Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Jiang, X. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Jiang, X. S..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Ultra-sensitive radon assay using an electrostatic chamber in a recirculating system

Rare event searches such as neutrinoless double beta decay and Weakly Interacting Massive Particle detection require ultra-low background detectors. Radon contamination is a significant challenge for these experiments, which employ highly sensitive radon assay techniques to identify and select low-emission materials. This work presents the development of ultra-sensitive electrostatic chamber (ESC) instruments designed to measure radon emanation in a recirculating gas loop, for future lower background experiments. Unlike traditional methods that separate emanation and detection steps, this system allows continuous radon transport and detection. This is made possible with a custom-built recirculation pump. A Python-based analysis framework, PyDAn, was developed to process and fit time-dependent radon decay data. Radon emanation rates are given for various materials measured with this instrument. A radon source of known activity provides an absolute calibration, enabling statistically-limited minimal detectable activities of 20 µBq. These devices are powerful tools for screening materials in the development of low-background particle physics experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Performance of novel VUV-sensitive Silicon Photo-Multipliers for nEXO

Liquid xenon time projection chambers are promising detectors to search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ), due to their response uniformity, monolithic sensitive volume, scalability to large target masses, and suitability for extremely low background operations. The nEXO collaboration has designed a tonne-scale time projection chamber that aims to search for 0νββ of 136 Xe with projected half-life sensitivity of 1.35 x 10 28 yr. To reach this sensitivity, the design goal for nEXO is ≤1% energy resolution at the decay Q-value (2458.07 ± 0.31 keV). Reaching this resolution requires the efficient collection of both the ionization and scintillation produced in the detector. The nEXO design employs Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs) to detect the vacuum ultra-violet, 175 nm scintillation light of liquid xenon. This paper reports on the characterization of the newest vacuum ultra-violet sensitive Fondazione Bruno Kessler VUVHD3 SiPMs specifically designed for nEXO, as well as new measurements on new test samples of previously characterised Hamamatsu VUV4 Multi Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs). Various SiPM and MPPC parameters, such as dark noise, gain, direct crosstalk, correlated avalanches and photon detection efficiency were measured as a function of the applied over voltage and wavelength at liquid xenon temperature (163 K). The results from this study are used to provide updated estimates of the achievable energy resolution at the decay Q-value for the nEXO design.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of a 127 Xe calibration source for nEXO

Here, we study a possible calibration technique for the nEXO experiment using a 127 Xe electron capture source. nEXO is a next-generation search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) that will use a 5-tonne, monolithic liquid xenon time projection chamber (TPC). The xenon, used both as source and detection medium, will be enriched to 90% in 136 Xe. To optimize the event reconstruction and energy resolution, calibrations are needed to map the position- and time-dependent detector response. The 36.3 day half-life of 127 Xe and its small Q-value compared to that of 136 Xe 0νββ would allow a small activity to be maintained continuously in the detector during normal operations without introducing additional backgrounds, thereby enabling in-situ calibration and monitoring of the detector response. In this work we describe a process for producing the source and preliminary experimental tests. We then use simulations to project the precision with which such a source could calibrate spatial corrections to the light and charge response of the nEXO TPC.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2021

nEXO: neutrinoless double beta decay search beyond 10 28 year half-life sensitivity

The nEXO neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay experiment is designed to use a time projection chamber and 5000 kg of isotopically enriched liquid xenon to search for the decay in 136 Xe. Progress in the detector design, paired with higher fidelity in its simulation and an advanced data analysis, based on the one used for the final results of EXO-200, produce a sensitivity prediction that exceeds the half-life of 10 28 years. Specifically, improvements have been made in the understanding of production of scintillation photons and charge as well as of their transport and reconstruction in the detector. The more detailed knowledge of the detector construction has been paired with more assays for trace radioactivity in different materials. In particular, the use of custom electroformed copper is now incorporated in the design, leading to a substantial reduction in backgrounds from the intrinsic radioactivity of detector materials. Furthermore, a number of assumptions from previous sensitivity projections have gained further support from interim work validating the nEXO experiment concept. Together these improvements and updates suggest that the nEXO experiment will reach a half-life sensitivity of 1.35 × 10 28 yr at 90% confidence level in 10 years of data taking, covering the parameter space associated with the inverted neutrino mass ordering, along with a significant portion of the parameter space for the normal ordering scenario, for almost all nuclear matrix elements. Furthermore, the effects of backgrounds deviating from the nominal values used for the projections are also illustrated, concluding that the nEXO design is robust against a number of imperfections of the model.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Event reconstruction in a liquid xenon Time Projection Chamber with an optically-open field cage

