Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Konovalov, S. I.

Publications and source records attributed to Konovalov, S. I..

Searching for beyond the Standard Model physics using the improved description of 100 Mo $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay spectral shape with CUPID-Mo

The current experiments searching for neutrinoless double-β ($0\nu \beta \beta$) decay also collect large statistics of Standard Model allowed two-neutrino double-β ($2\nu \beta \beta$ ) decay events. These can be used to search for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics via $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay spectral distortions. 100 Mo has a natural advantage due to its relatively short half-life, allowing higher $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay statistics at equal exposures compared to the other isotopes. We demonstrate the potential of the dual read-out bolometric technique exploiting a 100 Mo exposure of 1.47 kg years, acquired in the CUPID-Mo experiment at the Modane underground laboratory (France). We set limits on $0\nu \beta \beta$ decays with the emission of one or more Majorons, on $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay with Lorentz violation, and $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay with a sterile neutrino emission. In this analysis, we investigate the systematic uncertainty induced by modeling the $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay spectral shape parameterized through an improved model, an effect never considered before. This work motivates searches for BSM processes in the upcoming CUPID experiment, which will collect the largest amount of $2\nu \beta \beta$ decay events among the next-generation experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of the 2 ν β β Decay Rate and Spectral Shape of Mo 100 from the CUPID-Mo Experiment

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is a yet unobserved nuclear process that would demonstrate Lepton number violation, a clear evidence of beyond standard model physics. The process two neutrino double beta decay (2νββ) is allowed by the standard model and has been measured in numerous experiments. In this Letter, we report a measurement of 2νββ decay half-life of 100 Mo to the ground state of 100 Ru of [7.07±0.02(stat)±0.11(syst)]×10 18 yr by the CUPID-Mo experiment. With a relative precision of ±1.6% this is the most precise measurement to date of a 2νββ decay rate in 100 Mo. In addition, we constrain higher-order corrections to the spectral shape, which provides complementary nuclear structure information. We report a novel measurement of the shape factor ξ 3,1 =0.45±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) based on a constraint on the ratio of higher-order terms from theory, which can be reliably calculated. This is compared to theoretical predictions for different nuclear models. Finally, we also extract the first value for the effective axial vector coupling constant obtained from a spectral shape study of 2νββ decay.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

The background model of the CUPID-Mo $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiment

CUPID-Mo, located in the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France), was a demonstrator for the next generation 0vββ decay experiment, CUPID. It consisted of an array of 20 enriched Li 2 100 MoO 4 bolometers and 20 Ge light detectors and has demonstrated that the technology of scintillating bolometers with particle identification capabilities is mature. Furthermore, CUPID-Mo can inform and validate the background prediction for CUPID. In this paper, we present a detailed model of the CUPID-Mo backgrounds. This model is able to describe well the features of the experimental data and enables studies of the 2vββ decay and other processes with high precision. We also measure the radio-purity of the Li 2 100 MoO 4 crystals which are found to be sufficient for the CUPID goals. Finally, we also obtain a background index in the region of interest of 3.7 $^{+0.9}_{-0.8}$ (stat) $^{+1.5}_{-0.7}$ (syst) x 10 -3 counts/ ΔE FWHM / mol iso / year the lowest in a bolometric Ovββ decay experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A first test of CUPID prototypal light detectors with NTD-Ge sensors in a pulse-tube cryostat

CUPID is a next-generation bolometric experiment aiming at searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay with ~250 kg of isotopic mass of 100 Mo. It will operate at ~10 mK in a cryostat currently hosting a similar-scale bolometric array for the CUORE experiment at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (Italy). CUPID will be based on large-volume scintillating bolometers consisting of 100 Mo-enriched Li 2 MoO 4 crystals, facing thin Ge-wafer-based bolometric light detectors. In the CUPID design, the detector structure is novel and needs to be validated. In particular, the CUORE cryostat presents a high level of mechanical vibrations due to the use of pulse tubes and the effect of vibrations on the detector performance must be investigated. In this paper we report the first test of the CUPID-design bolometric light detectors with NTD-Ge sensors in a dilution refrigerator equipped with a pulse tube in an above-ground lab. Light detectors are characterized in terms of sensitivity, energy resolution, pulse time constants, and noise power spectrum. Despite the challenging noisy environment due to pulse-tube-induced vibrations, we demonstrate that all the four tested light detectors comply with the CUPID goal in terms of intrinsic energy resolution of 100 eV RMS baseline noise. Indeed, we have measured 70–90 eV RMS for the four devices, which show an excellent reproducibility. We have also obtained high energy resolutions at the 356 keV line from a 133 Ba source, as good as Ge semiconductor γ detectors in this energy range.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Twelve-crystal prototype of Li 2 MoO 4 scintillating bolometers for CUPID and CROSS experiments

An array of twelve 0.28 kg lithium molybdate (LMO) low-temperature bolometers equipped with 16 bolometric Ge light detectors, aiming at optimization of detector structure for CROSS and CUPID double-beta decay experiments, was constructed and tested in a low-background pulse-tube-based cryostat at the Canfranc underground laboratory in Spain. Performance of the scintillating bolometers was studied depending on the size of phonon NTD-Ge sensors glued to both LMO and Ge absorbers, shape of the Ge light detectors (circular vs. square, from two suppliers), in different light collection conditions (with and without reflector, with aluminum coated LMO crystal surface). The scintillating bolometer array was operated over 8 months in the low-background conditions that allowed to probe a very low, μBq/kg, level of the LMO crystals radioactive contamination by 228 Th and 226 Ra.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

