Boulby Development Call: XLZD Infrastructure

发现粒子暗物质(DM)的本质是物理学的一个关键优先事项--对于STFC来说也是如此。XLZD联盟的主要目标是直接探测我们银河系中的弱电尺度DM，该联盟由该领域最顶尖的合作伙伴XEON-NT、LUX-ZEPLIN(LZ)和达尔文组成。XLZD正在提出一项基于领先的液体氙气(LXE)技术的大型地下实验：最终寻找WIMP DM，能够在可访问的参数空间中排除或发现保留在不可约中微子背景之上的空间。在一份由全球600名作者签名的综合白皮书中，详细介绍了这种“罕见事件天文台”的科学潜力。LZ和Xenon-NT是目前该领域的领先实验。在XLZD发现DM将对我们理解宇宙、宇宙的诞生和结构产生深远的影响。STFC目前正在考虑一项在北约克郡博尔比地下实验室(XLZD@Boulby)最先进的新设施中主办XLZD实验的提议。液体氙气稀有事件天文台很可能是在博尔比主持的最大项目，得到了访问该设施的最大国际合作的支持，因此它将在很大程度上推动设施设计。该项目建立了与地下和地面空间和设施的配置以及大型物品的运输和地下制造有关的学术和技术互动。此外，该项目还开发了影响设施设计的更具挑战性的危险分析，并探索了设施和实验之间的管理和治理接口。

Discovering the nature of particle dark matter (DM) is a key priority in Physics - and for STFC. Direct detection of electroweak-scale DM in our galaxy is the primary goal of the XLZD consortium, formed by the coming together of the foremost collaborations in the field: XENON-nT, LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) and DARWIN. XLZD is proposing a large underground experiment based on the leading liquid xenon (LXe) technology: the definitive search for WIMP DM, able to rule out or discover in the accessible parameter space remaining above the irreducible neutrino background. The scientific potential of such a "rare event observatory" is detailed in a comprehensive white paper signed by 600 authors worldwide. LZ and Xenon-nT are the leading experiments in the field at present. Discovery of DM at XLZD would have profound implications for our understanding of the universe, its birth and its structure. STFC is currently considering a proposal to host the XLZD experiment in a state-of-the-art new facility at the Boulby Underground Laboratory in North Yorkshire (XLZD@Boulby). A liquid xenon rare event observatory might well be the largest project hosted at Boulby, supported by the largest international collaboration visiting the facility, and hence it would drive the facility design to a significant degree. This project sets up the academic and technical interactions related to the configuration of underground and surface spaces and facilities, and to the transportation and underground manufacture of large items. Additionally, this project develops the more challenging hazard analyses that impact facility design, and it explores management and governance interfaces between the facility and the experiment.