液体キセノンガンマ線検出器の開発研究

—ポールシェラー研究所でのμ粒子稀崩壊モード探索にむけて—

抄録

We are developing a new type of photon detector in preparation of an experiment to search for muons decaying into positrons and gamma rays. In the experiment, the photon detector will utilize liquid xenon (Xe) as the scintillation material because of its fast response, large light yield, and high density. The scintillation light emitted in liquid Xe will be observed directly by positioning photomultipliers (PMTs) in the liquid without the use of a transmission window. In order to determine proper experimental procedures and study the detector response to gamma rays, we constructed a prototype utilizing a 100-liter volume of liquid Xe. Current status and future prospects of detector development are reported in this article.