Projected sensitivity of the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment to the 0νββ decay of ¹³⁶Xe

2019/12/31 by D. S. Akerib, C. W. Akerlof, A. Alqahtani +189 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #nucl-ex

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevc.102.014602

published as Phys. Rev. C 102, 014602 (2020) · 13 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, version 2 changes: additional clarifications requested by referee on Sections II.A, III.C, III.E, III.F and IV.B

arxiv created 2020/04/24 · arxiv updated 2020/07/15

Abstract

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will enable a neutrinoless double beta decay search in parallel to the main science goal of discovering dark matter particle interactions. We report the expected LZ sensitivity to ¹³⁶Xe neutrinoless double beta decay, taking advantage of the significant (>600 kg) ¹³⁶Xe mass contained within the active volume of LZ without isotopic enrichment. After 1000 live-days, the median exclusion sensitivity to the half-life of ¹³⁶Xe is projected to be 1.06×10²⁶ years (90% confidence level), similar to existing constraints. We also report the expected sensitivity of a possible subsequent dedicated exposure using 90% enrichment with ¹³⁶Xe at 1.06×10²⁷ years.

Cited by

• Gamma-ray background from rock: studies for a next-generation dark matter experiment based on liquid xenon