New measurement of double- β decays of Mo 100 to excited states of Ru 100 with the CUPID-Mo experiment

The CUPID-Mo experiment, located at Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France), was a demonstrator experiment for CUPID. It consisted of an array of 20 Li 2 100 MoO 4 (LMO) calorimeters each equipped with a Ge light detector (LD) for particle identification. In this work, we present the result of a search for two-neutrino and neutrinoless double beta decays of 100 Mo to the first 0 + and 2 + excited states of 100 Ru using the full CUPID-Mo exposure (2.71 kg yr of LMO). We measure the half-life of 2νββ decay to the $0^+_1$ state as $T^{2ν→0^+_1}_{1/2}$ = (7.5 ± 0.8 (stat.) $^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ (syst.)) × 10 20 yr. The bolometric technique enables measurement of the electron energies as well as the gamma rays from nuclear de-excitation and this allows us to set new limits on the two-neutrino decay to the $2^+_1$ state of $T^{2ν→2^+_1}_{1/2}$ > 4.4×10 21 yr (90% c.i.) and on the neutrinoless modes of $T^{0ν→2^+_1}_{1/2}$ > 2.1×10 23 yr (90% c.i.), $T^{0ν→0^+_1}_{1/2}$ > 1.2 × 10 23 yr (90% c.i.). Information on the electrons spectral shape is obtained which allows us to make the first comparison of the single state (SSD) and higher state (HSD) 2νββ decay models for the $0^+_1$ excited state of 100 Ru.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

CUPID: The Next-Generation Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiment

We report CUPID is a next-generation tonne-scale bolometric neutrinoless double beta decay experiment that will probe the Majorana nature of neutrinos and discover lepton number violation in case of observation of this singular process. CUPID will be built on experience, expertise and lessons learned in CUORE and will be installed in the current CUORE infra-structure in the Gran Sasso underground laboratory. The CUPID detector technology, successfully tested in the CUPID-Mo experiment, is based on scintillating bolometers of Li 2 MoO 4 enriched in the isotope of interest 100 Mo. In order to achieve its ambitious science goals, the CUPID collaboration aims to reduce the backgrounds in the region of interest by a factor 100 with respect to CUORE. This performance will be achieved by introducing the high efficient α/β discrimination demonstrated by the CUPID-0 and CUPID-Mo experiments, and using a high transition energy double beta decay nucleus such as 100 Mo to minimize the impact of the gamma background. CUPID will consist of about 1500 hybrid heat-light detectors for a total isotope mass of 250 kg. The CUPID scientific reach is supported by a detailed and safe background model based on CUORE, CUPID-Mo and CUPID-0 results. The required performances have already been demonstrated and will be presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Final results on the $$0\nu \beta \beta $$ decay half-life limit of $$^{100}$$Mo from the CUPID-Mo experiment

Abstract The CUPID-Mo experiment to search for 0 $$\nu \beta \beta $$ ν β β decay in $$^{100}$$ 100 Mo has been recently completed after about 1.5 years of operation at Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France). It served as a demonstrator for CUPID, a next generation 0 $$\nu \beta \beta $$ ν β β decay experiment. CUPID-Mo was comprised of 20 enriched $$\hbox {Li}_{{2}}$$ Li 2 $$^{100}$$ 100 $$\hbox {MoO}_4$$ MoO 4 scintillating calorimeters, each with a mass of $$\sim 0.2$$ ∼ 0.2 kg, operated at $$\sim 20$$ ∼ 20 mK. We present here the final analysis with the full exposure of CUPID-Mo ( $$^{100}$$ 100 Mo exposure of 1.47 $$\hbox {kg} \times \hbox {year}$$ kg × year ) used to search for lepton number violation via 0 $$\nu \beta \beta $$ ν β β decay. We report on various analysis improvements since the previous result on a subset of data, reprocessing all data with these new techniques. We observe zero events in the region of interest and set a new limit on the $$^{100}$$ 100 Mo 0 $$\nu \beta \beta $$ ν β β decay half-life of $$T_{1/2}^{0\nu }$$ T 1 / 2 0 ν $$> {1.8}\times 10^{24}$$ > 1.8 × 10 24 year (stat. + syst.) at 90% CI. Under the light Majorana neutrino exchange mechanism this corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass of $$\left $$ m β β $$<~{(0.28{-}0.49)} $$ < ( 0.28 - 0.49 ) eV, dependent upon the nuclear matrix element utilized.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Optimization of the first CUPID detector module

CUPID will be a next generation experiment searching for the neutrinoless double β decay, whose discovery would establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Based on the experience achieved with the CUORE experiment, presently taking data at LNGS, CUPID aims to reach a background free environment by means of scintillating Li 2 100 MoO 4 crystals coupled to light detectors. Indeed, the simultaneous heat and light detection allows us to reject the dominant background of α particles, as proven by the CUPID-0 and CUPID-Mo demonstrators. In this work we present the results of the first test of the CUPID baseline module. In particular, we propose a new optimized detector structure and light sensors design to enhance the engineering and the light collection, respectively. We characterized the heat detectors, achieving an energy resolution of (5.9 ± 0.2) keV FWHM at the Q-value of 100 Mo (about 3034 keV). We studied the light collection of the baseline CUPID design with respect to an alternative configuration which features gravity-assisted light detectors’ mounting. In both cases we obtained an improvement in the light collection with respect to past measures and we validated the particle identification capability of the detector, which ensures an α particle rejection higher than 99.9%, fully satisfying the requirements for CUPID.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