Projections for the LUX Dark Matter Experiment from LUX\_0.1 Prototype Results

The LUX experiment will facilitate direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) with a 350~kg liquid xenon TPC. LUX will be able to detect 100~GeV WIMPs with scalar cross-section as low as $7\times10^{-46}$~cm$^2$, equivalent to $\sim$0.5~events/100~kg/month in a 100~kg inner fiducial volume. Background event rates $< 8\times10^{-4}$~events/keVee/kg/day are ensured with up to 99.9\% electron-recoil rejection and 50\% nuclear-recoil acceptance. Light collection from primary scintillation events is expected to reach $\sim$10~phe/keVee (ZF). Results from the LUX\_0.1 prototype detector, including greatly enhanced light collection and high xenon purity, are very promising for LUX. All impurities resulting in the degradation of either electron drift lengths or photon mean free paths in liquid xenon are expected to be reduced to negligible levels. A further testing phase above ground at Sanford Lab in early 2010 will further investigate these results prior to underground deployment in mid-2010.