Status of the ZEPLIN II experiment

ZEPLIN II is a 30-kg two-phase xenon detector designed for direct detection of cold dark matter in the form of WIMPs. Currently in the commissioning phase, it will begin operation in the Boulby Mine, UK later this year. ZEPLIN II is capable of discriminating between nuclear recoils and background events and has a design reach up to two orders of magnitude beyond current limits. It will also serve as a step in the development program for a next-generation ton-scale detector.