Showing papers by "F. Gao published in 2013"
Columbia University1, University of Amsterdam2, University of California, Los Angeles3, University of Coimbra4, University of Zurich5, University of Mainz6, University of Münster7, Purdue University8, University of Nantes9, Weizmann Institute of Science10, Shanghai Jiao Tong University11, University of Bologna12, Max Planck Society13, University of Bern14, Rice University15
TL;DR: New experimental constraints on the elastic, spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross section are presented using recent data from the XENON100 experiment, operated in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy.
Abstract: We present new experimental constraints on the elastic, spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross section using recent data from the XENON100 experiment, operated in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. An analysis of 224.6 live days×34 kg of exposure acquired during 2011 and 2012 revealed no excess signal due to axial-vector WIMP interactions with Xe129 and Xe131 nuclei. This leads to the most stringent upper limits on WIMP-neutron cross sections for WIMP masses above 6 GeV/c2, with a minimum cross section of 3.5×10−40 cm2 at a WIMP mass of 45 GeV/c2, at 90% confidence level.
336 citations
Columbia University1, University of Amsterdam2, University of California, Berkeley3, University of Coimbra4, University of Zurich5, University of Mainz6, Weizmann Institute of Science7, University of Münster8, Purdue University9, Max Planck Society10, École des mines de Nantes11, Shanghai Jiao Tong University12, University of Bologna13, University of Bern14, Rice University15, German National Metrology Institute16
TL;DR: In this paper, the results from the nuclear recoil calibration of the XENON100 dark matter detector installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy are presented.
Abstract: Results from the nuclear recoil calibration of the XENON100 dark matter detector installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy are presented. Data from measurements with an external AmB(241)e neutron source are compared with a detailed Monte Carlo simulation which is used to extract the energy-dependent charge-yield Q(y) and relative scintillation efficiency L-eff. A very good level of absolute spectral matching is achieved in both observable signal channels-scintillation S1 and ionization S2-along with agreement in the two-dimensional particle discrimination space. The results confirm the validity of the derived signal acceptance in earlier reported dark matter searches of the XENON100 experiment.
87 citations
Columbia University1, University of Amsterdam2, University of California, Los Angeles3, University of Coimbra4, University of Zurich5, University of Mainz6, Weizmann Institute of Science7, University of Münster8, Purdue University9, École des mines de Nantes10, Shanghai Jiao Tong University11, University of Bologna12, Max Planck Society13, University of Valencia14, University of Bern15, Rice University16
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a study on the nuclear recoil background of the XENON100 experiment, taking into account neutron backgrounds from (α, n) reactions and spontaneous fission due to natural radioactivity in the detector and shield materials, as well as muon induced neutrons.
Abstract: The XENON100 experiment, installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, aims to directly detect dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) via their elastic scattering off xenon nuclei. This paper presents a study on the nuclear recoil background of the experiment, taking into account neutron backgrounds from (α, n) reactions and spontaneous fission due to natural radioactivity in the detector and shield materials, as well as muon-induced neutrons. Based on Monte Carlo simulations and using measured radioactive contaminations of all detector components, we predict the nuclear recoil backgrounds for the WIMP search results published by the XENON100 experiment in 2011 and 2012, 0.11 events and 0.17 events, respectively, and conclude that they do not limit the sensitivity of the experiment.
32 citations