Investigation of neutron-induced backgrounds in ⁷⁶Ge for 0νββ decay searches

Neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay is one of the slowest proposed nuclear decay rates. An extensive knowledge of potential background events is necessary for interpreting results from 0νββ searches. Even deep underground, neutron-induced reactions can occur in all components of detectors searching for rare events. The double-beta decay candidate ⁷⁶Ge (Q_ββ=2039.1 keV) has a nuclear level at 3951.9 keV that has been reported to emit a 2040.7 keV gamma ray, but which was not observed in follow-up studies. At Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL), we can study this potential background by exciting an enriched ⁷⁶Ge target with neutrons and observing the emitted gamma rays from the inelastic neutron scattering in situ. We studied this interaction in ⁷⁶Ge by searching for the coincident emission of gamma rays from the deexciatation of the 3951.9 keV level. We will report our initial results from n,n'γ on ⁷⁶Ge.