Lithium-Containing Crystals for Light Dark Matter Search Experiments

In the current direct dark matter search landscape, the leading experiments in the sub-GeV mass region mostly rely on cryogenic techniques which employ crystalline targets. One attractive type of crystals for these experiments is those containing lithium, due to the fact that 7Li is an ideal candidate to study spin-dependent dark matter interactions in the low mass region. Furthermore, 6Li can absorb neutrons, a challenging background for dark matter experiments, through a distinctive signature which allows the monitoring of the neutron flux directly on site. In this work, we show the results obtained with three different detectors based on LiAlO2, a target crystal never used before in cryogenic experiments

Cryogenic characterization of a LiAlO 2 crystal and new results on spin-dependent dark matter interactions with ordinary matter: CRESST Collaboration

In this work, a first cryogenic characterization of a scintillating LiAlO 2 single crystal is presented. The results achieved show that this material holds great potential as a target for direct dark matter search experiments. Three different detector modules obtained from one crystal grown at the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) have been tested to study different properties at cryogenic temperatures. Firstly, two 2.8 g twin crystals were used to build different detector modules which were operated in an above-ground laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for Physics (MPP) in Munich, Germany. The first detector module was used to study the scintillation properties of LiAlO 2 at cryogenic temperatures. The second achieved an energy threshold of (213.02 ± 1.48) eV which allows setting a competitive limit on the spin-dependent dark matter particle-proton scattering cross section for dark matter particle masses between 350MeV/c2 and 1.50GeV/c2. Secondly, a detector module with a 373 g LiAlO 2 crystal as the main absorber was tested in an underground facility at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS): from this measurement it was possible to determine the radiopurity of the crystal and study the feasibility of using this material as a neutron flux monitor for low-background experiments. © 2020, The Author(s)

Development of methods for the preparation of radiopure ⁸²Se sources for the SuperNEMO neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment

A radiochemical method for producing 82Se sources with an ultra-low level of contamination of natural radionuclides (40K, decay products of 232Th and 238U) has been developed based on cation-exchange chromatographic purification with reverse removal of impurities. It includes chromatographic separation (purification), reduction, conditioning (which includes decantation, centrifugation, washing, grinding, and drying), and 82Se foil production. The conditioning stage, during which highly dispersed elemental selenium is obtained by the reduction of purified selenious acid (H2SeO3) with sulfur dioxide (SO2) represents the crucial step in the preparation of radiopure 82Se samples. The natural selenium (600 g) was first produced in this procedure in order to refine the method. The technique developed was then used to produce 2.5 kg of radiopure enriched selenium (82Se). The produced 82Se samples were wrapped in polyethylene (12 μm thick) and radionuclides present in the sample were analyzed with the BiPo-3 detector. The radiopurity of the plastic materials (chromatographic column material and polypropylene chemical vessels), which were used at all stages, was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The radiopurity of the 82Se foils was checked by measurements with the BiPo-3 spectrometer, which confirmed the high purity of the final product. The measured contamination level for 208Tl was 8-54 μBq/kg, and for 214Bi the detection limit of 600 μBq/kg has been reached.</p

Probing spin-dependent dark matter interactions with 6 Li: CRESST Collaboration

CRESST is one of the most prominent direct detection experiments for dark matter particles with sub- GeV/c2 mass. One of the advantages of the CRESST experiment is the possibility to include a large variety of nuclides in the target material used to probe dark matter interactions. In this work, we discuss in particular the interactions of dark matter particles with protons and neutrons of 6Li. This is now possible thanks to new calculations on nuclear matrix elements of this specific isotope of Li. To show the potential of using this particular nuclide for probing dark matter interactions, we used the data collected previously by a CRESST prototype based on LiAlO2 and operated in an above ground test-facility at Max-Planck-Institut für Physik in Munich, Germany. In particular, the inclusion of 6Li in the limit calculation drastically improves the result obtained for spin-dependent interactions with neutrons in the whole mass range. The improvement is significant, greater than two order of magnitude for dark matter masses below 1 GeV/c2, compared to the limit previously published with the same data

Natural radionuclides as background sources in the Modane underground laboratory

The Modane underground laboratory (LSM) is the deepest operating underground laboratory in Europe. It is located under the Fréjus peak in Savoie Alps in France, with average overburden of 4800 m w. e. (water equivalent), providing low-background environment for experiments in nuclear and particle physics, astrophysics and environmental physics. It is crucial to understand individual sources of background such as residual cosmic-ray flux of high-energy muons, muon-induced neutrons and contributions from radionuclides present in the environment. The identified dominant sources of background are radioactive contamination of construction materials of detectors and laboratory walls, radon contamination of the laboratory air, and neutrons produced in the laboratory. The largest neutron contribution has been identified from (α, n) reactions in low Z materials (10−7-10−4 n s−1 Bq−1) and from spontaneous fission of 238U ( 10−6 n s−1 Bq−1)

