Recent Results from LUX and Prospects for Dark Matter Searches with LZ

Vitaly Kudryavtsev For The Lux And Lz Collaborations

doi:10.3390/universe5030073

Abstract

Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) remains one of the most promising dark matter candidates. Many experiments around the world are searching for WIMPs and the best current sensitivity to WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross-section is about 10 − 10 pb. LUX has been one of the world-leading experiments in the search for dark matter WIMPs. Results from the LUX experiment on WIMP searches for different WIMP masses are summarised in this paper. The LUX detector will be replaced by its successor, the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) detector. With 50 times larger fiducial mass and an increased background rejection power due to specially-designed veto systems, the LZ experiment (due to take first data in 2020) will achieve a sensitivity to WIMPs exceeding the current best limits by more than an order of magnitude (for spin-independent interactions and for WIMP masses exceeding a few GeV). An overview of the LZ experiment is presented and LZ sensitivity is discussed based on the accurately modelled background and the high-sensitivity material screening campaign.

Highlights

Astrophysical and cosmological observations favour the ΛCDM model of the structure and evolution of the Universe that includes, as main constituents, baryonic matter, dark matter and dark energy
Precision cosmology determines the fraction of each component to within a few percent or better, with about a quarter of matter-energy density being associated with non-baryonic dark matter
A number of experiments around the world are searching for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP), among which those using the dual-phase xenon technique, such as LUX [1], and Panda-X [2] and XENON1T [3], have achieved the best sensitivity to date for WIMPs with masses exceeding a few GeV

Summary

Introduction

Astrophysical and cosmological observations favour the ΛCDM model of the structure and evolution of the Universe that includes, as main constituents, baryonic matter, dark matter and dark energy. Precision cosmology determines the fraction of each component to within a few percent or better, with about a quarter of matter-energy density being associated with non-baryonic dark matter. One of the most promising dark matter candidates is the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP). A number of experiments around the world are searching for WIMPs, among which those using the dual-phase xenon technique, such as LUX [1], and Panda-X [2] and XENON1T [3], have achieved the best sensitivity to date for WIMPs with masses exceeding a few GeV. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment [4] will be leading the search for dark matter particles from 2020

WIMP Detection with Dual-Phase Xenon Detectors and the LUX Experiment

The LZ Experiment

Conclusions