Yale Wright Lab NPA Seminar: James Kingston, UC Davis/LLNL

NPA Seminar: James Kingston, UC Davis/LLNL, "Studies of Xenon-Doped Argon for Rare Event Searches"

February 17, 2026 at Yale Wright Laboratory

Abstract: Dual-phase liquid argon detectors can measure low energy (keV) nuclear recoils from dark matter and neutrino interactions through gas electroluminescence amplification of ionization electrons. Xenon-doping of argon at the few percent level in the liquid phase has the potential to improve the ionization signal in multiple ways, which could enable unprecedented sensitivities to these rare events. However, the solubility limit of xenon in liquid argon is also of the percent level, indicating that such a technique is theoretically possible, but practically challenging. In this talk I will discuss the development of the CHILLAX setup at LLNL, which consists of a ~35 g active target dual-phase xenon-doped argon ionization detector. I will describe our unique cryogenic circuit that allows for stable operation of a dual-phase argon-xenon mixture doped near the xenon saturation limit. I will then quantify the increase to the electroluminescence signal channel from doping up to 4% xenon concentration and propose an analytical model to describe the energy transfer mechanism in argon-xenon gas mixtures. I will conclude by discussing undergoing improvements to the system, planned measurements, and implications for future scientific measurements.
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Видео Yale Wright Lab NPA Seminar: James Kingston, UC Davis/LLNL канала Yale Wright Laboratory