ZEPLIN-I

The ZEPLIN programme (originally 'ZonEd Proportional scintillation in LIquid Noble gases') makes use of the scintillation properties of liquid xenon. The illustration above shows ZEPLIN-I, due to begin operating underground at Boulby during 2000. The lead shielding 'castle' will eliminate most of the 'background' pulses which would result from natural radioactivity and surviving cosmic-ray particles. The liquid scintillator veto is used to reject most of the remaining background (xenon pulses 'simultaneous' with pulses in the veto are ignored). As with the NaI(Tl) detectors, ZEPLIN-I will use the different time-dependence of scintillation pulses from nuclear recoils and those from photon/electron scattering to discriminate against background which eludes both shield and veto.

The 'sensitive' picture gives links to photographs (by Igor Liubarsky) of the xenon chamber and the veto vessel, both of which are now installed underground at Boulby.