This article reviews the progress made over the last 20 years in the development and applications of liquid xenon detectors in particle physics, astrophysics, and medical imaging experiments. A summary of the fundamental properties of liquid xenon as radiation detection medium, in light of the most current theoretical and experimental information is first provided. After an introduction of the different type of liquid xenon detectors, a review of past, current, and future experiments using liquid xenon to search for rare processes and to image radiation in space and in medicine is given. Each application is introduced with a survey of the underlying scientific motivation and experimental requirements before reviewing the basic characteristics and expected performance of each experiment. Within this decade it appears likely that large volume liquid xenon detectors operated in different modes will contribute to answering some of the most fundamental questions in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, fulfilling the most demanding detection challenges. From detectors based solely on liquid xenon (LXe) scintillation, such as in the MEG experiment for the search of the rare ''{mu}{yields}e{gamma}'' decay, currently the largest liquid xenon detector in operation, and in the XMASS experiment for dark matter detection, to the class ofmore » time projection chambers which exploit both scintillation and ionization of LXe, such as in the XENON dark matter search experiment and in the Enriched Xenon Observatory for neutrinoless double beta decay, unrivaled performance and important contributions to physics in the next few years are anticipated.« less

/pdf/liquid-xenon-detectors-for-particle-physics-and-astrophysics-5374ex693b.pdf

Liquid Xenon Detectors for Particle Physics and Astrophysics

The use of transition radiation (TR) as a means of identifying high energy particles has now become a subject of intensive experimental investigations and applications. Our intention is first to study the physics of these phenomena and to describe ways of building detectors which can efficiently identify particles.

Transition radiation detectors

Gaseous media may efficiently convert into photons the energy losses of particles and the energy supplied by electric fields to drifting electrons. Some mechanisms associated with the process of light production, in particular the two continua and a few energy transfer phenomena, are considered. The relevance of these processes to control the spectral distribution of the photons, and consequently to its detection, and their interest for the time characteristics and the energy resolution capabilities of detecting devices are also referred to. A few examples are presented of instrumental results that either reflect important characteristics of gas scintillation counters, or point to further possible developments, as regards energy, time and position resolutions.

Light Production and Gaseous Detectors

The ionization yield of 241 Am 5.49 MeV and 210 Po 5.31 MeV alpha particles in liquid xenon has been measured as a function of electric field strength in the range 0.05 kV/cm to 20 kV/cm. Consistent results are obtained with the two sources. The maximum charge collected at 10 kV/cm is less than 10% of the total and the noise subtracted energy resolution is 2.5% FWHM at 5.49 MeV, dominated by statistical fluctuations in the number of electron—ion pairs escaping recombination. A comparison with our alpha particle data in liquid argon shows a much worse energy resolution and a different slope of the ionization curve at a given field. The different response of the two liquids is explained in terms of track ionization density and recombination dependence on track emission angle.

Ionization of liquid xenon by 241Am and 210Po alpha particles

dE/dx MEASUREMENTS IN Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe AND PURE HYDROCARBONS

Transition radiation registration by means of a drift chamber with space resolution 20 μm

The energy and spatial resolution of a 40 l liquid-xenon calorimeter was measured. For electrons in the energy region 1–6 GeV the resolutions are σE/E = 3.4/√E (%), σx = 4.6/√E (mm). The details of construction and running of such a device are discussed.

/pdf/a-liquid-xenon-calorimeter-for-the-detection-of-2z5aa90o4f.pdf

O.M. Kozodaeva

Papers

Transition radiation registration by means of a drift chamber with space resolution 20 μm

A liquid-xenon calorimeter for the detection of electromagnetic showers