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Elsevier, Astroparticle Physics, (49), p. 44-51

DOI: 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2013.08.004

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Light yield in DarkSide-10: A prototype two-phase argon TPC for dark matter searches

Journal article published in 2013 by T. Alexander, D. Alton, K. Arisaka, Ho O. Back, P. Beltrame, J. Benziger, G. Bonfini, A. Brigatti, J. Brodsky, L. Cadonati, F. Calaprice, A. Candela, H. Cao, P. Cavalcante, A. Chavarria and other authors.
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Abstract

As part of the DarkSide program of direct dark matter searches using liquid argon TPCs, a prototype detector with an active volume containing 10 kg of liquid argon, DarkSide-10, was built and operated underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. A critically important parameter for such devices is the scintillation light yield, as photon statistics limits the rejection of electron-recoil backgrounds by pulse shape discrimination. We have measured the light yield of DarkSide-10 using the readily-identifiable full-absorption peaks from gamma ray sources combined with single-photoelectron calibrations using low-occupancy laser pulses. For gamma lines of energies in the range 122-1275 keV, we get consistent light yields averaging 8.887+-0.003(stat)+-0.444(sys) p.e./keVee. With additional purification, the light yield measured at 511 keV increased to 9.142+-0.006(stat) p.e./keVee. ; Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics