Journal of High Energy Physics (Jul 2021)
Boosting background suppression in the NEXT experiment through Richardson-Lucy deconvolution
- The NEXT collaboration,
- A. Simón,
- Y. Ifergan,
- A. B. Redwine,
- R. Weiss-Babai,
- L. Arazi,
- C. Adams,
- H. Almazán,
- V. Álvarez,
- B. Aparicio,
- A. I. Aranburu,
- I. J. Arnquist,
- C. D. R Azevedo,
- K. Bailey,
- F. Ballester,
- J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez,
- F. I. G. M. Borges,
- N. Byrnes,
- S. Cárcel,
- J. V. Carrión,
- S. Cebrián,
- E. Church,
- C. A. N. Conde,
- T. Contreras,
- F. P. Cossío,
- A. A. Denisenko,
- G. Díaz,
- J. Díaz,
- J. Escada,
- R. Esteve,
- R. Felkai,
- L. M. P. Fernandes,
- P. Ferrario,
- A. L. Ferreira,
- F. Foss,
- E. D. C. Freitas,
- Z. Freixa,
- J. Generowicz,
- A. Goldschmidt,
- J. J. Gómez-Cadenas,
- R. González,
- D. González-Díaz,
- S. Gosh,
- R. Guenette,
- R. M. Gutiérrez,
- J. Haefner,
- K. Hafidi,
- J. Hauptman,
- C. A. O. Henriques,
- J. A. Hernando Morata,
- P. Herrero,
- V. Herrero,
- J. Ho,
- B. J. P. Jones,
- M. Kekic,
- L. Labarga,
- A. Laing,
- P. Lebrun,
- N. López-March,
- M. Losada,
- R. D. P. Mano,
- J. Martín-Albo,
- A. Martínez,
- M. Martínez-Vara,
- G. Martínez-Lema,
- A. D. McDonald,
- Z.-E. Meziani,
- F. Monrabal,
- C. M. B. Monteiro,
- F. J. Mora,
- J. Muñoz Vidal,
- C. Newhouse,
- P. Novella,
- D. R. Nygren,
- E. Oblak,
- M. Odriozola-Gimeno,
- B. Palmeiro,
- A. Para,
- J. Pérez,
- M. Querol,
- J. Renner,
- L. Ripoll,
- I. Rivilla,
- Y. Rodríguez García,
- J. Rodríguez,
- C. Rogero,
- L. Rogers,
- B. Romeo,
- C. Romo-Luque,
- F. P. Santos,
- J. M. F. dos Santos,
- M. Sorel,
- C. Stanford,
- J. M. R. Teixeira,
- P. Thapa,
- J. F. Toledo,
- J. Torrent,
- A. Usón,
- J. F. C. A. Veloso,
- T. T. Vuong,
- R. Webb,
- J. T. White,
- K. Woodruff,
- N. Yahlali
Affiliations
- The NEXT collaboration
- A. Simón
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- Y. Ifergan
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- A. B. Redwine
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- R. Weiss-Babai
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- L. Arazi
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- C. Adams
- Argonne National Laboratory
- H. Almazán
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- V. Álvarez
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- B. Aparicio
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- A. I. Aranburu
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- I. J. Arnquist
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- C. D. R Azevedo
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro
- K. Bailey
- Argonne National Laboratory
- F. Ballester
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- F. I. G. M. Borges
- LIP, Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra
- N. Byrnes
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- S. Cárcel
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- J. V. Carrión
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- S. Cebrián
- Centro de Astropartículas y Física de Altas Energías (CAPA), Universidad de Zaragoza
- E. Church
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- C. A. N. Conde
- LIP, Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra
- T. Contreras
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- F. P. Cossío
- Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science)
- A. A. Denisenko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington
- G. Díaz
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- J. Díaz
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- J. Escada
- LIP, Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra
- R. Esteve
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- R. Felkai
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- L. M. P. Fernandes
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- P. Ferrario
- Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science)
- A. L. Ferreira
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro
- F. Foss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington
- E. D. C. Freitas
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- Z. Freixa
- Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science)
- J. Generowicz
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- A. Goldschmidt
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- J. J. Gómez-Cadenas
- Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science)
- R. González
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- D. González-Díaz
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- S. Gosh
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- R. Guenette
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- R. M. Gutiérrez
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño
- J. Haefner
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- K. Hafidi
- Argonne National Laboratory
- J. Hauptman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University
- C. A. O. Henriques
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- J. A. Hernando Morata
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- P. Herrero
- Materials Physics Center (CFM), CSIC & University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- V. Herrero
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- J. Ho
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- B. J. P. Jones
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- M. Kekic
- Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
- L. Labarga
- Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
- A. Laing
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- P. Lebrun
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- N. López-March
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- M. Losada
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño
- R. D. P. Mano
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- J. Martín-Albo
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- A. Martínez
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- M. Martínez-Vara
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- G. Martínez-Lema
- Unit of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- A. D. McDonald
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- Z.-E. Meziani
- Argonne National Laboratory
- F. Monrabal
- Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science)
- C. M. B. Monteiro
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- F. J. Mora
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- J. Muñoz Vidal
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- C. Newhouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington
- P. Novella
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- D. R. Nygren
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- E. Oblak
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- M. Odriozola-Gimeno
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- B. Palmeiro
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- A. Para
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
- J. Pérez
- Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc
- M. Querol
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- J. Renner
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- L. Ripoll
- Escola Politècnica Superior, Universitat de Girona
- I. Rivilla
- Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science)
- Y. Rodríguez García
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño
- J. Rodríguez
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- C. Rogero
- Materials Physics Center (CFM), CSIC & University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
- L. Rogers
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- B. Romeo
- Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc
- C. Romo-Luque
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- F. P. Santos
- LIP, Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra
- J. M. F. dos Santos
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- M. Sorel
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- C. Stanford
- Department of Physics, Harvard University
- J. M. R. Teixeira
- LIBPhys, Universidade de Coimbra
- P. Thapa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington
- J. F. Toledo
- Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), CSIC and Univ. Politècnica de València
- J. Torrent
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
- A. Usón
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- J. F. C. A. Veloso
- Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro
- T. T. Vuong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington
- R. Webb
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University
- J. T. White
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University
- K. Woodruff
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington
- N. Yahlali
- Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2021)146
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 2021,
no. 7
pp. 1 – 38
Abstract
Abstract Next-generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiments aim for half-life sensitivities of ∼ 1027 yr, requiring suppressing backgrounds to < 1 count/tonne/yr. For this, any extra background rejection handle, beyond excellent energy resolution and the use of extremely radiopure materials, is of utmost importance. The NEXT experiment exploits differences in the spatial ionization patterns of double beta decay and single-electron events to discriminate signal from background. While the former display two Bragg peak dense ionization regions at the opposite ends of the track, the latter typically have only one such feature. Thus, comparing the energies at the track extremes provides an additional rejection tool. The unique combination of the topology-based background discrimination and excellent energy resolution (1% FWHM at the Q-value of the decay) is the distinguishing feature of NEXT. Previous studies demonstrated a topological background rejection factor of ∼ 5 when reconstructing electron-positron pairs in the 208Tl 1.6 MeV double escape peak (with Compton events as background), recorded in the NEXT-White demonstrator at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc, with 72% signal efficiency. This was recently improved through the use of a deep convolutional neural network to yield a background rejection factor of ∼ 10 with 65% signal efficiency. Here, we present a new reconstruction method, based on the Richardson-Lucy deconvolution algorithm, which allows reversing the blurring induced by electron diffusion and electroluminescence light production in the NEXT TPC. The new method yields highly refined 3D images of reconstructed events, and, as a result, significantly improves the topological background discrimination. When applied to real-data 1.6 MeV e − e + pairs, it leads to a background rejection factor of 27 at 57% signal efficiency.
Keywords
