Results from the first science run of the ZEPLIN-III dark matter search experiment
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The ZEPLIN-III experiment in the Palmer Underground Laboratory at Boulby uses a 12 kg two-phase
xenon time-projection chamber to search for the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that may
account for the dark matter of our Galaxy. The detector measures both scintillation and ionization
produced by radiation interacting in the liquid to differentiate between the nuclear recoils expected from
WIMPs and the electron-recoil background signals down to 10 keV nuclear-recoil energy. An analysis
of 847 kg days of data acquired between February 27, 2008, and May 20, 2008, has excluded a WIMPnucleon
elastic scattering spin-independent cross section above 8:1 10 8 pb at 60 GeVc 2 with a 90%
confidence limit. It has also demonstrated that the two-phase xenon technique is capable of better
discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils at low-energy than previously achieved by other
xenon-based experiments.
xenon time-projection chamber to search for the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that may
account for the dark matter of our Galaxy. The detector measures both scintillation and ionization
produced by radiation interacting in the liquid to differentiate between the nuclear recoils expected from
WIMPs and the electron-recoil background signals down to 10 keV nuclear-recoil energy. An analysis
of 847 kg days of data acquired between February 27, 2008, and May 20, 2008, has excluded a WIMPnucleon
elastic scattering spin-independent cross section above 8:1 10 8 pb at 60 GeVc 2 with a 90%
confidence limit. It has also demonstrated that the two-phase xenon technique is capable of better
discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils at low-energy than previously achieved by other
xenon-based experiments.
Date Issued
2009-09-25
Date Acceptance
2008-12-08
Citation
Physical Review D- particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology, 2009, 80 (5)
ISSN
1550-7998
Publisher
American Physical Society
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review D- particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology
Volume
80
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2009 The American Physical Societ
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Physics, Particles & Fields
Physics
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
PHYSICS, PARTICLES & FIELDS
LIQUID XENON
NUCLEAR RECOIL
SCINTILLATION EFFICIENCY
2-PHASE XENON
LOW-ENERGY
DETECTOR
PERFORMANCE
SIGNALS
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
052010