nEXO is a proposed tonne-scale neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) experiment using liquid 136 Xe (LXe) in a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) to read out ionization and scintillation signals. Between the field cage and the LXe vessel, a layer of LXe (“skin” LXe) is present, where no ionization signal is collected. Only scintillation photons are detected, owing to the lack of optical barrier around the field cage. Here, in this work, we show that the light originating in the skin LXe region can be used to improve background discrimination by 5% over previous published estimates. This improvement comes from two elements. First, a fraction of the γ-ray background is removed by identifying light from interactions with an energy deposition in the skin LXe. Then, background from 222 Rn dissolved in the skin LXe can be efficiently rejected by tagging the α decay in the 214 Bi- 214 Po chain in the skin LXe.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reflectance of Silicon Photomultipliers at Vacuum Ultraviolet Wavelengths

Characterization of the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) reflectance of silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) is important for large-scale SiPM-based photodetector systems. In this work, we report the angular dependence of the specular reflectance in vacuum of SiPMs manufactured by Fondazionc Bruno Kessler (FBK) and Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (HPK) over wavelengths ranging from 120 to 280 nm. Refractive index and extinction coefficient of the thin silicon-dioxide film deposited on the surface of the FBK SiPMs are derived from reflectance data of an FBK silicon wafer with the same deposited oxide film as SiPMs. The diffuse reflectance of SiPMs is also measured at 193 nm. We use the VUV spectral dependence of the optical constants to predict the reflectance of the FBK silicon wafer and FBK SiPMs in liquid xenon.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurements of electron transport in liquid and gas Xenon using a laser-driven photocathode

Measurements of electron drift properties in liquid and gaseous xenon are reported. The electrons are generated by the photoelectric effect in a semitransparent gold photocathode driven in transmission mode with a pulsed ultraviolet laser. The charges drift and diffuse in a small chamber at various electric fields and a fixed drift distance of 2.0 cm. At an electric field of 0.5 kV/cm, the measured drift velocities and corresponding temperature coefficients respectively are 1.97 ± 0.04 mm/µs and (-0.69 ± 0.05)%/K for liquid xenon, and 1.42 ± 0.03 mm/µs and (+0.11 ± 0.01)%/K for gaseous xenon at 1.5 bar. In addition, we measure longitudinal diffusion coefficients of 25.7±4.6 cm2/s and 149±23 cm2/s, for liquid and gas, respectively. The quantum efficiency of the gold photocathode is studied at the photon energy of 4.73 eV in liquid and gaseous xenon, and vacuum. These charge transport properties and the behavior of photocathodes in a xenon environment are important in designing and calibrating future large scale noble liquid detectors.

