Kiloton-scale xenon detectors for neutrinoless double beta decay and other new physics searches

Abstract

Large detectors employing xenon are a leading technology in existing and planned searches for new physics, including searches for neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu \beta \beta$) and dark matter. While upcoming detectors will employ target masses of a ton or more, further extending gas or liquid phase Xe detectors to the kton scale would enable extremely sensitive next-generation searches for rare phenomena. The key challenge to extending this technology to detectors well beyond the ton scale is the acquisition of the Xe itself. We describe the motivation for extending Xe time projection chambers (TPCs) to the kton scale and possible avenues for Xe acquisition that avoid existing supply chains. If acquisition of Xe in the required quantities is successful, kton-scale detectors of this type could enable a new generation of experiments, including searches for $0\nu \beta \beta$ at half-life sensitivities as long as $10^{30}$ yr.

arXiv comment19 pages, 10 figures; published version

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