Search

A brief description of two low-background setups deployed at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory (Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences) and intended for searches for two types of double-beta decay of inert-gas isotopes—2K capture on 78Kr and the double-beta decay of 136Xe—is given. The two setups in question have similar structures and employ identical large high-pressure copper proportional counters as detectors. Upon a treatment of data from measurements with krypton samples differing in the content of the isotope 78Kr, the spectrum for an enriched sample revealed an excess of events at a statistical-significance level of about two standard deviations (2σ). If one attributes this excess to 2K(2ν) capture on 78Kr, the respective half-life is T 1/2 = 1.4 −0.7 +2.3 × 1022 yr at a 90% C.L. A treatment of data from measurements with xenon samples differing in content of the isotope 136Xe led to the appearance of an excess of events in the spectrum for an enriched sample at a statistical-significance level of about 2.2σ. If one assumes that this excess is due to the two-neutrino double-beta decay of 136Xe, then the respective half-life is T 1/2 = 5.8 −1.8 +4.7 × 1021 yr.

AMoRE (Advanced Mo based Rare process Experiment) collaboration is going to use calcium molybdate crystals as cryogenic scintillation detector in a search for neutrinoless DBD of 100Mo isotope. Simultaneous detection of phonons and light will be used to reject internal background. A FWHM resolution of 0.2% in the phonon channel has been achieved with a 0.5 cm3 crystal. Several 40Ca100MoO4 crystals (≈ 0.5 kg) have been developed from enriched 100Mo and depleted 40Ca materials. The light yield of these crystals has been shown to be comparable with reference CaMoO4 scintillators for temperatures ranging down to 8 K. The content of dangerous radioisotopes in the crystals is under measurement. The projected sensitivity of the experiment for a 250 kg × years exposure is lim T1/2 ~ 3 × 1026 years, which corresponds to the effective Majorana neutrino mass mv ~ 0.02 – 0.06 eV.