WIMP-nucleon cross-section results from the second science run of ZEPLIN-III

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2012.01.064
• Publication Date: 2012-01-30T15:52:25Z
• Authors: D.Yu. Akimov; H.M. Araújo; E.J. Barnes; V.A. Belov; A. Bewick; A.A. Burenkov; V. Chepel; A. Currie; L. DeViveiros; B. Edwards; C. Ghag; A. Hollingsworth; M. Horn; W.G. Jones; G.E. Kalmus; A.S. Kobyakin; A.G. Kovalenko; V.N. Lebedenko; A. Lindote; M.I. Lopes; R. Lüscher; P. Majewski; A.St.J. Murphy; F. Neves; S.M. Paling; J. Pinto da Cunha; R. Preece; J.J. Quenby; L. Reichhart; P.R. Scovell; C. Silva; V.N. Solovov; N.J.T. Smith; V.N. Stekhanov; T.J. Sumner; C. Thorne; R.J. Walker
• Keywords: WIMP; Fiducial marker; Recoil

We report experimental upper limits on WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering cross sections from the second science run of ZEPLIN-III at Boulby Underground Laboratory. A raw fiducial exposure 1344 kg⋅days was accrued over 319 days continuous operation between June 2010 and May 2011. total eight events observed in signal acceptance region nuclear recoil energy range 7–29 keV, which is compatible with background expectations. This allows exclusion scalar cross-section above 4.8×10−8 pb near 50 GeV/c2 WIMP mass 90% confidence. Combined data first run, this result improves to 3.9×10−8 pb. The corresponding WIMP-neutron spin-dependent limit 8.0×10−3 ZEPLIN programme reaches thus its conclusion Boulby, having deployed exploited successfully three liquid xenon experiments increasing reach.