PbWO4 crystal scintillators are discussed as an active shield and light-guides in 116Cd double beta decay experiment with CdWO4 scintillators. Scintillation properties and radioactive contamination of PbWO4 scintillators were investigated. Energy resolution of CdWO4 detector, coupled to PbWO4 crystal as a light-guide, was tested. Efficiency of PbWO4-based active shield to suppress background from the internal contamination of PbWO4 crystals was calculated. Using of lead tungstate crystal scintillators as high efficiency 4-pi active shield could allow to build sensitive double beta experiment with 116CdWO4 crystal scintillators.
A new phase of 116Cd double beta decay experiment is in progress in the Solotvina Underground Laboratory. Four enriched 116CdWO4 scintillators with total mass 339 g are used in a set up, whose active shield is made of 15 natural CdWO4 crystals (20.6 kg). The background rate in the energy interval 2.5-3.2 MeV is 0.03 counts/y*kg*keV. The half-life for 2-neutrino 2-beta decay of 116Cd is measured as T{1/2}(2-neutrino) = [2.6+-0.1(stat)-0.4+0.7}(syst)]*10**19 y. The T{1/2} limits for neutrinoless 2-beta decay of 116Cd are set as T{1/2} >= 0.7(2.5)*10**23 y at 90%(68%) C.L. for transition to ground state of 116Sn, while for decays to the first 2+ and second 0+ excited levels of 116Sn as T{1/2}>=1.3(4.8)*10**22 y and >=0.7(2.4)*10**22 y with 90%(68%) C.L., respectively. For 0-neutrino 2-beta decay with emission of one or two Majorons, the limits are T{1/2}(0-neutrino M1) >=3.7(5.8)*10**21 y and T{1/2}(0-neutrino M2)>=5.9(9.4)*10**20 y at 90%(68%) C.L. Restrictions on the value of the neutrino mass, right-handed admixtures in the weak interaction, and the neutrino-Majoron coupling constant are derived as: m(neutrino)<=2.6(1.4) eV, eta <=3.9*10**-8, lambda <=3.4*10**-6, and g{M}<= 12(9.5)*10**-5 at 90%(68%) C.L., respectively.
A cadmium tungstate crystal boule enriched in $^{116}$Cd to 82% with mass of 1868 g was grown by the low-thermal-gradient Czochralski technique. The isotopic composition of cadmium and the trace contamination of the crystal were estimated by High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry. The crystal scintillators produced from the boule were subjected to characterization that included measurements of transmittance and energy resolution. A low background scintillation detector with two $^{116}$CdWO$_4$ crystal scintillators (586 g and 589 g) was developed. The detector was running over 1727 h deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy), which allowed to estimate the radioactive contamination of the enriched crystal scintillators. The radiopurity of a third $^{116}$CdWO$_4$ sample (326 g) was tested with the help of ultra-low background high purity germanium $gamma$ detector. Monte Carlo simulations of double $beta$ processes in $^{116}$Cd were used to estimate the sensitivity of an experiment to search for double $beta$ decay of $^{116}$Cd.
Energy resolution, alpha/beta ratio, pulse-shape discrimination for gamma rays and alpha particles, temperature dependence of scintillation properties, and radioactive contamination were studied with CaMoO4 crystal scintillators. A high sensitivity experiment to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 100-Mo by using CaMoO4 scintillators is discussed.
Double beta processes in 64-Zn, 70-Zn, 180-W, and 186-W have been searched for with the help of large volume (0.1-0.7 kg) low background ZnWO4 crystal scintillators at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN. Total time of measurements exceeds 10 thousands hours. New improved half-life limits on double electron capture and electron capture with positron emission in 64-Zn have been set, in particular (all the limits are at 90% C.L.): T1/2(0nu2EC)> 1.1e20 yr, T1/2(2nuECbeta+)>7.0e20 yr, and T1/2(0nuECbeta+)>4.3e20 yr. The different modes of double beta processes in 70-Zn, 180-W, and 186-W have been restricted at the level of 1e17-1e20 yr.
The Gerda experiment designed to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay in 76Ge has successfully completed the first data collection. No signal excess is found, and a lower limit on the half life of the process is set, with T1/2 > 2.1x10^25 yr (90% CL). After a review of the experimental setup and of the main Phase I results, the hardware upgrade for Gerda Phase II is described, and the physics reach of the new data collection is reported.
F.A.Danevich
,A.Sh.Georgadze
,V.V.Kobychev
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(2004)
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"Application of PbWO4 crystal scintillators in experiment to search for double beta decay of 116Cd"
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Vladimir Tretyak
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