Update on the Majorana Demonstrator's search for neutrinoless double-beta decay
ORAL
Abstract
The Majorana Demonstrator is searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) in 76Ge, a beyond the standard model process that would prove the neutrino is a Majorana fermion if discovered. The experiment has completed operation of a modular array of 44 kg of high purity germanium detectors, in the p-type point contact (PPC), inverted-coaxial point-contact (ICPC), and broad energy germanium (BEGe) geometries. The 30 kg of PPC detectors and 6 kg of ICPC detectors, which belong to the LEGEND experiment, were enriched to 88% in 76Ge. After removing the enriched detectors in March of 2021 for future operation in LEGEND-200, the experiment is continuing to operate 23 BEGe detectors with natural isotopic abundance. To minimize backgrounds, the Demonstrator is constructed from low-background materials and housed inside a compact shield consisting of lead and copper at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. Each of the detector geometries enable the use of pulse shape discrimination techniques that can reject multi-site and surface backgrounds. Furthermore, the experiment has achieved a leading energy resolution of 0.12% FWHM at 2039 keV. This talk will provide an update on recent improvements to the Majorana analysis and future plans for the experiment.
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Presenters
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Ian Guinn
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Authors
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Ian Guinn
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill