Dr Sally Shaw (US Santa Barbara)

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter experiment will consist of 7 tonnes of liquid xenon (LXe) sensitive to the nuclear recoils induced by impinging weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Backgrounds to a WIMP signal tend to populate the boundaries of the LZ sensitive volume, where gamma-rays and neutrons from nearby material can enter, scatter once, and exit. The Outer Detector (OD) of LZ consists of 17 tonnes of gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator, surrounding the LXe target, and is capable of tagging both gamma-rays and neutrons. The OD helps provide a substantial increase in the background-free mass of LZ. I will present the design, radioactive backgrounds, expected performance and current status of the LZ Outer Detector.

Location : T125