Electron Emissions and Hot spots in Dual-Phase LXe TPCs

2025/08/01 by Va'vra, J. · 2 citations
#FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det) #Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex)

paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2508.01023

Abstract

Persistent photon and single-electron emissions - in the form of "electron trains" and localized "hot spots" - have been observed in multiple dual-phase liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chambers (TPCs), often persisting long after ionizing events. We show that these phenomena are naturally explained by photon-triggered single-electron emission from resistive mixed-oxide films on stainless-steel wires, which behave as leaky capacitors with long RC time constants at LXe temperature. Positive ions landing on these oxides can further enhance local fields and drive Malter-like electron emission. We outline the materials physics (Cr2O3 / Cr2O3-x / Cr(OH)3 mosaics), quantify expected time scales (~1 second under illumination), and demonstrate how small damaged regions with enhanced QE can produce persistent hot spots.

Cited by

• GRANITE: High-Resolution Imaging and Electrical Qualification of Large-Area TPC Electrodes
• GRANITE: Mechanical Characterization and Optical Inspection of Large-Area TPC Electrodes

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