Signal modeling of high-purity Ge detectors with a small read-out electrode and application to neutrinoless double beta decay search in Ge-76

The GERDA experiment searches for the neutrinoless double beta decay of Ge-76 using high-purity germanium detectors enriched in Ge-76. The analysis of the signal time structure provides a powerful tool to identify neutrinoless double beta decay events and to discriminate them from gamma-ray induced backgrounds. Enhanced pulse shape discrimination capabilities of "Broad Energy Germanium" detectors with a small read-out electrode have been recently reported. This paper describes the full simulation of the response of such a detector, including the Monte Carlo modeling of radiation interaction and subsequent signal shape calculation. A pulse shape discrimination method based on the ratio between the maximum current signal amplitude and the event energy applied to the simulated data shows quantitative agreement with the experimental data acquired with calibration sources. The simulation has been used to study the survival probabilities of the decays which occur inside the detector volume and are difficult to assess experimentally. Such internal decay events are produced by the cosmogenic radio-isotopes Ge-68 and Co-60 and the neutrinoless double beta decay of Ge-76. Fixing the experimental acceptance of the double escape peak of the 2.614 MeV photon to 90%, the estimated survival probabilities at Qbb = 2.039 MeV are (86+-3)% for Ge-76 neutrinoless double beta decays, (4.5+-0.3)% for the Ge-68 daughter Ga-68, and (0.9+0.4-0.2)% for Co-60 decays.Comment: 27 pages, 17 figures. v2: fixed typos and references. Submitted to JINS

Highly Sensitive Gamma-Spectrometers of GERDA for Material Screening: Part 2

The previous article about material screening for GERDA points out the importance of strict material screening and selection for radioimpurities as a key to meet the aspired background levels of the GERDA experiment. This is directly done using low-level gamma-spectroscopy. In order to provide sufficient selective power in the mBq/kg range and below, the employed gamma-spectrometers themselves have to meet strict material requirements, and make use of an elaborate shielding system. This article gives an account of the setup of two such spectrometers. Corrado is located in a depth of 15 m w.e. at the MPI-K in Heidelberg (Germany), GeMPI III is situated at the Gran-Sasso underground laboratory at 3500 m w.e. (Italy). The latter one aims at detecting sample activities of the order ~0.01 mBq/kg, which is the current state-of-the-art level. The applied techniques to meet the respective needs are discussed and demonstrated by experimental results.Comment: Featured in: Proceedings of the XIV International Baksan School "Particles and Cosmology" Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, April 16-21,2007. INR RAS, Moscow 2008. ISBN 978-5-94274-055-9, pp. 233-238; (6 pages, 4 figures

Pulse shape discrimination studies with a Broad-Energy Germanium detector for signal identification and background suppression in the GERDA double beta decay experiment

First studies of event discrimination with a Broad-Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector are presented. A novel pulse shape method, exploiting the characteristic electrical field distribution inside BEGe detectors, allows to identify efficiently single-site events and to reject multi-site events. The first are typical for neutrinoless double beta decays (0-nu-2-beta) and the latter for backgrounds from gamma-ray interactions. The obtained survival probabilities of backgrounds at energies close to Q(76Ge) = 2039 keV are 0.93% for events from 60Co, 21% from 226Ra and 40% from 228Th. This background suppression is achieved with 89% acceptance of 228Th double escape events, which are dominated by single site interactions. Approximately equal acceptance is expected for 0-nu-2-beta-decay events. Collimated beam and Compton coincidence measurements demonstrate that the discrimination is largely independent of the interaction location inside the crystal and validate the pulse-shape cut in the energy range of Q(76Ge). The application of BEGe detectors in the GERDA and the Majorana double beta decay experiments is under study.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures, submitted to JINST: JINST_018P_080

Pulse shape discrimination studies with a Broad-Energy Germanium detector for signal identification and background suppression in the GERDA double beta decay experiment

First studies of event discrimination with a Broad-Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector are presented. A novel pulse shape method, exploiting the characteristic electrical field distribution inside BEGe detectors, allows to identify efficiently single-site events and to reject multi-site events. The first are typical for neutrinoless double beta decays (0-nu-2-beta) and the latter for backgrounds from gamma-ray interactions. The obtained survival probabilities of backgrounds at energies close to Q(76Ge) = 2039 keV are 0.93% for events from 60Co, 21% from 226Ra and 40% from 228Th. This background suppression is achieved with 89% acceptance of 228Th double escape events, which are dominated by single site interactions. Approximately equal acceptance is expected for 0-nu-2-beta-decay events. Collimated beam and Compton coincidence measurements demonstrate that the discrimination is largely independent of the interaction location inside the crystal and validate the pulse-shape cut in the energy range of Q(76Ge). The application of BEGe detectors in the GERDA and the Majorana double beta decay experiments is under study.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures, submitted to JINST: JINST_018P_080

Pulse shape discrimination studies with a Broad-Energy Germanium detector for signal identification and background suppression in the GERDA double beta decay experiment

