Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with Germanium Detectors: 1026 yr and Beyond

Universe

Francesco Salamida¹  Valerio D’Andrea¹  Carla Macolino¹  Michele Morella²  Natalia Di Marco²  Matthias Laubenstein²  Matthias Bernhard Junker²  Chiara Vignoli² 

[1] Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche e Chimiche, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;INFN—Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;

关键词: germanium detector;    neutrino;    neutrinoless double beta decay;   

DOI  :  10.3390/universe7090341

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In the global landscape of neutrinoless double beta ($0\nu \beta \beta$) decay search, the use of semiconductor germanium detectors provides many advantages. The excellent energy resolution, the negligible intrinsic radioactive contamination, the possibility of enriching the crystals up to 88% in the ${}^{76}$Ge isotope as well as the high detection efficiency, are all key ingredients for highly sensitive $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay search. The Majorana and Gerda experiments successfully implemented the use of germanium (Ge) semiconductor detectors, reaching an energy resolution of 2.53 ± 0.08 keV at the Q${}_{\beta \beta }$ and an unprecedented low background level of $5.2\times {10}^{-4}$ cts/(keV·kg·yr), respectively. In this paper, we will review the path of $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay search with Ge detectors from the original idea of E. Fiorini et al. in 1967, to the final recent results of the Gerda experiment setting a limit on the half-life of ${}^{76}$Ge $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay at $T_{1/2}>1.8\times {10}^{26}$ yr (90% C.L.). We will then present the LEGEND project designed to reach a sensitivity to the half-life up to ${10}^{28}$ yr and beyond, opening the way to the exploration of the normal ordering region.

【 授权许可】

Unknown