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Light yield in DarkSide-10: A prototype two-phase argon TPC for dark matter searches

  • T. Alexander
  • , D. Alton
  • , K. Arisaka
  • , H. O. Back
  • , P. Beltrame
  • , J. Benziger
  • , G. Bonfini
  • , A. Brigatti
  • , J. Brodsky
  • , L. Cadonati
  • , F. Calaprice
  • , A. Candela
  • , H. Cao
  • , P. Cavalcante
  • , A. Chavarria
  • , A. Chepurnov
  • , D. Cline
  • , A. G. Cocco
  • , C. Condon
  • , D. D'Angelo
  • S. Davini, E. De Haas, A. Derbin, G. Di Pietro, I. Dratchnev, D. Durben, A. Empl, A. Etenko, A. Fan, G. Fiorillo, K. Fomenko, F. Gabriele, C. Galbiati, S. Gazzana, C. Ghag, C. Ghiano, A. Goretti, L. Grandi, M. Gromov, M. Guan, C. Guo, G. Guray, E. V. Hungerford, Al Ianni, An Ianni, A. Kayunov, K. Keeter, C. Kendziora, S. Kidner, V. Kobychev

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

As part of the DarkSide program of direct dark matter searches using two-phase argon TPCs, a prototype detector with an active volume containing 10 kg of liquid argon, DarkSide-10, was built and operated underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. A critically important parameter for such devices is the scintillation light yield, as photon statistics limits the rejection of electron-recoil backgrounds by pulse shape discrimination. We have measured the light yield of DarkSide-10 using the readily-identifiable full-absorption peaks from gamma ray sources combined with single-photoelectron calibrations using low-occupancy laser pulses. For gamma lines of energies in the range 122-1275 keV, we get light yields averaging 8.887±0.003(stat) ±0.444(sys) p.e./keVee. With additional purification, the light yield measured at 511 keV increased to 9.142±0.006(stat) p.e./keVee.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)44-51
Number of pages8
JournalAstroparticle Physics
Volume49
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We acknowledge support from the NSF (US, Grants PHY-0919363, PHY-1004072, and associated collaborative Grants), DOE (US, Contract Nos. DE-FG02–91ER40671 and DE-AC02–07CH11359), and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (Italy).

Keywords

  • Argon Time projection chamber
  • Dark matter
  • Light yield
  • Photoelectron yield

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