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Register a new userThe Majorana Demonstrators Search for Double-Beta Decay of $^{76}$Ge to Excited States of $^{76}$Se
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The Majorana Demonstrator is a neutrinoless double-beta decay search consisting of a low-background modular array of high-purity germanium detectors, $sim2/3$ of which are enriched to 88% in $^{76}$Ge. The experiment is also searching for double-beta decay of $^{76}$Ge to excited states (e.s.) in $^{76}$Se. $^{76}$Ge can decay into three daughter states of $^{76}$Se, with clear event signatures consisting of a $betabeta$-decay followed by the prompt emission of one or two $gamma$-rays. This results with high probability in multi-detector coincidences. The granularity of the Demonstrator detector array enables powerful discrimination of this event signature from backgrounds. Using 41.9~kg-y of isotopic exposure, the Demonstrator has set world leading limits for each e.s. decay of $^{76}$Ge, with 90% CL lower half-life limits in the range of $(0.75-4.0)times10^{24}$~y. In particular, for the $2 u$ transition to the first $0^+$ e.s. of $^{76}$Se, a lower half-life limit of $7.5times10^{23}$~y at 90% CL was achieved.
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The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is searching for double-beta decay of $^{76}$Ge to excited states (E.S.) in $^{76}$Se using a modular array of high purity Germanium detectors. $^{76}$Ge can decay into three E.S.s of $^{76}$Se. The E.S. decays have a clear event signature consisting of a $betabeta$-decay with the prompt emission of one or two $gamma$-rays, resulting in with high probability in a multi-site event. The granularity of the DEMONSTRATOR detector array enables powerful discrimination of this event signature from backgrounds. Using 21.3 kg-y of isotopic exposure, the DEMONSTRATOR has set world leading limits for each E.S. decay, with 90% CL lower half-life limits in the range of $(0.56-2.1)cdot10^{24}$ y. In particular, for the $2 u$ transition to the first $0^+$ E.S. of $^{76}$Se, a lower half-life limit of $0.68cdot10^{24}$ at 90% CL was achieved.
The Majorana Experiment is a next-generation Ge-76 double-beta decay search. It will employ 500 kg of Ge, isotopically enriched to 86% in Ge-76, in the form of 200 detectors in a close-packed array for high granularity. Each crystal will be electronically segmented, with each region fitted with pulse-shape analysis electronics. A half-life sensitivity is predicted of 4.2e27 y or <m_nu> < 0.02-0.07 eV, depending on the nuclear matrix elements used to interpret the data.
The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would determine whether the neutrino is a Majorana particle and provide information on the absolute scale of neutrino mass. The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the DEMONSTRATOR, an array of germanium detectors, to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76-Ge. The DEMONSTRATOR will contain 40 kg of germanium; up to 30 kg will be enriched to 86% in 76-Ge. The DEMONSTRATOR will be deployed deep underground in an ultra-low-background shielded environment. Operation of the DEMONSTRATOR aims to determine whether a future tonne-scale germanium experiment can achieve a background goal of one count per tonne-year in a 4-keV region of interest around the 76-Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay Q-value of 2039 keV.
GERDA, the GERmanium Detector Array experiment, is a new double beta-decay experiment which is currently under construction in the INFN National Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. It is implementing a new shielding concept by operating bare Ge diodes - enriched in Ge-76 - in high purity liquid argon supplemented by a water shield. The aim of GERDA is to verify or refute the recent claim of discovery, and, in a second phase, to achieve a two orders of magnitude lower background index than recent experiments. The paper discusses motivation, physics reach, design and status of construction of GERDA, and presents some R&D results.
Neutrino accompanied double beta-decay of Ge-76 can populate the ground state and the excited states of Se-76. While the decay to the ground state has been observed with a half-life of 1.74 +0.18 -0.16 10^21 years, decays to the excited states have not yet been observed. Nuclear matrix elements depend on details of the nuclear transitions. A measurement of the half-life of the transition considered here could help to reduce the uncertainties of the calculations of the nuclear matrix element for the neutrinoless double beta decay of Ge-76. This parameter relates the half-life of the process to the effective Majorana neutrino mass. The results of a feasibility study to detect the neutrino accompanied double beta-decay of Ge-76 to the excited states of Se-76 are presented in this paper. Segmented germanium detectors were assumed in this study. Such detectors, enriched in Ge-76 to a level of about 86%, will be deployed in the GERDA experiment located at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory, Italy. It is shown that the decay of Ge-76 to the 1122 keV 0+ level of Se-76 can be observed in GERDA provided that the half-life of the process is in the range favoured by the present calculations which is 7.5 10^21 y to 3.1 10^23 y.
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