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Demonstration of background rejection using deep convolutional neural networks in the NEXT experiment

Journal of High Energy Physics volume 2021, Article number: 189 (2021) Cite this article

A preprint version of the article is available at arXiv.

Abstract

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used state-of-the-art computer vision tools that are becoming increasingly popular in high-energy physics. In this paper, we attempt to understand the potential of CNNs for event classification in the NEXT experiment, which will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 136Xe. To do so, we demonstrate the usage of CNNs for the identification of electron-positron pair production events, which exhibit a topology similar to that of a neutrinoless double-beta decay event. These events were produced in the NEXT-White high-pressure xenon TPC using 2.6 MeV gamma rays from a 228Th calibration source. We train a network on Monte Carlo-simulated events and show that, by applying on-the-fly data augmentation, the network can be made robust against differences between simulation and data. The use of CNNs offers significant improvement in signal efficiency and background rejection when compared to previous non-CNN-based analyses.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. G. Martínez-Lema

    Present address: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

  2. C. Sofka

    Present address: University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, 12 Physics Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-3160, USA

    J. Hauptman & D. R. Nygren

  2. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, 60439, USA

    C. Adams, K. Bailey, K. Hafidi & Z.-E. Meziani

  3. Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA

    K. Woodruff, N. Byrnes, B. J. P. Jones, A. Laing, A. D. McDonald, D. R. Nygren & L. Rogers

  4. Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (i3N), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    C. D. R. Azevedo, A. L. Ferreira & J. F. C. A. Veloso

  5. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL, 60510, USA

    M. Del Tutto, M. Diesburg, P. Lebrun & A. Para

  6. Nuclear Engineering Unit, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 8410501, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    L. Arazi, R. Felkai, Y. Ifergan, A. B. Redwine, A. Simón & R. Weiss-Babai

  7. Nuclear Research Center Negev, 84190, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    R. Felkai & Y. Ifergan

  8. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    A. Goldschmidt

  9. Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, E-48013, Bilbao, Spain

    J. J. Gómez-Cadenas, P. Ferrario & F. Monrabal

  10. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Sede Circunvalar, Carretera 3 Este No. 47 A-15, Bogotá, Colombia

    R. M. Gutiérrez, M. Losada & Y. Rodríguez García

  11. Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    T. Contreras, S. Ghosh, R. Guenette & J. Haefner

  12. Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc, Paseo de los Ayerbe s/n, E-22880, Canfranc Estación, Spain

    J. Pérez & B. Romeo

  13. LIBPhys, Physics Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-516, Coimbra, Portugal

    A. F. M. Fernandes, L. M. P. Fernandes, E. D. C. Freitas, C. A. O. Henriques, R. D. P. Mano, C. M. B. Monteiro & J. M. F. dos Santos

  14. LIP, Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, 3004-516, Coimbra, Portugal

    F. I. G. M. Borges, C. A. N. Conde, J. Escada & F. P. Santos

  15. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4242, USA

    C. Sofka, T. Stiegler, R. Webb & J. T. White

  16. Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Paseo Manuel Lardizabal, 4, E-20018, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain

    J. J. Gómez-Cadenas, J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez, P. Ferrario, J. Generowicz, P. Herrero, A. Martínez, F. Monrabal, J. Muñoz Vidal, B. Romeo & J. Torrent

  17. Escola Politècnica Superior, Universitat de Girona, Av. Montilivi, s/n, E-17071, Girona, Spain

    L. Ripoll

  18. Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, E-28049, Madrid, Spain

    L. Labarga

  19. Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC & Universitat de València, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, E-46980, Paterna, Spain

    M. Kekic, J. Renner, J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez, S. Cárcel, J. V. Carrión, J. Díaz, R. Felkai, N. López-March, J. Martín-Albo, A. Martínez, G. Martínez-Lema, M. Martínez-Vara, J. Muñoz Vidal, P. Novella, B. Palmeiro, M. Querol, C. Romo-Luque, M. Sorel, A. Usón & N. Yahlali

  20. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    E. Church & I. J. Arnquist

  21. Instituto Gallego de Física de Altas Energías, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus sur, Rúa Xosé María Suárez Núñez, s/n, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    M. Kekic, J. Renner, J. A. Hernando Morata, G. Díaz, D. González-Díaz, G. Martínez-Lema & B. Palmeiro

  22. Instituto de Instrumentación para Imagen Molecular (I3M), Centro Mixto CSIC, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia, E-46022, Spain

    V. Álvarez, F. Ballester, R. Esteve, V. Herrero, N. López-March, F. J. Mora, J. Rodríguez & J. F. Toledo

  23. Centro de Astropartículas y Física de Altas Energías (CAPA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Calle Pedro Cerbuna, 12, E-50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    S. Cebrián

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  1. M. Kekic
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  2. C. Adams
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Kekic.

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ArXiv ePrint: 2009.10783

NEXT Co-spokesperson. (J. J. Gómez-Cadenas)

On leave from Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavneh, Israel. (R. Weiss-Babai)

Deceased (J. T. White)

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The NEXT collaboration., Kekic, M., Adams, C. et al. Demonstration of background rejection using deep convolutional neural networks in the NEXT experiment. J. High Energ. Phys. 2021, 189 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2021)189

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2021)189

Keywords

  • Dark Matter and Double Beta Decay (experiments)