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arXiv · 2211.03631

Observation of a nuclear recoil peak at the 100 eV scale induced by neutron capture

CRAB Collaboration·NUCLEUS Collaboration·H. Abele·G. Angloher·A. Bento·L. Canonica·F. Cappella·L. Cardani·N. Casali·R. Cerulli·A. Chalil·A. Chebboubi·I. Colantoni·J. -P. Crocombette·A. Cruciani·G. Del Castello·M. del Gallo Roccagiovine·D. Desforge·A. Doblhammer·E. Dumonteil·S. Dorer·A. Erhart·A. Fuss·M. Friedl·A. Garai·V. M. Ghete·A. Giuliani·C. Goupy·F. Gunsing·D. Hauff·F. Jeanneau·E. Jericha·M. Kaznacheeva·A. Kinast·H. Kluck·A. Langenkämper·T. Lasserre·A. Letourneau·D. Lhuillier·O. Litaize·M. Mancuso·P. de Marcillac·S. Marnieros·T. Materna·B. Mauri·A. Mazzolari·E. Mazzucato·H. Neyrial·C. Nones·L. Oberauer·T. Ortmann·A. Ouzriat·L. Pattavina·L. Peters·F. Petricca·D. V. Poda·W. Potzel·F. Pröbst·F. Reindl·R. Rogly·M. Romagnoni·J. Rothe·N. Schermer·J. Schieck·S. Schönert·C. Schwertner·L. Scola·O. Serot·G. Soum-Sidikov·L. Stodolsky·R. Strauss·M. Tamisari·L. Thulliez·C. Tomei·M. Vignati·M. Vivier·V. Wagner·A. Wex
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Abstract

Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering and low-mass Dark Matter detectors rely crucially on the understanding of their response to nuclear recoils. We report the first observation of a nuclear recoil peak at around 112 eV induced by neutron capture. The measurement was performed with a CaWO$_4$ cryogenic detector from the NUCLEUS experiment exposed to a $^{252}$Cf source placed in a compact moderator. The measured spectrum is found in agreement with simulations and the expected peak structure from the single-$\gamma$ de-excitation of $^{183}$W is identified with 3 $\sigma$ significance. This result demonstrates a new method for precise, in-situ, and non-intrusive calibration of low-threshold experiments.

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CRAB Collaboration, NUCLEUS Collaboration, H. Abele, G. Angloher, A. Bento, L. Canonica, F. Cappella, L. Cardani, N. Casali, R. Cerulli, A. Chalil, A. Chebboubi, I. Colantoni, J. -P. Crocombette, A. Cruciani, G. Del Castello, M. del Gallo Roccagiovine, D. Desforge, A. Doblhammer, E. Dumonteil, S. Dorer, A. Erhart, A. Fuss, M. Friedl, A. Garai, V. M. Ghete, A. Giuliani, C. Goupy, F. Gunsing, D. Hauff, F. Jeanneau, E. Jericha, M. Kaznacheeva, A. Kinast, H. Kluck, A. Langenkämper, T. Lasserre, A. Letourneau, D. Lhuillier, O. Litaize, M. Mancuso, P. de Marcillac, S. Marnieros, T. Materna, B. Mauri, A. Mazzolari, E. Mazzucato, H. Neyrial, C. Nones, L. Oberauer, T. Ortmann, A. Ouzriat, L. Pattavina, L. Peters, F. Petricca, D. V. Poda, W. Potzel, F. Pröbst, F. Reindl, R. Rogly, M. Romagnoni, J. Rothe, N. Schermer, J. Schieck, S. Schönert, C. Schwertner, L. Scola, O. Serot, G. Soum-Sidikov, L. Stodolsky, R. Strauss, M. Tamisari, L. Thulliez, C. Tomei, M. Vignati, M. Vivier, V. Wagner, A. Wex. 2022-11-07. Observation of a nuclear recoil peak at the 100 eV scale induced by neutron capture. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.130.211802

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