Towards a fiber barrel detector for next-generation high-pressure gaseous xenon TPCs

TL;DR

This paper explores a novel fiber barrel detector design for gaseous xenon TPCs, aiming to enhance energy measurement in next-generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of using wavelength-shifting fiber barrels with SiPM readout for improved detector performance in future xenon TPCs.

Findings

Assessment of fiber barrel characteristics

Initial R&D results on fiber and SiPM integration

Potential benefits for energy resolution

Abstract

The NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) project is an international collaboration aimed at finding evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay using gaseous xenon. The current phase of the project involves the construction and operation of NEXT-100, which is designed to hold 100 kg of xenon at 15 bar and is expected to start commissioning in the first quarter of 2024. NEXT-HD will be a tonne scale experiment following NEXT-100 and will incorporate a symmetric design, with one cathode and two anodes. For this detector, the collaboration is considering to implement a barrel of wavelength-shifting fibers read-out by silicon photomultipliers to measure the energy of the particles interacting in the gaseous xenon. In this document, we will discuss the characteristics of this approach and provide an update on the related R&D efforts.