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arXiv · 1405.1370

Background Model for the Majorana Demonstrator

C. Cuesta·N. Abgrall·E. Aguayo·F. T. Avignone III·A. S. Barabash·F. E. Bertrand·M. Boswell·V. Brudanin·M. Busch·D. Byram·A. S. Caldwell·Y-D. Chan·C. D. Christofferson·D. C. Combs·J. A. Detwiler·P. J. Doe·Yu. Efremenko·V. Egorov·H. Ejiri·S. R. Elliott·J. E. Fast·P. Finnerty·F. M. Fraenkle·A. Galindo-Uribarri·G. K. Giovanetti·J. Goett·M. P. Green·J. Gruszko·V. E. Guiseppe·K. Gusev·A. L. Hallin·R. Hazama·A. Hegai·R. Henning·E. W. Hoppe·S. Howard·M. A. Howe·K. J. Keeter·M. F. Kidd·O. Kochetov·S. I. Konovalov·R. T. Kouzes·B. D. LaFerriere·J. Leon·L. E. Leviner·J. C. Loach·J. MacMullin·S. MacMullin·R. D. Martin·S. Meijer·S. Mertens·M. Nomachi·J. L. Orrell·C. O'Shaughnessy·N. R. Overman·D. G. Phillips II·A. W. P. Poon·K. Pushkin·D. C. Radford·J. Rager·K. Rielage·R. G. H. Robertson·E. Romero-Romero·M. C. Ronquest·A. G. Schubert·B. Shanks·T. Shima·M. Shirchenko·K. J. Snavely·N. Snyder·A. M. Suriano·J. Thompson·V. Timkin·W. Tornow·J. E. Trimble·R. L. Varner·S. Vasilyev·K. Vetter·K. Vorren·B. R. White·J. F. Wilkerson·C. Wiseman·W. Xu·E. Yakushev·A. R. Young·C. H. Yu·V. Yumatov
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Abstract

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing a system containing 40 kg of HPGe detectors to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a future tonne-scale experiment capable of probing the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region. To realize this, a major goal of the Majorana Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. This goal is pursued through a combination of a significant reduction of radioactive impurities in construction materials with analytical methods for background rejection, for example using powerful pulse shape analysis techniques profiting from the p-type point contact HPGe detectors technology. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed using simulations of the different background components whose purity levels are constrained from radioassay measurements.

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C. Cuesta, N. Abgrall, E. Aguayo, F. T. Avignone III, A. S. Barabash, F. E. Bertrand, M. Boswell, V. Brudanin, M. Busch, D. Byram, A. S. Caldwell, Y-D. Chan, C. D. Christofferson, D. C. Combs, J. A. Detwiler, P. J. Doe, Yu. Efremenko, V. Egorov, H. Ejiri, S. R. Elliott, J. E. Fast, P. Finnerty, F. M. Fraenkle, A. Galindo-Uribarri, G. K. Giovanetti, J. Goett, M. P. Green, J. Gruszko, V. E. Guiseppe, K. Gusev, A. L. Hallin, R. Hazama, A. Hegai, R. Henning, E. W. Hoppe, S. Howard, M. A. Howe, K. J. Keeter, M. F. Kidd, O. Kochetov, S. I. Konovalov, R. T. Kouzes, B. D. LaFerriere, J. Leon, L. E. Leviner, J. C. Loach, J. MacMullin, S. MacMullin, R. D. Martin, S. Meijer, S. Mertens, M. Nomachi, J. L. Orrell, C. O'Shaughnessy, N. R. Overman, D. G. Phillips II, A. W. P. Poon, K. Pushkin, D. C. Radford, J. Rager, K. Rielage, R. G. H. Robertson, E. Romero-Romero, M. C. Ronquest, A. G. Schubert, B. Shanks, T. Shima, M. Shirchenko, K. J. Snavely, N. Snyder, A. M. Suriano, J. Thompson, V. Timkin, W. Tornow, J. E. Trimble, R. L. Varner, S. Vasilyev, K. Vetter, K. Vorren, B. R. White, J. F. Wilkerson, C. Wiseman, W. Xu, E. Yakushev, A. R. Young, C. H. Yu, V. Yumatov. 2014-05-06. Background Model for the Majorana Demonstrator. https://arxiv.org/abs/1405.1370

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