Author
Xionghui Zeng
Bio: Xionghui Zeng is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Materials science & Epitaxy. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 5 publications receiving 979 citations.
Topics: Materials science, Epitaxy, Cathodoluminescence, Dark matter, PandaX
Papers
More filters
••
TL;DR: The weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter search results are reported using the first physics-run data of the PandaX-II 500 kg liquid xenon dual-phase time-projection chamber, operating at the China JinPing underground laboratory.
Abstract: We report the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter search results using the first physics-run data of the PandaX-II 500 kg liquid xenon dual-phase time-projection chamber, operating at the China JinPing underground laboratory. No dark matter candidate is identified above background. In combination with the data set during the commissioning run, with a total exposure of 3.3×10^{4} kg day, the most stringent limit to the spin-independent interaction between the ordinary and WIMP dark matter is set for a range of dark matter mass between 5 and 1000 GeV/c^{2}. The best upper limit on the scattering cross section is found 2.5×10^{-46} cm^{2} for the WIMP mass 40 GeV/c^{2} at 90% confidence level.
679 citations
••
TL;DR: The first dark-matter search results from PandaX-I, a low threshold dual-phase xenon experiment operating at the China JinPing Underground Laboratory, were reported in this article.
Abstract: We report on the first dark-matter (DM) search results from PandaX-I, a low threshold dual-phase xenon experiment operating at the China JinPing Underground Laboratory. In the 37-kg liquid xenon target with 17.4 live-days of exposure, no DM particle candidate event was found. This result sets a stringent limit for low-mass DM particles and disfavors the interpretation of previously-reported positive experimental results. The minimum upper limit, 3.7 × 10−44 cm2, for the spin-independent isoscalar DM-particle-nucleon scattering cross section is obtained at a DM-particle mass of 49GeV/c2 at 90% confidence level.
114 citations
••
TL;DR: The results of a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) from the commissioning run of the PandaX-II experiment located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory are presented in this article.
Abstract: We present the results of a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) from the commissioning run of the PandaX-II experiment located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. A WIMP search data set with an exposure of $306\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}19.1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{kg}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\text{day}$ was taken, while its dominant $^{85}\mathrm{Kr}$ background was used as the electron recoil calibration. No WIMP candidates are identified, and a 90% upper limit is set on the spin-independent elastic WIMP-nucleon cross section with a lowest excluded cross section of $2.97\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}45}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ at a WIMP mass of $44.7\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}/{\mathrm{c}}^{2}$.
94 citations
••
TL;DR: The first dark-matter search results from PandaX-I, a low threshold dual-phase xenon experiment operating at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, were reported in this paper.
Abstract: We report on the first dark-matter (DM) search results from PandaX-I, a low threshold dual-phase xenon experiment operating at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. In the 37-kg liquid xenon target with 17.4 live-days of exposure, no DM particle candidate event was found. This result sets a stringent limit for low-mass DM particles and disfavors the interpretation of previously-reported positive experimental results. The minimum upper limit, $3.7\times10^{-44}$\,cm$^2$, for the spin-independent isoscalar DM-particle-nucleon scattering cross section is obtained at a DM-particle mass of 49\,GeV/c$^2$ at 90\% confidence level.
92 citations
••
TL;DR: In this paper, the results of a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) search using the full 80.1 live-day exposure of the first stage of the PandaX experiment (PandaX-I) located in the China Jin-Ping Underground Laboratory were reported.
Abstract: We report the results of a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter search using the full 80.1 live-day exposure of the first stage of the PandaX experiment (PandaX-I) located in the China Jin-Ping Underground Laboratory. The PandaX-I detector has been optimized for detecting low-mass WIMPs, achieving a photon detection efficiency of 9.6%. With a fiducial liquid xenon target mass of 54.0 kg, no significant excess events were found above the expected background. A profile likelihood ratio analysis confirms our earlier finding that the PandaX-I data disfavor all positive low-mass WIMP signals reported in the literature under standard assumptions. A stringent bound on a low-mass WIMP is set at a WIMP mass below 10 GeV=c(2), demonstrating that liquid xenon detectors can be competitive for low-mass WIMP searches.
69 citations
Cited by
More filters
••
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: A review of the WIMP paradigm with focus on a few models which can be probed at best by these facilities, and Collider and Indirect Detection will not be neglected when they represent a complementary probe.
Abstract: Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are among the best-motivated dark matter candidates. No conclusive signal, despite an extensive search program that combines, often in a complementary way, direct, indirect, and collider probes, has been detected so far. This situation might change in near future due to the advent of one/multi-TON Direct Detection experiments. We thus, find it timely to provide a review of the WIMP paradigm with focus on a few models which can be probed at best by these facilities. Collider and Indirect Detection, nevertheless, will not be neglected when they represent a complementary probe.
