Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics (INPA) at LBNL

The INPA Seminar weekly talks are on Fridays, starting at 12:00 pm, unless informed otherwise. The seminar talk starts with a brief presentation of the weekly scientific news. Typically, the talks conclude by 1:00 pm. The seminars are held in the Sessler Conference Room,  located in Bldg. 50A- 5132.

The committee members are:

The seminar schedule for the Institute for Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics (INPA) is tentative and becomes final a few days before the Friday talk.

Please send all suggestions for future INPA talks and speakers to the INPA Committee.

To be added to the INPA News Mailing List, please contact Erica Hall.

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Dr. Quentin Riffard (LBL) – Direct detection of Dark Matter: from LUX to LZ

March 1, 2019 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Liquid xenon two-phase time projection chamber (TPC) is one of the most promising technologies for WIMP dark matter direct detection. By using this technology, the LUX, XENON1T, and PANDAX-II collaborations established the most stringent limits on WIMP-nucleus cross section above 10 GeV. For WIMP searches, the expected signal is composed of nuclear recoils (NR), while our background is composed by both electron recoils (ER) and NR. The limits on the WIMP-nucleus cross section are extracted using a Profile Likelihood Ratio (PLR). The usage of the PLR requires a precise knowledge of signal and background models. In the first section, I will focus on the improvement of the detector response modeling and the re-analysis of the background model for LUX Run4 analyses. The LUX Run4 represents a challenge for the modeling of the detector response as several experimental parameters vary as a function of time. Then I will present a new detector response model based on the NEST yield model to consider those variations. This new model has been tuned on Run4 calibration data across many electric fields. After the decommissioning of the LUX experiment, some parts of the detector have been re-assayed to reevaluate the activity of the contaminants. I’m developing a new background model based on a Monte-Carlo simulation of the detector and those new measurements. Once achieved, this background model will be used in future analyses. I used the new detector response model to test the impact of the electric field and the light collection efficiency on detector sensitivity for several dark matter models.

Among few collaborations, the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is currently building one of the next generation of dark matter detector. The NR response detector calibration is a fundamental aspect of dark matter searches. I am involved in development of a photo-neutron source for the low energy NR calibration of the detector. By using a Monte-Carlo simulation, we determined the expected event rate. Moreover, by using photo neutron simulations, I also identify a plausible low energy calibration source. After Xe neutron capture, we have the emission of very high energy gammas ~ 9 MeV and a ~300 eV NR. In some case only the NR is visible as the gamma can escape the LXe without depositing any energy. By using the veto to tag this neutron capture reaction, I show that we have a new possible low energy NR internal calibration source.

Details

Date:
March 1, 2019
Time:
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Venue

50A-5132- Sessler
50A-5132 Sessler Conference Room CA

INPA guests from campus can now come to the lab early on Fridays. The INPA Common Room (50-5026) is reserved for our guests from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Note that the seminars are now held in 50A-5132 to accommodate a more significant number of attendees.

CPTea Series (also known as INPA Tea Series)

The Physics Division CPTea Series invites you to an In-Person Tea Series 1st Friday of every month at 3:30 pm INPA Conference Room 50-5026.

Everyone is welcome to attend the open forum. Tea and light refreshments will be served.

CPTea_colorV4.jpg

INPA Common Room (50-5026)
Fridays
3:30 pm

Access to the Lab

For a shuttle pass, please email Erica Hall. The pass is only valid for the day of the seminar.

Erica Hall