Delayed Coincidence Analysis for Background Characterization in CUORE

We present a delayed coincidence analysis developed for the CUORE experiment to characterize radioactive backgrounds by identifying short-lived parent-daughter decay sequences. Using time- and energy-correlated event pairs, we extract posterior estimates of the specific activities associated with bulk and surface contamination in the detector. The method was applied to natural decay chains including U-238, U-235, and Th-232, with consistent activity estimates obtained from multiple decay pairs within each chain. In contrast to previous background studies in CUORE that provide only upper limits, this technique offers precise activity estimates with well-defined uncertainties. By improving our understanding of contaminant distributions, this analysis contributes valuable input to the CUORE background model and enhances our ability to identify gamma backgrounds, including those that directly impact the neutrinoless double beta decay region of interest.