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XENON research group at the University of Florida |
XENON is a direct dark matter detection experiment using liquid xenon as the detector medium. The goal is to detect the small charge and light signal after a dark matter particle interacts with a xenon nucleus. The first module (XENON10) to be operated at the Gran Sasso Undeground Laboratory (LNGS) is now under construction. It is expected to be installed at LNGS in early 2006.   At UF, we have built a small dual-phase xenon chamber to measure the ionization and scintillation yield with a neutron beam at the UF tandem accelerator. The above picture (left) shows the inner chamber, made of teflon and stainless steel grids. Additional pictures and information can be found on this site . Our group is operating a 2 kg high-purity Ge (HPGe) spectrometer at the Soudan Mine in Minnesota, to screen the detector and shield components for their U/Th/K content. The results will be used to construct a full background model of XENON10, and will guide the construction of the first 100 kg module (XENON100).The above picture (right) shows the HPGe detector during its installation at Soudan in 2005, in the SOLO background facility. We are conducting Monte Carlo simulation to predict the XENON10 backgrounds. A picture of the XENON10 geometry is shown below.  |