158 research outputs found
Contamination Control and Assay Results for the Majorana Demonstrator Ultra Clean Components
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment
utilizing enriched Ge-76 detectors in 2 separate modules inside of a common
solid shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. The DEMONSTRATOR has
utilized world leading assay sensitivities to develop clean materials and
processes for producing ultra-pure copper and plastic components. This
experiment is now operating, and initial data provide new insights into the
success of cleaning and processing. Post production copper assays after the
completion of Module 1 showed an increase in U and Th contamination in finished
parts compared to starting bulk material. A revised cleaning method and
additional round of surface contamination studies prior to Module 2
construction have provided evidence that more rigorous process control can
reduce surface contamination. This article describes the assay results and
discuss further studies to take advantage of assay capabilities for the purpose
of maintaining ultra clean fabrication and process design.Comment: Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT May 2017, Seoul
Low Background Signal Readout Electronics for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is a planned 40 kg array of Germanium detectors
intended to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a tonne-scale
experiment that will seek neutrinoless double beta decay () in
. Such an experiment would require backgrounds of less than 1
count/tonne-year in the 4 keV region of interest around the 2039 keV Q-value of
the decay. Designing low-noise electronics, which must be placed
in close proximity to the detectors, presents a challenge to reaching this
background target. This paper will discuss the MAJORANA collaboration's
solutions to some of these challenges
Search for Pauli Exclusion Principle Violating Atomic Transitions and Electron Decay with a P-type Point Contact Germanium Detector
A search for Pauli-exclusion-principle-violating K-alpha 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 5.8x10^30 seconds 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 6.8x10^30 seconds 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
- …