| Abstract: |
The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment is a dual phase xenon time projection chamber designed for direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). The overall liquid xenon mass is 350 kg (100 kg fiducial). The active region of the detector is monitored by 122 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Internal backgrounds are reduced through the use of low activity PMTs and careful materials screening, while external backgrounds are reduced by immersing the detector in a water tank. The detector was operated at the Sanford Surface Laboratory at Homestake from November 2011 to February 2012. As of today it is being deployed at a depth of 4850 feet in the Homestake mine; underground data taking will be started in late 2012. The projected sensitivity to 100 GeV WIMPs corresponds to a WIMP - nucleon cross section of 7x10^-46 cm^2. We report on the current status of the LUX detector and plans for its future operation. |
