The next generation of bolometric experiments searching for rave events, in particular for the neutrino-less double beta decay, needs fast, high-sensitivity and easy-to-scale cryogenic light ...detectors. The CALDER project (2014–2020) developed a new technology for light detection at cryogenic temperature. In this paper we describe the achievements and the final prototype of this project, consisting of a
5
×
5
cm
2
,
650
μ
m
thick silicon substrate coupled to a single kinetic inductance detector made of a three-layer aluminum-titanium-aluminum. The baseline energy resolution is
34
±
1
(stat)
±
2
(syst) eV RMS and the response time is
120
μ
s. These features, along with the natural multiplexing capability of kinetic inductance detectors, meet the requirements of future large-scale experiments.
The suppression of spurious events in the region of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay will play a major role in next generation experiments. The background of detectors based on the ...technology of cryogenic calorimeters is expected to be dominated by
α
particles, that could be disentangled from double beta decay signals by exploiting the difference in the emission of the scintillation light. CUPID-0, an array of enriched Zn
82
Se scintillating calorimeters, is the first large mass demonstrator of this technology. The detector started data-taking in 2017 at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso with the aim of proving that dual read-out of light and heat allows for an efficient suppression of the
α
background. In this paper we describe the software tools we developed for the analysis of scintillating calorimeters and we demonstrate that this technology allows to reach an unprecedented background for cryogenic calorimeters.
Abstract
We present a method for the in-flight relative flux self-calibration of a spectro-photometer instrument, general enough to be applied to any upcoming galaxy survey on satellite. The ...instrument response function, that accounts for a smooth continuous variation due to telescope optics, on top of a discontinuous effect due to the segmentation of the detector, is inferred with a
χ
2
statistics. The method provides unbiased inference of the sources count rates and of the reconstructed relative response function, in the limit of high count rates. We simulate a simplified sequence of observations following a spatial random pattern and realistic distributions of sources and count rates, with the purpose of quantifying the relative importance of the number of sources and exposures for correctly reconstructing the instrument response. We present a validation of the method, with the definition of figures of merit to quantify the expected performance, in plausible scenarios.
The LUCIFER project aims at deploying the first array of enriched scintillating bolometers for the investigation of neutrinoless double-beta decay of Formula: see textSe. The matrix which embeds the ...source is an array of ZnSe crystals, where enriched Formula: see textSe is used as decay isotope. The radiopurity of the initial components employed for manufacturing crystals, that can be operated as bolometers, is crucial for achieving a null background level in the region of interest for double-beta decay investigations. In this work, we evaluated the radioactive content in 2.5 kg of 96.3 % enriched Formula: see textSe metal, measured with a high-purity germanium detector at the Gran Sasso deep underground laboratory. The limits on internal contaminations of primordial decay chain elements of Formula: see textTh, Formula: see textU and Formula: see textU are respectively: Formula: see text61, Formula: see text110 and Formula: see text74 Formula: see textBq/kg at 90 % C.L. The extremely low-background conditions in which the measurement was carried out and the high radiopurity of the Formula: see textSe allowed us to establish the most stringent lower limits on the half-lives of the double-beta decay of Formula: see textSe to 0Formula: see text, 2Formula: see text and 2Formula: see text excited states of Formula: see textKr of 3.4Formula: see text10Formula: see text, 1.3Formula: see text10Formula: see text and 1.0Formula: see text10Formula: see text y, respectively, with a 90 % C.L.
Localization and modeling of radioactive contaminations is a challenge that ultra-low background experiments are constantly facing. These are fundamental steps both to extract scientific results and ...to further reduce the background of the detectors. Here we present an innovative technique based on the analysis of
α
-
α
delayed coincidences in
232
Th and
238
U decay chains, developed to investigate the contaminations of the ZnSe crystals in the CUPID-0 experiment. This method allows to disentangle surface and bulk contaminations of the detectors relying on the different probability to tag delayed coincidences as function of the
α
decay position.
We report on the measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta decay half-life of Formula omittedTe with the CUORE-0 detector. From an exposure of 33.4 kg year of TeO Formula omitted, the half-life is ...determined to be Formula omitted = 8.2 ± 0.2 (stat.) ± 0.6 (syst.) Formula omitted 10 Formula omitted year. This result is obtained after a detailed reconstruction of the sources responsible for the CUORE-0 counting rate, with a specific study of those contributing to the Formula omittedTe neutrinoless double-beta decay region of interest.
•A technique for active cancellation of Pulse Tube (PT) vibrational noise is proposed.•The technique controls the relative phase of the pressure waves of two or more PTs.•A scan of the phase ...parameter space allows to find the lowest noise configuration.•The PTs are driven locking their relative phases in the optimal working condition.
The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) experiment at Gran Sasso National Laboratory of INFN searches for neutrinoless double beta decay using TeO2 crystals as cryogenic bolometers. The sensitivity of the measurement heavily depends on the energy resolution of the detector, therefore the success of the experiment stands on the capability to provide an extremely low noise environment. One of the most relevant sources of noise are the mechanical vibrations induced by the five Pulse Tube cryocoolers used on the cryogenic system which houses the detectors. To address this problem, we developed a system to control the relative phases of the pulse tube pressure oscillations, in order to achieve coherent superposition of the mechanical vibrations transmitted to the detectors. In the following, we describe this method and report on the results in applying it to the CUORE system.
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