A Low-Background Front-End Electronics Package for Germanium Spectrometers
ORAL
Abstract
The Majorana project is a next-generation {$^{76}$Ge} neutrinoless double-beta decay search, using 57 isotopically- enriched segmented germanium crystals mounted in each of 9 modular cryostats. This configuration provides physical granularity which should reject most expected backgrounds. Greater effective granularity is planned via pulse-shape analysis. This requires $\sim$25~MHz bandwidth from the front- end electronics placed close to the crystals. Due to their proximity to the crystals, the front-end electronics must be radiopure. PNNL has developed a Low-background Front-end Electronics Package (LFEP) to support low-background spectrometer projects. The design and performance of the first LFEP boards is discussed, along with their potential application for Majorana.
*This work was performed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory operated by Battelle for the US DOE under Contract DE-AC06-76RL01830.
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