First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment
The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment searches for dark matter using a detector centred on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber which operates at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, USA. The Liverpool group led by Dr Sergey Burdin joined LZ in 2014 and delivered Optical Calibration System for LZ Outer Detector, as well as essential Data Analysis and Data Quality frameworks. Dr Ewan Fraser is leading studies of neutron and gamma backgrounds originating outside of the detector. PhD student Sam Woodford participated in installation of the detector during his LTA in South Dakota.
The first published physics result from LZ last summer (Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 041002), based on 60 live days of data taking, demonstrated the best sensitivity to Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in the mass range from 10 GeV/c2 to 10 TeV/c2. LZ continues its operation exploring benchmark models of Dark Matter as well as other DM searches and science areas requiring super-low background. PhD student Megan Carter starts her LTA at SURF and Teagan Hall starts her LZ PhD project.
The Liverpool group is one of the core proponents of the XLZD@Boulby initiative aiming to build an ultimate detector for WIMPs with the sensitivity limited by coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering in North East of England.
