Speaker
Description
Next-generation dark matter experiments aim to reach unprecedented sensitivity by increasing detector size, improving background control, and extending stable detector operation. The planned XLZD Observatory will contain around 60 tonnes of liquid xenon (LXe), enabling searches for dark matter and other rare phenomena at sensitivities beyond those of current-generation experiments.
Achieving this scale introduces new challenges in high-voltage operation and detector performance. The increased dimensions of the time-projection chamber require higher voltages than have previously been demonstrated in LXe, while developing novel techniques to monitor the extreme purity required for reliable charge transport and signal detection. Understanding and controlling these effects is essential for the reliable operation of future detectors.
MOTION is an approximately 70 kg LXe detector at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology dedicated to addressing these challenges. The experiment provides a platform to investigate high-voltage stability, including the effects of electrode imperfections and local field enhancement, while developing and testing novel methods for high-voltage delivery and monitoring LXe purity. By combining these studies in a dedicated test facility, MOTION aims to provide the experimental knowledge and technologies needed to enable the next-generation XLZD dark matter searches.