772 citations
••
Columbia University1, University of Amsterdam2, University of Bologna3, University of Mainz4, University of Coimbra5, Weizmann Institute of Science6, New York University Abu Dhabi7, University of Zurich8, Stockholm University9, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute10, Max Planck Society11, University of Münster12, University of Bern13, Purdue University14, École des mines de Nantes15, University of California, Los Angeles16, Rice University17
TL;DR: In this article, the expected sensitivity of the Xenon1T experiment to the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross section was investigated based on Monte Carlo predictions of the electronic and nuclear recoil backgrounds.
Abstract: The XENON1T experiment is currently in the commissioning phase at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. In this article we study the experiment's expected sensitivity to the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross section, based on Monte Carlo predictions of the electronic and nuclear recoil backgrounds. The total electronic recoil background in 1 tonne fiducial volume and (1, 12) keV electronic recoil equivalent energy region, before applying any selection to discriminate between electronic and nuclear recoils, is (1.80 ± 0.15) · 10(−)(4) (kg·day·keV)(−)(1), mainly due to the decay of (222)Rn daughters inside the xenon target. The nuclear recoil background in the corresponding nuclear recoil equivalent energy region (4, 50) keV, is composed of (0.6 ± 0.1) (t·y)(−)(1) from radiogenic neutrons, (1.8 ± 0.3) · 10(−)(2) (t·y)(−)(1) from coherent scattering of neutrinos, and less than 0.01 (t·y)(−)(1) from muon-induced neutrons. The sensitivity of XENON1T is calculated with the Profile Likelihood Ratio method, after converting the deposited energy of electronic and nuclear recoils into the scintillation and ionization signals seen in the detector. We take into account the systematic uncertainties on the photon and electron emission model, and on the estimation of the backgrounds, treated as nuisance parameters. The main contribution comes from the relative scintillation efficiency Script L(eff), which affects both the signal from WIMPs and the nuclear recoil backgrounds. After a 2 y measurement in 1 t fiducial volume, the sensitivity reaches a minimum cross section of 1.6 · 10(−)(47) cm(2) at m(χ) = 50 GeV/c(2).
580 citations
••
University of Amsterdam1, University of Bologna2, University of Mainz3, University of Coimbra4, University of Bern5, Columbia University6, Weizmann Institute of Science7, New York University Abu Dhabi8, University of Zurich9, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute10, Max Planck Society11, Stockholm University12, University of Nantes13, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology14, University of Münster15, University of Chicago16, Arizona State University17, Purdue University18, Rice University19, University of California, San Diego20, University of Freiburg21, Dresden University of Technology22, Imperial College London23, University of California, Los Angeles24
TL;DR: DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) as mentioned in this paper is an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core.
Abstract: DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN(2)) will be an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core. Its primary g ...
553 citations
••
TL;DR: The DarkSide-20k detector as discussed by the authors is a direct WIMP search detector using a two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) with an active mass of 23 t (20 t).
Abstract: Building on the successful experience in operating the DarkSide-50 detector, the DarkSide Collaboration is going to construct DarkSide-20k, a direct WIMP search detector using a two-phase Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) with an active (fiducial) mass of 23 t (20 t). This paper describes a preliminary design for the experiment, in which the DarkSide-20k LAr TPC is deployed within a shield/veto with a spherical Liquid Scintillator Veto (LSV) inside a cylindrical Water Cherenkov Veto (WCV). This preliminary design provides a baseline for the experiment to achieve its physics goals, while further development work will lead to the final optimization of the detector parameters and an eventual technical design. Operation of DarkSide-50 demonstrated a major reduction in the dominant 39Ar background when using argon extracted from an underground source, before applying pulse shape analysis. Data from DarkSide-50, in combination with MC simulation and analytical modeling, shows that a rejection factor for discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils of $>3 \times 10^{9}$
is achievable. This, along with the use of the veto system and utilizing silicon photomultipliers in the LAr TPC, are the keys to unlocking the path to large LAr TPC detector masses, while maintaining an experiment in which less than $< 0.1$
events (other than $
u$
-induced nuclear recoils) is expected to occur within the WIMP search region during the planned exposure. DarkSide-20k will have ultra-low backgrounds than can be measured in situ, giving sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon cross sections of $1.2 \times 10^{-47}$
cm2 (
$1.1 \times 10^{-46}$
cm2) for WIMPs of 1 TeV/c2 (10 TeV/c2) mass, to be achieved during a 5 yr run producing an exposure of 100 t yr free from any instrumental background.
534 citations