“First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment” (2023), by J. Aalbers et al. Physics and Astronomy research paper. Original abstract below, unchanged. A free PDF is available.

First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

J. Aalbers, D. S. Akerib, C. Akerlof et al. · July 28, 2023 · Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment is a dark matter detector centered on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. This Letter reports results from LUX-ZEPLIN's first search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with an exposure of 60 live days using a fiducial mass of 5.5 t. A profile-likelihood ratio analysis shows the data to be consistent with a background-only hypothesis, setting new limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon, spin-dependent WIMP-neutron, and spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for WIMP masses above 9 GeV/c². The most stringent limit is set for spin-independent scattering at 36 GeV/c², rejecting cross sections above 9.2×10⁻⁴⁸ cm at the 90% confidence level.

Free PDF DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.041002