First Constraint on Atmospheric Millicharged Particles with the LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment

The LZ collaboration; E. Bishop; A. St. J. Murphy; A. Nguyen; K.Y. Oyulmaz; H.S. Riyat; S. Shaw; A. Uson; H. Zhang

doi:10.1103/zhs9-65ds

First Constraint on Atmospheric Millicharged Particles with the LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment

The LZ collaboration
, E. Bishop
, A. St. J. Murphy
, A. Nguyen
, K.Y. Oyulmaz
, H.S. Riyat
, S. Shaw
, A. Uson
, H. Zhang

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report on a search for millicharged particles (mCPs) produced in cosmic ray atmospheric interactions using data collected during the first science run of the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment. The mCPs produced by two processes—meson decay and proton bremsstrahlung—are considered in this study. This search utilized a novel signature unique to liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chambers, allowing sensitivity to mCPs with masses ranging from 10 to 1000 MeV/c2 and fractional charges between 0.001 and 0.02 of the electron charge (𝑒). With an exposure of 60 live days and a 5.5 metric ton fiducial mass, we observed no significant excess over background. This represents the first experimental search for atmospheric mCPs and the first search for mCPs using an underground LXe experiment.

Original language	English
Article number	241802
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	134
Issue number	24
Early online date	18 Jun 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/zhs9-65ds
Publication status	Published - 20 Jun 2025

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title = "First Constraint on Atmospheric Millicharged Particles with the LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment",

abstract = "We report on a search for millicharged particles (mCPs) produced in cosmic ray atmospheric interactions using data collected during the first science run of the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment. The mCPs produced by two processes—meson decay and proton bremsstrahlung—are considered in this study. This search utilized a novel signature unique to liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chambers, allowing sensitivity to mCPs with masses ranging from 10 to 1000 MeV/c2 and fractional charges between 0.001 and 0.02 of the electron charge (𝑒). With an exposure of 60 live days and a 5.5 metric ton fiducial mass, we observed no significant excess over background. This represents the first experimental search for atmospheric mCPs and the first search for mCPs using an underground LXe experiment.",

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AU - The LZ collaboration

AU - Bishop, E.

AU - Murphy, A. St. J.

AU - Nguyen, A.

AU - Oyulmaz, K.Y.

AU - Riyat, H.S.

AU - Shaw, S.

AU - Uson, A.

AU - Zhang, H.

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N2 - We report on a search for millicharged particles (mCPs) produced in cosmic ray atmospheric interactions using data collected during the first science run of the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment. The mCPs produced by two processes—meson decay and proton bremsstrahlung—are considered in this study. This search utilized a novel signature unique to liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chambers, allowing sensitivity to mCPs with masses ranging from 10 to 1000 MeV/c2 and fractional charges between 0.001 and 0.02 of the electron charge (𝑒). With an exposure of 60 live days and a 5.5 metric ton fiducial mass, we observed no significant excess over background. This represents the first experimental search for atmospheric mCPs and the first search for mCPs using an underground LXe experiment.

AB - We report on a search for millicharged particles (mCPs) produced in cosmic ray atmospheric interactions using data collected during the first science run of the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment. The mCPs produced by two processes—meson decay and proton bremsstrahlung—are considered in this study. This search utilized a novel signature unique to liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chambers, allowing sensitivity to mCPs with masses ranging from 10 to 1000 MeV/c2 and fractional charges between 0.001 and 0.02 of the electron charge (𝑒). With an exposure of 60 live days and a 5.5 metric ton fiducial mass, we observed no significant excess over background. This represents the first experimental search for atmospheric mCPs and the first search for mCPs using an underground LXe experiment.

U2 - 10.1103/zhs9-65ds

DO - 10.1103/zhs9-65ds

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JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 24

M1 - 241802

ER -

First Constraint on Atmospheric Millicharged Particles with the LUX-ZEPLIN Experiment

Abstract

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