Electroluminescence and electron avalanching in two-phase detectors

TL;DR

This paper reviews the physical principles and detection techniques of electroluminescence and electron avalanching in two-phase noble-gas detectors, crucial for dark matter and neutrino experiments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the concepts, physics, and detection methods related to light and charge amplification in two-phase argon and xenon detectors.

Findings

Explains the physics of electroluminescence and electron avalanching in two-phase detectors.

Describes detection techniques based on these effects.

Addresses puzzling aspects of the underlying physics.

Abstract

Electroluminescence and electron avalanching are the physical effects used in two-phase argon and xenon detectors for dark mater search and neutrino detection, to amplify the primary ionization signal directly in cryogenic noble-gas media. We review the concepts of such light and charge signal amplification, including a combination thereof, both in the gas and in the liquid phase. Puzzling aspects of the physics of electroluminescence and electron avalanching in two-phase detectors are explained and detection techniques based on these effects are described.