Search

We present a prototype scintillating bolometer for the search for neutrinoless double beta decay of Mo-100, consisting of a single a parts per thousand 5 g ZnMoO4 crystal operated aboveground in the 20-30 mK temperature range. The scintillation light is read out by two thin Ge bolometers. The phonon signals are collected by NTD Ge thermistors. The ZnMoO4 crystal was grown with an advanced method (low-thermal-gradient Czochralski technique) and after purification of molybdenum. The results are very encouraging: the intrinsic energy resolution of the heat channel is a parts per thousand 800 eV FWHM, the alpha/beta rejection factor (crucial for background suppression) is better than 99.9% in the region of interest for double beta decay (a parts per thousand 3 MeV), and the radiopurity of ZnMoO4 looks substantially improved with respect to previous devices.

We investigate the performances of two ZnMoO4 scintillating crystals operated as bolometers, in view of a next generation experiment to search the neutrinoless double beta decay of Mo-100. We present the results of the alpha vs beta/gamma discrimination, obtained through the scintillation light as well as through the study of the shape of the thermal signal alone. The discrimination capability obtained at the 2615 keV line of Tl-208 is 8 sigma, using the heat-light scatter plot, while it exceeds 20 sigma using the shape of the thermal pulse alone. The achieved FWHM energy resolution ranges from 2.4 keV (at 238 keV) to 5.7 keV (at 2615 keV). The internal radioactive contaminations of the ZnMoO4 crystals were evaluated through a 407 hours background measurement. The obtained limit is < 32 microBq/kg for Th-228 and Ra-226. These values were used for a Monte Carlo simulation aimed at evaluating the achievable background level of a possible, future array of enriched ZnMoO4 crystals., 9 pages, 8 figures

Several experiments were performed during last years at underground (3600 m w.e.) Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of the INFN (Italy) to search for resonant 2$\varepsilon0\nu$ captures in 96Ru, 106Cd, 136Ce, 156Dy, 158Dy, 180W, 184Os, 190Pt with the help of HP Ge semiconductor detectors, and ZnWO4 and 106CdWO4 crystal scintillators. No evidence for r-2$\varepsilon0\nu$ decays was found, and only T_{1/2} limits were established in the range of 10^{14}-10^{21} yr., Comment: Proceedings of TAUP 2011 Conference

A search for double beta decay of 64,70Zn, 180,186W was carried out by using low background ZnWO4 crystal scintillators, while a CeCl3 scintillation detector was applied to investigate 2β processes in 136,138,142Ce. A search for 2β decay of 96,104Ru, 156,158Dy, 190,198Pt and study of 2ν2β decay of 100Mo to the first excited 0+ level of 100Ru were realized by ultra‐low background HPGe γ spectrometry. Moreover, CdWO4 crystal scintillators from enriched 106Cd and 116Cd isotopes were developed to search for 2β decay of 106Cd and 116Cd. Finally, experiments aimed to investigate 96,104Ru and 116Cd are in progress and a new phase of the experiment to search for 2β processes in 106Cd is in preparation.

An experiment to search for 2b processes in 106Cd with the help of 106CdWO4 crystal scintillator (mass of 215 g), enriched in 106Cd up to 66%, is in progress at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy). After 1320 h of data taking, limits on double beta processes in 106Cd have been established on the level of 1019–1020 yr, in particular (all the results at 90% C.L.): T1/2(0ν2e)>3.6×1020 yr, T1/2(2νeβ+)>7.2×1019 yr, and T1/2(2ν2β+)>2.5×1020 yr. Resonant 0ν2e processes have been restricted as T1/2(0ν2K)>1.4×1020 yr and T1/2(0νLK)>3.2×1020 yr. A possible resonant enhancement of the 0ν2e processes is estimated in the framework of the QRPA approach.