Dark Matter Search Results from 4.2 Tonne-Years of Exposure of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

  • LZ Collaboration

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52 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report results of a search for nuclear recoils induced by weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter using the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) two-phase xenon time projection chamber. This analysis uses a total exposure of 4.2±0.1 tonne-years from 280 live days of LZ operation, of which 3.3±0.1 tonne-years and 220 live days are new. A technique to actively tag background electronic recoils from Pb214 β decays is featured for the first time. Enhanced electron-ion recombination is observed in two-neutrino double electron capture decays of Xe124, representing a noteworthy new background. After removal of artificial signal-like events injected into the dataset to mitigate analyzer bias, we find no evidence for an excess over expected backgrounds. World-leading constraints are placed on spin-independent (SI) and spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross sections for masses ≥9 GeV/c2. The strongest SI exclusion set is 2.2×10-48 cm2 at the 90% confidence level and the best SI median sensitivity achieved is 5.1×10-48 cm2, both for a mass of 40 GeV/c2.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number011802
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume135
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2 2025

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

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