Dark Matter Detectors as Neutrino Observatories: Probing the Neutrino Fog with Liquid Xenon
ORAL · Invited
Abstract
Liquid xenon time projection chambers (TPCs) have long been at the forefront of direct dark matter searches, pushing sensitivity to weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) to unprecedented levels. Recent results from XENONnT and PandaX have demonstrated that these detectors are now sensitive enough to observe solar neutrinos through coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) for the first time. This milestone marks a paradigm shift: while CEvNS presents an irreducible background—often termed the "neutrino fog"—for next-generation dark matter experiments, it simultaneously opens new opportunities for studying neutrino properties and solar physics in the low-energy regime. In this talk, I will discuss how liquid xenon detectors are evolving from purely dark matter search instruments to multi-purpose observatories. I will highlight the scientific implications of recent CEvNS measurements and outline the capabilities of the upcoming XLZD experiment, which aims to probe WIMP-nucleon interactions beyond current limits while advancing its role as a neutrino observatory.
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Publication: Z. Bo et al. (PandaX Collaboration), "First indication of solar 8B neutrinos through coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering in PandaX-4T," Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 191001 (2024).<br>E. Aprile et al. (XENON Collaboration), "First indication of solar 8B neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering with XENONnT," Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 191002 (2024).<br>J. Aalbers et al. (XLZD Collaboration), The XLZD Design Book: Towards the Next-Generation Liquid Xenon Observatory for Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics, arXiv:2410.17137
Presenters
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Kaixuan Ni
University of California, San Diego
Authors
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Kaixuan Ni
University of California, San Diego