Njoya, Oumarou↗
DOE OSTI2020

Reflectivity and PDE of VUV4 Hamamatsu SiPMs in liquid xenon

Considering reflective properties of materials and photodetection efficiency (PDE) of photodetectors is important for optimizing energy resolution and sensitivity of the next generation neutrinoless double beta decay, direct detection dark matter, and neutrino oscillation experiments that will use noble liquid gases, such as nEXO, DARWIN, DarkSide-20k, and DUNE . Little information is currently available about reflectivity and PDE in liquid noble gases, because such measurements are difficult to conduct in a cryogenic environment and at short enough wavelengths. Here we report a measurement of specular reflectivity and relative PDE of Hamamatsu VUV4 silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) with 50 μ m micro-cells conducted with xenon scintillation light ( ~ 175 nm) in liquid xenon. The specular reflectivity at 15 o incidence of three samples of VUV4 SiPMs is found to be 30.4 ± 1.4%, 28.6 ± 1.3%, and 28.0 ± 1.3%, respectively. The PDE at normal incidence differs by ± 8% (standard deviation) among the three devices. The angular dependence of the reflectivity and PDE was further measured for one of the SiPMs. Both the reflectivity and PDE decrease as the angle of incidence increases. This is the first measurement of an angular dependence of PDE and reflectivity of a SiPM in liquid xenon.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Characterization of the Hamamatsu VUV4 MPPCs for nEXO

In this paper we report on the characterization of the Hamamatsu VUV4 (S/N: S13370-6152) Vacuum Ultra-Violet (VUV) sensitive Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs) as part of the development of a solution for the detection of liquid xenon scintillation light for the nEXO experiment. Various SiPM features, such as: dark noise, gain, correlated avalanches, direct crosstalk and Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) were measured in a dedicated setup at TRIUMF. SiPMs were characterized in the range 163 K = T = 233 K. At an over voltage of 3.1 ± 0.2 V and at T = 163 K we report a number of Correlated Avalanches (CAs) per pulse in the 1µs interval following the trigger pulse of 0.161±0.005. At the same settings the Dark-Noise (DN) rate is 0.137 ± 0.002 Hz/mm2. Both the number of CAs and the DN rate are within nEXO specifications. The PDE of the Hamamatsu VUV4 was measured for two different devices at T = 233 K for a mean wavelength of 189 ± 7 nm. At 3.6 ± 0.2 V and 3.5 ± 0.2 V of over voltage we report a PDE of 13.4 ± 2.6 % and 11 ± 2%, corresponding to a saturation PDE of 14.8 ± 2.8 % and 12.2±2.3%, respectively. Both values are well below the 24 % saturation PDE advertised by Hamamatsu. More generally, the second device tested at 3.5 ± 0.2 V of over voltage is below the nEXO PDE requirement. The first one instead yields a PDE that is marginally close to meeting the nEXO specifications. This suggests that with modest improvements the Hamamatsu VUV4 MPPCs could be considered as an alternative to the FBKLF SiPMs for the final design of the nEXO detector.

Gallina, G↗
DOE OSTI2019

Simulation of charge readout with segmented tiles in nEXO

nEXO is a proposed experiment to search for the neutrino-less double beta decay (0νββ) of 136 Xe in a tonne-scale liquid xenon time projection chamber (TPC). The nEXO TPC will be equipped with charge collection tiles to form the anode. In this work, the charge reconstruction performance of this anode design is studied with a dedicated simulation package. A multi-variate method and a deep neural network are developed to distinguish simulated 0νββ signals from backgrounds arising from trace levels of natural radioactivity in the detector materials. These simulations indicate that the nEXO TPC with charge-collection tiles shows promising capability to discriminate the 0νββ signal from backgrounds. Furthermore, the estimated half-life sensitivity for 0νββ decay is improved by 20 32)% with the multi-variate (deep neural network) methods considered here, e sensitivity estimated in the nEXO pre-conceptual design report.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

VUV-sensitive Silicon Photomultipliers for Xenon Scintillation Light Detection in nEXO

Future ton-scale liquefied noble gas detectors depend on efficient light detection in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) range. In the past years, silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) have emerged as a valid alternative to standard photomultiplier tubes or large-area avalanche photodiodes. The next-generation double-beta decay experiment, nEXO, with a 5-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber will use SiPMs for detecting the 175-nm xenon scintillation light, in order to achieve an energy resolution of σ/Q ββ =1 %. This paper presents recent measurements of the VUV-HD generation SiPMs from Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy, in two complementary setups. It includes measurements of the photon-detection efficiency (PDE) with gaseous xenon scintillation light in a vacuum setup and dark measurements in a dry nitrogen gas setup. Here, we report improved PDE at 175 nm compared to previous generation devices that would meet the criteria of nEXO. Furthermore, we present the projected nEXO detector light collection and energy resolution that could be achieved by using these SiPMs.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Study of silicon photomultiplier performance in external electric fields