First studies of event discrimination with a Broad-Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector are presented. A novel pulse shape method, exploiting the characteristic electrical field distribution inside BEGe detectors, allows to identify efficiently single-site events and to reject multi-site events. The first are typical for neutrinoless double beta decays (0-nu-2-beta) and the latter for backgrounds from gamma-ray interactions. The obtained survival probabilities of backgrounds at energies close to Q(76Ge) = 2039 keV are 0.93% for events from 60Co, 21% from 226Ra and 40% from 228Th. This background suppression is achieved with 89% acceptance of 228Th double escape events, which are dominated by single site interactions. Approximately equal acceptance is expected for 0-nu-2-beta-decay events. Collimated beam and Compton coincidence measurements demonstrate that the discrimination is largely independent of the interaction location inside the crystal and validate the pulse-shape cut in the energy range of Q(76Ge). The application of BEGe detectors in the GERDA and the Majorana double beta decay experiments is under study.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures, submitted to JINST: JINST_018P_080

Mitigation of 42^{42}Ar/42^{42}K background for the GERDA Phase II experiment

Background coming from the $^{42}$Ar decay chain is considered to be one of the most relevant for the GERDA experiment, which aims to search of the neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{76}$Ge. The sensitivity strongly relies on the absence of background around the Q-value of the decay. Background coming from $^{42}$K, a progeny of $^{42}$Ar, can contribute to that background via electrons from the continuous spectrum with an endpoint of 3.5 MeV. Research and development on the suppression methods targeting this source of background were performed at the low-background test facility LArGe. It was demonstrated that by reducing $^{42}$K ion collection on the surfaces of the broad energy germanium detectors in combination with pulse shape discrimination techniques and an argon scintillation veto, it is possible to suppress the $^{42}$K background by three orders of magnitude. This is sufficient for Phase II of the GERDA experiment

Highly sensitive gamma-spectrometers of GERDA for material screening: Part I

The GERDA experiment aims to search for the neutrinoless double beta-decay of 76Ge and possibly for other rare processes. The sensitivity of the first phase is envisioned to be more than one order of magnitude better than in previous neutrinoless double beta-decay experiments. This implies that materials with ultra-low radioactive contamination need to be used for the construction of the detector and its shielding. Therefore the requirements on material screening include high-sensitivity low-background detection techniques and long measurement times. In this article, an overview of material-screening laboratories available to the GERDA collaboration is given, with emphasis on the gamma-spectrometry. Additionally, results of an intercomparison of the evaluation accuracy in these laboratories are presented.Comment: Featured in: Proceedings of the XIV International Baksan School "Particles and Cosmology" Baksan Valley, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, April 16-21,2007. INR RAS, Moscow 2008. ISBN 978-5-94274-055-9, pp. 228-232; (5 pages, 0 figures

2νββ2\nu\beta\beta decay of 76^{76}Ge into excited states with GERDA Phase I

Two neutrino double beta decay of $^{76}$Ge to excited states of $^{76}$Se has been studied using data from Phase I of the GERDA experiment. An array composed of up to 14 germanium detectors including detectors that have been isotopically enriched in $^{76}$Ge was deployed in liquid argon. The analysis of various possible transitions to excited final states is based on coincidence events between pairs of detectors where a de-excitation $\gamma$ ray is detected in one detector and the two electrons in the other. No signal has been observed and an event counting profile likelihood analysis has been used to determine Frequentist 90\,\% C.L. bounds for three transitions: ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-2^+_1}$: $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}>$1.6$\cdot10^{23}$ yr, ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-0^+_1}$: $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}>$3.7$\cdot10^{23}$ yr and ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-2^+_2}$: $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}>$2.3$\cdot10^{23}$ yr. These bounds are more than two orders of magnitude larger than those reported previously. Bayesian 90\,\% credibility bounds were extracted and used to exclude several models for the ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-0^+_1}$ transition

Results on ββ\beta\beta decay with emission of two neutrinos or Majorons in 76^{76}Ge from GERDA Phase I

A search for neutrinoless $\beta\beta$ decay processes accompanied with Majoron emission has been performed using data collected during Phase I of the GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN (Italy). Processes with spectral indices n = 1, 2, 3, 7 were searched for. No signals were found and lower limits of the order of 10$^{23}$ yr on their half-lives were derived, yielding substantially improved results compared to previous experiments with $^{76}$Ge. A new result for the half-life of the neutrino-accompanied $\beta\beta$ decay of $^{76}$Ge with significantly reduced uncertainties is also given, resulting in $T^{2\nu}_{1/2} = (1.926 \pm 0.095)\cdot10^{21}$ yr.Comment: 3 Figure

Characterization of 30 76^{76}Ge enriched Broad Energy Ge detectors for GERDA Phase II

The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) is a low background experiment located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, which searches for neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{76}$Ge into $^{76}$Se+2e$^-$. GERDA has been conceived in two phases. Phase II, which started in December 2015, features several novelties including 30 new Ge detectors. These were manufactured according to the Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector design that has a better background discrimination capability and energy resolution compared to formerly widely-used types. Prior to their installation, the new BEGe detectors were mounted in vacuum cryostats and characterized in detail in the HADES underground laboratory in Belgium. This paper describes the properties and the overall performance of these detectors during operation in vacuum. The characterization campaign provided not only direct input for GERDA Phase II data collection and analyses, but also allowed to study detector phenomena, detector correlations as well as to test the strength of pulse shape simulation codes.Comment: 29 pages, 18 figure