Energy resolution, alpha/beta ratio, pulse-shape discrimination for gamma rays and alpha particles, radioactive contamination were studied with neodymium doped yttrium-aluminum garnet (YAG:Nd). Applicability of YAG:Nd scintillators to search for double beta decay and alpha activity of natural neodymium isotopes are discussed.
Energy resolution, alpha/beta ratio, and the pulse shape discrimination ability of the ZnWO_4 crystal scintillators were studied. The radioactive contamination of a ZnWO_4 crystal was investigated in the Solotvina Underground Laboratory. Possibilities to apply ZnWO_4 crystals for the dark matter and double beta decay searches are discussed. New improved half-life limits on double beta decay in zinc isotopes were established, in particular, for ECbeta^+ decay of 64-Zn as: T_1/2^2nu > 8.9 10^18 yr and T_1/2^0nu > 3.6 10^18 yr, both at 68% CL.
In the field of Double Beta Decay (DBD) searches the possibility to have high resolution detectors in which background can be discriminated is very appealing. This very interesting possibility can be largely fulfilled in the case of a scintillating bolometer containing a Double Beta Decay emitter whose transition energy exceeds the one of the natural gamma line of 208Tl. We present the latest results obtained in the development of such a kind of scintillating bolometer. For the first time an array of five CdWO4 (116Cd has a Double Beta Decay transition energy of 2805 keV) crystals is tested. The array consists of a plane of four 3x3x3 cm3 crystals and a second plane consisting of a single 3x3x6 cm3 crystal. This setup is mounted in hall C of the National Laboratory of Gran Sasso inside a lead shielding in order to reduce as far as possible the environmental background. The aim of this test is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of this technique through an array of detectors and perform a long background measurement in the best conditions in order to prove the achievable background in the Zero neutrino-DBD region.
We present a search for beta plus/EC double beta decay of 120Te performed with the CUORICINO experiment, an array of TeO2 cryogenic bolometers. After collecting 0.0573 kg y of 120Te, we see no evidence of a signal and therefore set the following limits on the half-life: T1/2 (0nu) > 1.9 10^{21} y at 90% C.L. for the 0 neutrino mode and T1/2 (2nu) > 7.6 10^{19} y at 90% C.L. for the two neutrino mode. These results improve the existing limits by almost three orders of magnitude (four in the case of 0 neutrino mode).
Search for double $beta$ decay of $^{136}$Ce and $^{138}$Ce was realized with 732 g of deeply purified cerium oxide sample measured over 1900 h with the help of an ultra-low background HPGe $gamma$ detector with a volume of 465 cm$^3$ at the STELLA facility of the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy). New improved half-life limits on double beta processes in the cerium isotopes were set at the level of $lim T_{1/2}sim 10^{17}-10^{18}$~yr; many of them are even two orders of magnitude larger than the best previous results.
A search for double $beta$ decay of dysprosium was realized for the first time with the help of an ultra low-background HP Ge $gamma$ detector. After 2512 h of data taking with a 322 g sample of dysprosium oxide limits on double beta processes in $^{156}$Dy and $^{158}$Dy have been established on the level of $T_{1/2}geq 10^{14}-10^{16}$ yr. Possible resonant double electron captures in $^{156}$Dy and $^{158}$Dy were restricted on a similar level. As a by-product of the experiment we have measured the radioactive contamination of the Dy$_2$O$_3$ sample and set limits on the $alpha$ decay of dysprosium isotopes to the excited levels of daughter nuclei as $T_{1/2}geq 10^{15} - 10^{17}$ yr.
F.A.Danevich
,V.V.Kobychev
,S.S.Nagorny
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(2004)
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"YAG:Nd crystals as possible detector to search for double beta and alpha decay of neodymium"
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Vladimir Tretyak
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