-phase (liquid-gas) xenon time projection chamber in operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy and the first ton-scale detector of this kind The blinded search used 342 live days of data acquired between November 2016 and January 2017 Inside the (1042±12)-kg fiducial mass and in the [5,40] keVnr energy range of interest for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter searches, the electronic recoil background was (193±025)×10-4 events/(kg×day×keVee), the lowest ever achieved in such a dark matter detector A profile likelihood analysis shows that the data are consistent with the background-only hypothesis We derive the most stringent exclusion limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross section for WIMP masses above 10 GeV/c2, with a minimum of 77×10-47 cm2 for 35-GeV/c2 WIMPs at 90% CL
1,061 citations
••
TL;DR: The identity of dark matter is a question of central importance in both astrophysics and particle physics as discussed by the authors, and recent progress has greatly expanded the list of well-motivated candidates and the possible signatures of the dark matter.
Abstract: The identity of dark matter is a question of central importance in both astrophysics and particle physics. In the past, the leading particle candidates were cold and collisionless, and typically predicted missing energy signals at particle colliders. However, recent progress has greatly expanded the list of well-motivated candidates and the possible signatures of dark matter. This review begins with a brief summary of the standard model of particle physics and its outstanding problems. We then discuss several dark matter candidates motivated by these problems, including WIMPs, superWIMPs, light gravitinos, hidden dark matter, sterile neutrinos, and axions. For each of these, we critically examine the particle physics motivations and present their expected production mechanisms, basic properties, and implications for direct and indirect detection, particle colliders, and astrophysical observations. Upcoming experiments will discover or exclude many of these candidates, and progress may open up an era of unprecedented synergy between studies of the largest and smallest observable length scales.
976 citations