Signal identification with Kalman Filter towards background-free neutrinoless double beta decay searches in gaseous detectors

Abstract

Particle tracks and differential energy loss measured in high pressure gaseous detectors can be exploited for event identification in neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) searches. We develop a new method based on Kalman Filter in a Bayesian formalism (KFB) to reconstruct meandering tracks of MeV-scale electrons. With simulation data, we compare the signal and background discrimination power of the KFB method assuming different detector granularities and energy resolutions. Typical background from 232Th and 238U decay chains can be suppressed by another order of magnitude than that in published literatures, approaching the background-free regime. For the proposed PandaX-III experiment, the 0νββ search half-life sensitivity at the 90% confidence level would reach 2.7× 1026 yr with 5-year live time, a factor of 2.7 improvement over the initial design target.