Abstract
We report the result of a search for neutrinos in coincidence with solar flares from the GOES flare database. The search was performed on a 10.8 kton-year exposure of KamLAND collected from ...2002 to 2019. This large exposure allows us to explore previously unconstrained parameter space for solar flare neutrinos. We found no statistical excess of neutrinos and established 90% confidence level upper limits of 8.4 × 10
7
cm
−2
(3.0 × 10
9
cm
−2
) on the electron antineutrino (electron neutrino) fluence at 20 MeV normalized to the X12 flare, assuming that the neutrino fluence is proportional to the X-ray intensity.
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is a 76Ge-based neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) experiment. Staged at the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility, the DEMONSTRATOR operates an ...array of high-purity p-type point contact Ge detectors deployed within a graded passive shield and an active muon veto system. The present work concerns the two-neutrino double-beta decay mode (2νββ) of 76Ge. For Ge detectors, having superior energy resolution (0.1%), this mode poses negligible background to the 0νββ mode, even for a ton-scale experiment. However, the measurement of the 2νββ mode allows for careful systematics checks of active detector mass, enrichment fraction, and pulse shape discrimination cuts related to both the 0νββ and 2νββ decay modes. A precision measurement of the 2νββ shape also allows searches for spectral distortions, possibly indicative of new physics, including 0νββχ. Work is underway to construct a full experimental background model enabling a Bayesian fit to the measured energy spectrum and extraction of a precise 2νββ spectrum and half-life.
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an experiment constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decays in germanium-76 and to demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a large-scale experiment in a phased ...and modular fashion. It consists of two modular arrays of natural and 76 Ge-enriched germanium detectors totalling 44.1 kg, located at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. Any neutrinoless double-beta decay search requires a thorough understanding of the background and the signal energy spectra. The various techniques employed to ensure the integrity of the measured spectra are discussed. Data collection is monitored with a thorough set of checks, and subsequent careful analysis is performed to qualify the data for higher level physics analysis. Instrumental background events are tagged for removal, and problematic channels are removed from consideration as necessary.
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an experiment constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decays in germanium-76 and to demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a ton-scale experiment in a phased ...and modular fashion. It consists of two modular arrays of natural and 76Ge-enriched germanium detectors totaling 44.1kg (29.7kg enriched detectors), located at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. Data taken with this setup since summer 2015 at different construction stages of the experiment show a clear reduction of the observed background index around the ROI for 0νββ- decay search due to improvements in shielding. We discuss the statistical approaches to search for a धνββ-signal and derive the physics sensitivity for an expected exposure of 10kg· y from enriched detectors using a profile likelihood based hypothesis test in combination with toy Monte Carlo data.
A search for Pauli-exclusion-principle-violating K
α
electron transitions was performed using 89.5 kg-d of data collected with a p-type point contact high-purity germanium detector operated at the ...Kimballton Underground Research Facility. A lower limit on the transition lifetime of
5.8
×
10
30
s at 90% C.L. was set by looking for a peak at 10.6 keV resulting from the X-ray and Auger electrons present following the transition. A similar analysis was done to look for the decay of atomic K-shell electrons into neutrinos, resulting in a lower limit of
6.8
×
10
30
s at 90% C.L. It is estimated that the
Majorana Demonstrator
, a 44 kg array of p-type point contact detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of
76
Ge, could improve upon these exclusion limits by an order of magnitude after three years of operation.
High voltage testing for the Majorana Demonstrator Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, I.J.; Avignone, F.T. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
07/2016, Letnik:
823
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The Majorana Collaboration is constructing the Majorana Demonstrator, an ultra-low background, 44-kg modular high-purity Ge (HPGe) detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. ...The phenomenon of surface micro-discharge induced by high-voltage has been studied in the context of the Majorana Demonstrator. This effect can damage the front-end electronics or mimic detector signals. To ensure the correct performance, every high-voltage cable and feedthrough must be capable of supplying HPGe detector operating voltages as high as 5kV without exhibiting discharge. R&D measurements were carried out to understand the testing system and determine the optimum design configuration of the high-voltage path, including different improvements of the cable layout and feedthrough flange model selection. Every cable and feedthrough to be used at the Majorana Demonstrator was characterized and the micro-discharge effects during the Majorana Demonstrator commissioning phase were studied. A stable configuration has been achieved, and the cables and connectors can supply HPGe detector operating voltages without exhibiting discharge.
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is searching for double-beta decay of 76Ge to excited states (E.S.) in 76Se using a modular array of high purity Germanium detectors. 76Ge can decay into three E.S.s of ...76Se. The E.S. decays have a clear event signature consisting of a ββ-decay with the prompt emission of one or two γ-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) ⋅ 1024 y. In particular, for the 2v transition to the first 0+ E.S. of 76Se, a lower half-life limit of 0.68 ⋅ 1024 at 90% CL was achieved.
An algorithm to determine the drift time of charge carriers in p-type point contact (PPC) high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors from the signals processed with a charge-sensitive preamplifier is ...introduced. It is demonstrated that the drift times can be used to estimate the distance of charge depositions from the point contact and to characterize losses due to charge trapping. A correction for charge trapping effects over a wide range of energies is implemented using the measured drift times and is shown to improve the energy resolution by up to 30%.
The removal of radioactivity from liquid scintillator has been studied in preparation of a low background phase of KamLAND. This paper describes the methods and techniques developed to measure and ...efficiently extract radon decay products from liquid scintillator. We report the radio-isotope reduction factors obtained when applying various extraction methods. During this study, distillation was identified as the most efficient method for removing radon-born lead from liquid scintillator.