Author:
Mistry K.,Rogers L.,Jones B.J.P.,Munson B.,Norman L.,Oliver D.,Pingulkar S.,Rodriguez-Tiscareno M.,Silva K.,Stogsdill K.,Adams C.,Almazán H.,Álvarez V.,Aparicio B.,Aranburu A.I.,Arazi L.,Arnquist I.J.,Auria-Luna F.,Ayet S.,Azevedo C.D.R.,Bailey K.,Ballester F.,del Barrio-Torregrosa M.,Bayo A.,Benlloch-Rodríguez J.M.,Borges F.I.G.M.,Brodolin A.,Byrnes N.,Cárcel S.,Castillo A.,Cebrián S.,Church E.,Cid L.,Conde C.A.N.,Contreras T.,Cossío F.P.,Dey E.,Díaz G.,Dickel T.,Echevarria C.,Elorza M.,Escada J.,Esteve R.,Felkai R.,Fernandes L.M.P.,Ferrario P.,Ferreira A.L.,Foss F.W.,Freitas E.D.C.,Freixa Z.,Gómez-Cadenas J.J.,González R.,Grocott J.W.R.,Guenette R.,Hafidi K.,Hauptman J.,Henriques C.A.O.,Hernando Morata J.A.,Herrero-Gómez P.,Herrero V.,Hervés Carrete C.,Ifergan Y.,Larizgoitia L.,Larumbe A.,Lebrun P.,Lopez F.,López-March N.,Madigan R.,Mano R.D.P.,Marques A.P.,Martín-Albo J.,Martínez-Lema G.,Martínez-Vara M.,Meziani Z.E.,Miller R.L.,Molina-Canteras J.,Monrabal F.,Monteiro C.M.B.,Mora F.J.,Navarro K.E.,Novella P.,Nuñez A.,Nygren D.R.,Oblak E.,Palacio J.,Palmeiro B.,Para A.,Parmaksiz I.,Pelegrin J.,Pérez Maneiro M.,Querol M.,Redwine A.B.,Renner J.,Rivilla I.,Rogero C.,Romeo B.,Romo-Luque C.,Santos F.P.,dos Santos J.M.F.,Seemann M.,Shomroni I.,Simón A.,Soleti S.R.,Sorel M.,Soto-Oton J.,Teixeira J.M.R.,Toledo J.F.,Torrent J.,Trettin A.,Usón A.,Veloso J.F.C.A.,Waiton J.,Yubero A.,
Abstract
Abstract
NEXT-100 is currently being constructed at the Laboratorio
Subterráneo de Canfranc in the Spanish Pyrenees and will search
for neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure gaseous
time projection chamber (TPC) with 100 kg of xenon. Charge
amplification is carried out via electroluminescence (EL) which is
the process of accelerating electrons in a high electric field
region causing secondary scintillation of the medium proportional to
the initial charge. The NEXT-100 EL and cathode regions are made
from tensioned hexagonal meshes of 1 m diameter. This paper
describes the design, characterization, and installation of these
parts for NEXT-100. Simulations of the electric field are performed
to model the drift and amplification of ionization electrons
produced in the detector under various EL region alignments and
rotations. Measurements of the electrostatic breakdown voltage in
air characterize performance under high voltage conditions and
identify breakdown points. The electrostatic deflection of the mesh
is quantified and fit to a first-principles mechanical model.
Measurements were performed with both a standalone test EL region
and with the NEXT-100 EL region before its installation in the
detector. Finally, we describe the parts as installed in NEXT-100,
following their deployment in Summer 2023.
Subject
Mathematical Physics,Instrumentation