2014/03/31 by Christopher G. Wahl, C G Wahl, E P Bernard +9 · 28 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Detector #Dopant #Doping #Particle Detector Development and Performance #Photomultiplier #Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies #Resolution (logic) #Scintillation #Scintillator #Waveform #Xenon #physics.ins-det
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1748-0221/9/06/p06013
published in Journal of Instrumentation 9(06), P06013 (Institute of Physics)
arxiv created 2014/04/21 · openalex publication_date 2014/06/17 · arxiv updated 2014/06/23 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Liquid-argon scintillation detectors are used in fundamental physics experiments and are being considered for security applications. Previous studies have suggested that the addition of small amounts of xenon dopant improves performance in light or signal yield, energy resolution, and particle discrimination. In this study, we investigate the detector response for xenon dopant concentrations from 9 ± 5 ppm to 1100 ± 500 ppm xenon (by weight) in 6 steps. The 3.14-liter detector uses tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) wavelength shifter with dual photomultiplier tubes and is operated in single-phase mode. Gamma-ray-interaction signal yield of 4.0 ± 0.1 photoelectrons/keV improved to 5.0 ± 0.1 photoelectrons/keV with dopant. Energy resolution at 662 keV improved from (4.4 ± 0.2)% (σ) to (3.5 ± 0.2)% (σ) with dopant. Pulse-shape discrimination performance degraded greatly at the first addition of dopant, slightly improved with additional additions, then rapidly improved near the end of our dopant range, with performance becoming slightly better than pure argon at the highest tested dopant concentration. Some evidence of reduced neutron scintillation efficiency with increasing dopant concentration was observed. Finally, the waveform shape outside the TPB region is discussed, suggesting that the contribution to the waveform from xenon-produced light is primarily in the last portion of the slow component.