In this paper, we report on the performance of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) light sensors operating in electric field strength up to 30 kV/cm and at a temperature of 149 K, relative to their performance in the absence of an external electric field. The SiPM devices used in this study show stable gain, photon detection efficiency, and rates of correlated pulses, when exposed to external fields, within the estimated uncertainties. No visible damage to the surface of the devices was caused by the exposure.

Noble liquid detectors (scintillation, ionization,↗
DOE OSTI2018

Characterization of an Ionization Readout Tile for nEXO

Anewdesign for the anode of a time projection chamber, consisting of a charge-detecting "tile", is investigated for use in large scale liquid xenon detectors. The tile is produced by depositing 60 orthogonal metal charge-collecting strips, 3 mm wide, on a 10 cm 10 cm fused-silica wafer. These charge tiles may be employed by large detectors, such as the proposed tonne-scale nEXO experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Modular by design, an array of tiles can cover a sizable area. The width of each strip is small compared to the size of the tile, so a Frisch grid is not required. A grid-less, tiled anode design is beneficial for an experiment such as nEXO, where a wire tensioning support structure and Frisch grid might contribute radioactive backgrounds and would have to be designed to accommodate cycling to cryogenic temperatures. The segmented anode also reduces some degeneracies in signal reconstruction that arise in large-area crossed-wire time projection chambers. A prototype tile was tested in a cell containing liquid xenon. Very good agreement is achieved between the measured ionization spectrum of a 207Bi source and simulations that include the microphysics of recombination in xenon and a detailed modeling of the electrostatic field of the detector. An energy resolution E=5.5% is observed at 570 keV, comparable to the best intrinsic ionization-only resolution reported in literature for liquid xenon at 936 V/cm.

Jewell, M J.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Determination of the number of ψ(3686) events at BESIII

The numbers of ψ(3686) events accumulated by the BESIII detector for the data taken during 2009 and 2012 are determined to be $(107.0\pm 0.8)\times {10}^{6}$ and $(341.1\pm 2.1)\times {10}^{6}$, respectively, by counting inclusive hadronic events, where the uncertainties are systematic and the statistical uncertainties are negligible. The number of events for the sample taken in 2009 is consistent with that of the previous measurement. The total number of ψ(3686) events for the two data taking periods is $(448.1\pm 2.9)\times {10}^{6}$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Investigation of radioactivity-induced backgrounds in EXO-200

The search for neutrinoless double-beta decay ( 0 ν β β ) requires extremely low background and a good understanding of their sources and their influence on the rate in the region of parameter space relevant to the 0 ν β β signal. We report on studies of various β and γ backgrounds in the liquid-xenon-based EXO- 200 0 ν β β experiment. With this work we try to better understand the location and strength of specific background sources and compare the conclusions to radioassay results taken before and during detector construction. Finally, we discuss the implications of these studies for EXO-200 as well as for the next-generation, tonne-scale nEXO detector.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Spectroscopy of Ba andBa+deposits in solid xenon for barium tagging in nEXO

Progress on a method of barium tagging for the nEXO double beta decay experiment is reported. Absorption and emission spectra for deposits of barium atoms and ions in solid xenon matrices are presented. Excitation spectra for prominent emission lines, temperature dependence, and bleaching of the fluorescence reveal the existence of different matrix sites. A regular series of sharp lines observed in Ba + deposits is identified with some type of barium hydride molecule. Lower limits for the fluorescence quantum efficiency of the principal Ba emission transition are reported. Under current conditions, an image of fewer than or equal to 10 4 Ba atoms can be obtained. Prospects for imaging single Ba atoms in solid xenon are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