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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.31190 |
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| _version_ | 1866913172650196992 |
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| author | Mondal, D. Baker, W. Chaudhuri, M. Dent, J. B. Dutta, B. Iyer, V. Jastram, A. Kashyap, V. K. S. Kubik, A. Lang, K. Mahapatra, R. Maludze, S. Mirabolfathi, N. Mirzakhani, M. Mohanty, B. Neog, H. Newstead, J. L. Platt, M. Sahoo, S. Sander, J. Strigari, L. E. Walker, J. |
| author_facet | Mondal, D. Baker, W. Chaudhuri, M. Dent, J. B. Dutta, B. Iyer, V. Jastram, A. Kashyap, V. K. S. Kubik, A. Lang, K. Mahapatra, R. Maludze, S. Mirabolfathi, N. Mirzakhani, M. Mohanty, B. Neog, H. Newstead, J. L. Platt, M. Sahoo, S. Sander, J. Strigari, L. E. Walker, J. |
| contents | As cryogenic detectors push toward ever-lower energy thresholds, their sensitivity is increasingly constrained by a persistent low-energy background known as the low-energy excess (LEE). We report observation of LEE in the MINER experiment using a sapphire ($\mathrm{Al_2O_3}$) detector at energies around 200 eV, with the excess reproducibly reappearing after each non-operational warm-up period. To address this limiting background, we implement an unsupervised convolutional variational autoencoder (CVAE) framework that identifies anomalous events through a reconstruction-based anomaly score.
For the first time in a pulse-shape driven analysis, we uncover a significant deviation in the rise-time of LEE events relative to Monte Carlo simulated ideal signals. Using this feature, we develop a discrimination pipeline based on rise-time selection. This method achieves up to 53\% rejection of LEE events, corresponding to an expected sensitivity improvement of nearly 10\% for MINER at HFIR.
These findings are consistent with a scenario in which a substantial fraction of the LEE originates from bulk-related defects or microfractures within the detector crystal, while leaving room for additional detector-related contributions. Our result provides a powerful, data-driven pathway for mitigating LEE and enhancing the discovery potential of next-generation cryogenic experiments. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_31190 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Exploring Low Energy Excess in MINER with sapphire detectors using Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) Mondal, D. Baker, W. Chaudhuri, M. Dent, J. B. Dutta, B. Iyer, V. Jastram, A. Kashyap, V. K. S. Kubik, A. Lang, K. Mahapatra, R. Maludze, S. Mirabolfathi, N. Mirzakhani, M. Mohanty, B. Neog, H. Newstead, J. L. Platt, M. Sahoo, S. Sander, J. Strigari, L. E. Walker, J. Instrumentation and Detectors High Energy Physics - Experiment As cryogenic detectors push toward ever-lower energy thresholds, their sensitivity is increasingly constrained by a persistent low-energy background known as the low-energy excess (LEE). We report observation of LEE in the MINER experiment using a sapphire ($\mathrm{Al_2O_3}$) detector at energies around 200 eV, with the excess reproducibly reappearing after each non-operational warm-up period. To address this limiting background, we implement an unsupervised convolutional variational autoencoder (CVAE) framework that identifies anomalous events through a reconstruction-based anomaly score. For the first time in a pulse-shape driven analysis, we uncover a significant deviation in the rise-time of LEE events relative to Monte Carlo simulated ideal signals. Using this feature, we develop a discrimination pipeline based on rise-time selection. This method achieves up to 53\% rejection of LEE events, corresponding to an expected sensitivity improvement of nearly 10\% for MINER at HFIR. These findings are consistent with a scenario in which a substantial fraction of the LEE originates from bulk-related defects or microfractures within the detector crystal, while leaving room for additional detector-related contributions. Our result provides a powerful, data-driven pathway for mitigating LEE and enhancing the discovery potential of next-generation cryogenic experiments. |
| title | Exploring Low Energy Excess in MINER with sapphire detectors using Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) |
| topic | Instrumentation and Detectors High Energy Physics - Experiment |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.31190 |