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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Nuclear Recoil Calibration at Sub-keV Energies in LUX and Its Impact on Dark Matter Search Sensitivity

Dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) detectors offer heightened sensitivities for dark matter detection across a spectrum of particle masses. To broaden their capability to low-mass dark matter interactions, we investigated the light and charge responses of liquid xenon (LXe) to sub-keV nuclear recoils. Using neutron events from a pulsed Adelphi Deuterium-Deuterium neutron generator, an in situ calibration was conducted on the LUX detector. We demonstrate direct measurements of light and charge yields down to 0.45 keV and 0.27 keV, respectively, both approaching single quanta production, the physical limit of LXe detectors. Furthermore, these results hold significant implications for the future of dual-phase xenon TPCs in detecting low-mass dark matter via nuclear recoils.

Dark matter detectors↗
DOE OSTI2024

Response of a high-pressure 4 He scintillation detector to nuclear recoils up to 9 MeV

Helium-4-based scintillation detector technology is emerging as a strong alternative to pulse-shape discrimination-capable organic scintillators for fast neutron detection and spectroscopy, particularly in extreme gamma-ray environments. The 4 He detector is intrinsically insensitive to gamma radiation, as it has a relatively low cross-section for gamma-ray interactions, and the stopping power of electrons in the 4 He medium is low compared to that of 4 He recoil nuclei. Consequently, gamma rays can be discriminated by simple energy deposition thresholding instead of the more complex pulse shape analysis. The energy resolution of 4 He scintillation detectors has not yet been well-characterized over a broad range of energy depositions, which limits the ability to deconvolve the source spectra. In this work, an experiment was performed to characterize the response of an Arktis S670 4 He detector to nuclear recoils up to 9 MeV. The 4 He detector was positioned in the center of a semicircular array of organic scintillation detectors operated in coincidence. Deuterium–deuterium and deuterium–tritium neutron generators provided monoenergetic neutrons, yielding geometrically constrained nuclear recoils ranging from 0.0925 to 8.87 MeV. The detector response provides evidence for scintillation linearity beyond the previously reported energy range. Finally, the measured response was used to develop an energy resolution function applicable to this energy range for use in high-fidelity detector simulations needed by future applications.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

First measurement of the nuclear-recoil ionization yield in silicon at 100 eV

We measured the nuclear--recoil ionization yield in silicon with a cryogenic phonon-sensitive gram-scale detector. Neutrons from a mono-energetic beam scatter off of the silicon nuclei at angles corresponding to energy depositions from 4 keV down to 100 eV, the lowest energy probed so far. The results show no sign of an ionization production threshold above 100 eV. These results call for further investigation of the ionization yield theory and a comprehensive determination of the detector response function at energies below the keV scale.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

First observation of isolated nuclear recoils following neutron capture for dark matter calibration

Low-energy nuclear recoils (NRs) are hard to measure, because they produce few e - /h + pairs in solids—i.e., they have low “ionization yield.” A silicon detector was exposed to thermal neutrons over 2.5 live days, probing NRs down to 450 eV. The observation of a neutron capture-induced component of NRs at low energies is supported by the much-improved fit upon inclusion of a capture NR model. This result shows that thermal neutron calibration of very low recoil energy NRs is promising for dark matter searches, coherent neutrino experiments, and improving understanding of ionization dynamics in solids.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

First Measurement of the Nuclear-Recoil Ionization Yield in Silicon at 100 eV

We measured the nuclear-recoil ionization yield in silicon with a cryogenic phonon-sensitive gram-scale detector. Neutrons from a mono-energetic beam scatter off of the silicon nuclei at angles corresponding to energy depositions from 4 keV down to 100 eV, the lowest energy probed so far. The results show no sign of an ionization production threshold above 100 eV. In conclusion, these results call for further investigation of the ionization yield theory and a comprehensive determination of the detector response function at energies below the keV scale.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

COHERENT Collaboration data release from the measurements of CsI[Na] response to nuclear recoils

The data release from the measurements of the CsI[Na] response to low energy nuclear recoils by the COHERENT collaboration. The release corresponds to the results published in 'D. Akimov et al 2022 JINST 17 P10034.' We share the data in the form of raw ADC waveforms, provide benchmark subselections and event reconstruction scripts to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of our results.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Measurement of scintillation response of CsI[Na] to low-energy nuclear recoils by COHERENT

Here, we present results of several measurements of CsI[Na] scintillation response to 3–60 keV energy nuclear recoils performed by the COHERENT collaboration using tagged neutron elastic scattering experiments and an endpoint technique. Earlier results, used to estimate the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) event rate for the first observation of this process achieved by COHERENT at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), have been reassessed. We discuss corrections for the identified systematic effects and update the respective uncertainty values. The impact of updated results on future precision tests of CEvNS is estimated. We scrutinize potential systematic effects that could affect each measurement. In particular we confirm the response of the H11934-200 Hamamatsu photomultiplier tube (PMT) used for the measurements presented in this study to be linear in the relevant signal scale region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Extremely Low Energy Nuclear Recoil Calibrations for Dark Matter Direct Detection (Final Technical Report)

This project developed and demonstrated a new calibration approach for low-energy nuclear recoils in solid-state detectors based on neutron capture. Precise calibration in the sub-keV regime is a critical challenge across the HEP portfolio. Existing measurements show deviations and inconsistencies across methods. Neutron capture provides a complementary approach producing discrete recoils via γ cascades.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Implications of first neutrino-induced nuclear recoil measurements in direct detection experiments: Probing nonstandard interaction via CE ν NS

PandaX-4T and XENONnT have recently reported the first measurement of nuclear recoils induced by the B 8 solar neutrino flux, through the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering ( CE ν NS ) channel. As long anticipated, this is an important milestone for dark matter searches as well as for neutrino physics. This measurement means that these detectors have reached exposures such that searches for low mass, ≲ 10 GeV dark matter cannot be analyzed using the background-free paradigm going forward. It also opens a new era for these detectors to be used as neutrino observatories. In this paper we assess the sensitivity of these new measurements to new physics in the neutrino sector. We focus on neutrino nonstandard interactions (NSI) and show that—despite the still moderately low statistical significance of the signals—these data already provide valuable information. We find that limits on NSI from PandaX-4T and XENONnT measurements are comparable to those derived using combined COHERENT CsI and LAr data. Furthermore, they provide sensitivity to pure τ flavor parameters that are not accessible using stopped-pion or reactor sources. With larger exposures and consequently improvements of statistical uncertainties, forthcoming data from these experiments will provide important, novel results for CE ν NS -related physics. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Sierra, D. Aristizabal↗
DOE OSTI2022

Scintillation yield from electronic and nuclear recoils in superfluid He 4

Superfluid $^4$He is a promising target material for direct detection of light ($<$ 1 GeV) dark matter. Possible signal channels available for readout in this medium include prompt photons, triplet excimers, and roton and phonon quasiparticles. The relative yield of these signals has implications for the sensitivity and discrimination power of a superfluid $^4$He dark matter detector. Using a 16~cm$^3$ volume of 1.75~K superfluid $^4$He read out by six immersed photomultiplier tubes, we measured the scintillation from electronic recoils ranging between 36.3 and 185~keV$_\mathrm{ee}$, yielding a mean signal size of $1.25^{+0.03}_{-0.03}$~phe/keV$_\mathrm{ee}$, and nuclear recoils from 53.2 to 1090~keV$_\mathrm{nr}$. We compare the results of our relative scintillation yield measurements to an existing semiempirical model based on helium-helium and electron-helium interaction cross sections. As a result, we also study the behavior of delayed scintillation components as a function of recoil type and energy, a further avenue for signal discrimination in superfluid $^4$He.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Low-energy nuclear recoil calibration of the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment with a photoneutron source

