Sensitivity of a tonne-scale NEXT detector for neutrinoless double-beta decay searches

• Published in: The journal of high energy physics 2021-08, Vol.2021 (8), p.1-24, Article 164
• Main Authors: Adams, C., Álvarez, V., Arazi, L., Arnquist, I. J., Azevedo, C. D. R, Bailey, K., Ballester, F., Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M., Borges, F. I. G. M., Byrnes, N., Cárcel, S., Carrión, J. V., Cebrián, S., Church, E., Conde, C. A. N., Contreras, T., Denisenko, A. A., Díaz, G., Díaz, J., Escada, J., Esteve, R., Felkai, R., Fernandes, L. M. P., Ferrario, P., Ferreira, A. L., Foss, F., Freitas, E. D. C., Freixa, Z., Generowicz, J., Goldschmidt, A., Gómez-Cadenas, J. J., González, R., González-Díaz, D., Gosh, S., Guenette, R., Gutiérrez, R. M., Haefner, J., Hafidi, K., Hauptman, J., Henriques, C. A. O., Hernando Morata, J. A., Herrero, P., Herrero, V., Ho, J., Ifergan, Y., Jones, B. J. P., Kekic, M., Labarga, L., Laing, A., Lebrun, P., López-March, N., Losada, M., Mano, R. D. P., Martín-Albo, J., Martínez, A., Martínez-Vara, M., Martínez-Lema, G., McDonald, A. D., Meziani, Z. E., Monrabal, F., Monteiro, C. M. B., Mora, F. J., Muñoz Vidal, J., Newhouse, C., Novella, P., Nygren, D. R., Oblak, E., Palmeiro, B., Para, A., Pérez, J., Querol, M., Redwine, A., Renner, J., Ripoll, L., Rivilla, I., Rodríguez García, Y., Rodríguez, J., Rogero, C., Rogers, L., Romeo, B., Romo-Luque, C., Santos, F. P., dos Santos, J. M. F., Simón, A., Sorel, M., Stanford, C., Teixeira, J. M. R., Thapa, P., Toledo, J. F., Torrent, J., Usón, A., Veloso, J. F. C. A., Vuong, T. T., Webb, R., Weiss-Babai, R., White, J. T., Woodruff, K., Yahlali, N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beta decay; Classical and Quantum Gravitation; Collaboration; Dark Matter and Double Beta Decay (experiments); Electric fields; Electroluminescence; Elementary Particles; Experiments; High energy physics; INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Laboratories; Neutrinos; NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; Parameter sensitivity; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Quantum Physics; Regular Article - Experimental Physics; Relativity Theory; Searching; Sensors; String Theory; Xenon
• ISSN: 1029-8479; 1029-8479
• DOI: 10.1007/JHEP08(2021)164

A bstract The Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC (NEXT) searches for the neutrinoless double-beta (0 νββ ) decay of 136 Xe using high-pressure xenon gas TPCs with electroluminescent amplification. A scaled-up version of this technology with about 1 tonne of enriched xenon could reach in less than 5 years of operation a sensitivity to the half-life of 0 νββ decay better than 10 27 years, improving the current limits by at least one order of magnitude. This prediction is based on a well-understood background model dominated by radiogenic sources. The detector concept presented here represents a first step on a compelling path towards sensitivity to the parameter space defined by the inverted ordering of neutrino masses, and beyond.