Collaborative research for DUSEL: Gas Xenon R&D for EXO

University Of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Abstract

This award is for a collaborative research and development undertaking between the University of Stanford and the University of Alabama towards the feasibility of a high pressure gas phase detector using enriched Xenon for the detection of neutrino-less double beta decay. Research and Development is to proceed within the broader EXO collaboration to advance detection with liquid Xenon by the introduction of tagging and to a high pressure gas phase using Xe with low background. The proponents envision applying tagging with Barium for the liquid detector to drastically reduce the radioactive background and allow an unambiguous measurement of unprecedented sensitivity. This work will be mainly carried out by the University of Stanford group. The developments of the gaseous detector are not as advanced as the liquid case and the group from the University of Alabama will be exploring the characteristics of such a detector. It is expected that at completion of this project, there will be results to guide the detector development and technology selection for the ton-class of neutrino less double beta decay experiments for the Deep Underground Science & Engineering Laboratory.