The LZ experiment is a liquid xenon time-projection chamber (TPC) searching for evidence of particle dark matter interactions. In the simplest assumption of elastic scattering, many dark matter models predict an energy spectrum which rises quasi-exponentially with decreasing energy transfer to a target atom. LZ expects to detect coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering of $^{8}$B solar neutrinos, the signal from which is very similar to a dark matter particle with mass of about 5.5 GeV/$c^{2}$, which result in typical nuclear recoil energies of $<$5 keV$_{\text{nr}}$. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to calibrate the response of recoiling xenon nuclei to keV-energy recoils. This analysis details the first in situ photoneutron calibration of the LZ detector and probes its response in this energy regime.

Aalbers, J. [SLAC; Stanford U., Phys. Dept.; KIPAC↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Primer on Nuclear "Recoil" Data

For many years the ENDF-6 format has existed to contain evaluated nuclear data. One primary driver for the format and the data is neutron transport calculations. Evaluated data can be processed by a code like NJOY into either continuous energy form (ACE format) for Monte Carlo codes like MCNP or into multi-group form (NDI tables) for deterministic codes like Partisn. The reaction cross sections are found in the MF 3 section of the ENDF-6 format. If the reaction produces one or more neutrons as outputs, then secondary neutron data must also be given in MF 4,5 or 6 sections of the format. Energy and angular distributions for the output neutrons must be given in one of several available formats. The most general formats are found in MF 6. MF 4 is for angular distributions, MF 5 is for Energy distributions, and MF 6 contains both. In recent years, more interest has developed in the other output particles (i.e., the “recoil” particles) from neutron induced reactions. This has been driven by interest in charged particle transport and in more specialized partial kermas. ( A separate total neutron kerma has been available for a long time.) Partial kermas are a breakdown of the Kinetic Energy Released into the MAterial by output particle or by neutron reaction. The sum of the partial kermas should be equal to the total kerma on a group-wise basis. The ENDF-6 format is general enough for these new data requirements. Ideally, evaluated data would exist for every output particle (including the secondary neutrons) from every neutron-induced reaction. In the MF 6 format section, data for multi-particle outputs may be entered using the LAW =1 option. This option explicitly allows energy and angular output distributions for each particle produced in the reaction. Such information should preserve the balance between partial kermas and the total kerma at the groupwise level as well as the individual particle averaged energies. For simpler 2-body reactions, LAW = 2 is available. This allows the evaluation to specify only enough data to specify the 2-body reaction fully. Such a simplification does not exist for 3 (or more) body breakups. A simplified form of LAW 2, i.e., LAW 3, also exists to generate approximate recoil output distributions in the absence of full data. However, evaluated data does not generally exist at this fine granularity for reactions involving more than 2 output particles ( e.g., the 3-body break-up reaction). When the multi-body detailed output distribution data is not available, LAW=6 may be employed in NJOY. LAW 6 produces approximate output distributions for all the particles produced in the reaction. Just like in the 2-body case, the smaller particles will generally carry off more energy. At any particular energy, the balance between the sum of the partial kermas and the total kerma will not necessarily be preserved. However, the average energy of each output particle from a reaction is preserved.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

β -Nuclear-Recoil Correlation from $^6$$\mathrm{He}$ Decay in a Laser Trap

Here, we report the first precise measurement of a β-recoil correlation from a radioactive noble gas ( 6 He) confined via a magneto-optical trap. The measurement is motivated by the search for exotic tensor-type contributions to the charged weak current. Interpreted as tensor currents with right-handed neutrinos, the measurements yield |C T /C A | 2 ≤ 0.022 (90% confidence limit, C.L.). On the other hand, for left-handed neutrinos the limits are 0.007 < C T /C A < 0.111 (90% C.L.). The sensitivity of the present measurement is mainly limited by experimental uncertainties in determining the time response properties and the distance between the atom cloud and the microchannel plate used for recoil ion detection.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