Ultra-sensitive radioanalytical technologies for underground physics experiments

Assessment of radioactive contamination of construction materials used in deep underground experiments has been carried out using ultra-sensitive analytical methods such as radiometrics, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), and neutron activation analysis. The lowest detection limits, < 1 nBq g$^{−1}$, has been obtained with ICPMS and AMS techniques

Geant4-based electromagnetic background model for the CRESST dark matter experiment

The CRESST (Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers) dark matter search experiment aims for the detection of dark matter particles via elastic scattering off nuclei in CaWO4 crystals. To understand the CRESST electromagnetic background due to the bulk contamination in the employed materials, a model based on Monte Carlo simulations was developed using the Geant4 simulation toolkit. The results of the simulation are applied to the TUM40 detector module of CRESST-II phase 2. We are able to explain up to (68 +/- 16)% of the electromagnetic background in the energy range between 1 and 40 keV

Measurement of the double- \varvec{\beta } β decay of \varvec{^{150}} 150 Nd to the 0 \varvec{^+_1} 1 + excited state of \varvec{^{150}} 150 Sm in NEMO-3

Abstract The NEMO-3 results for the double- $$\beta$$ β decay of $$^{150}$$ 150 Nd to the 0 $$^+_1$$ 1 + and 2 $$^+_1$$ 1 + excited states of $$^{150}$$ 150 Sm are reported. The data recorded during 5.25 year with 36.6 g of the isotope $$^{150}$$ 150 Nd are used in the analysis. The signal of the $$2\nu \beta \beta$$ 2 ν β β transition to the 0 $$^+_1$$ 1 + excited state is detected with a statistical significance exceeding 5 $$\sigma$$ σ . The half-life is measured to be $$T_{1/2}^{2\nu \beta \beta }(0^+_1) = \left[ 1.11 ^{+0.19}_{-0.14} \,\left( \hbox {stat}\right) ^{+0.17}_{-0.15}\,\left( \hbox {syst}\right) \right] \times 10^{20}$$ T 1 / 2 2 ν β β ( 0 1 + ) = 1 . 11 - 0.14 + 0.19 stat - 0.15 + 0.17 syst × 10 20  year, which is the most precise value that has been measured to date. 90% confidence-level limits are set for the other decay modes. For the $$2\nu \beta \beta$$ 2 ν β β decay to the 2 $$^+_1$$ 1 + level the limit is $$T^{2\nu \beta \beta }_{1/2}(2^+_1) > 2.42 \times 10^{20}~\hbox {year}$$ T 1 / 2 2 ν β β ( 2 1 + ) > 2.42 × 10 20 year . The limits on the $$0\nu \beta \beta$$ 0 ν β β decay to the 0 $$^+_1$$ 1 + and 2 $$^+_1$$ 1 + levels of $$^{150}$$ 150 Sm are significantly improved to $$T_{1/2}^{0\nu \beta \beta }(0^+_1) > 1.36 \times 10^{22}~\hbox {year}$$ T 1 / 2 0 ν β β ( 0 1 + ) > 1.36 × 10 22 year and $$T_{1/2}^{0\nu \beta \beta }(2^+_1) > 1.26 \times 10^{22}~\hbox {year}$$ T 1 / 2 0 ν β β ( 2 1 + ) > 1.26 × 10 22 year

Measurement of double beta decay of 150^{150}Nd to the 01+^+_1 excited state of 150^{150}Sm in NEMO-3

NEMO-3 results for the double beta decay of $^{150}$Nd to the 0 $^+_1$ and 2$^+_1$ excited states of $^{150}$Sm are reported. The data recorded during 5.25 y with 36.6 g of the isotope $^{150}$Nd were used in the analysis. For the first time the signal of $2\nu\beta\beta$ transition to the 0$^+_1$ excited state is detected with statistical significance exceeding 5 sigma. The half-life is measured to be T_{1/2}^{2\nu\beta\beta}(0^+_1) = \left[ 1.11 ^{+0.19}_{-0.14} \,\left(\mbox{stat}\right) ^{+0.17}_{-0.15}\, \left(\mbox{syst}\right) \right] \times10^{20}\,\mbox{y}. Limits are set on $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay to 2$^+_1$ level and on $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay to 0$^+_1$ and 2$^+_1$ levels of $^{150}$Sm.Comment: Withdrawn for revision. To be resubmitted late