Boulby Development Call: XLZD Infrastructure

发现粒子暗物质（DM）的性质是物理学和STFC的关键优先事项。直接探测银河系中的电弱尺度DM是XLZD联盟的主要目标，该联盟由该领域最重要的合作伙伴XENON-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（LIGH）技术的大型地下实验：对WIMP DM的最终搜索，能够排除或发现在不可约中微子背景之上的可访问参数空间。这样一个“罕见事件观测站”的科学潜力在一份由全世界600名作者签署的全面的白色论文中有详细说明。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，它的诞生和它的结构产生深远的影响。STFC目前正在考虑在北约克郡的博尔比地下实验室（XLZD@Boulby）的一个最先进的新设施中主持XLZD实验的提议。一个液态氙稀有事件观测站很可能是在博尔比主持的最大的项目，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该设施的设计。该项目建立了与地下和地面空间和设施的配置以及大型项目的运输和地下制造相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界面。

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.