Characterization of pixilated Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) Detector Sensitivity for Future Neutrinoless Double Beta (0$\nu \beta \beta )$ Decay Searches

ORAL

Abstract

The detection of 0$\nu \beta \beta $ decay provides an opportunity to determine whether neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. Detecting 0$\nu \beta \beta $ decay requires very sensitive detectors with good energy resolution. Pixelization in CZT detectors promises to improve sensitivity by means of improving background rejection. Our studies focused on the response of a pixilated prototype CZT detector to evaluate improvements in sensitivity. We performed energy resolution measurements for a 16 pixel CZT detector in the 100keV to 1.3 MeV range. Common background sources were simulated and the measured energy resolutions were then incorporated to estimate detector sensitivities for a potential 0$\nu \beta \beta $ Cd-116 decay signal. In this talk we present the status of our research, preliminary results and offer an outlook on future work and challenges.

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Authors

  • Kevin Macon

    Louisiana State University

  • Philip Adams

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, ORNL, UT, ORNL/UT, UK, LSU, Louisiana State University, Zhejiang Normal University, Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, University of Tuebingen, Germany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute for Astrophysics, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Albert Einstein Institute, California Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Department of Physics, North Carolina A\&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, P, Princeton University, University of New Orleans, Alabama A\&M University, Vanderbilt Univ., Konstanz Univ., Isik Univ., Department of Physics, Yale University

  • Philip Adams

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, ORNL, UT, ORNL/UT, UK, LSU, Louisiana State University, Zhejiang Normal University, Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, University of Tuebingen, Germany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute for Astrophysics, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Albert Einstein Institute, California Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Department of Physics, North Carolina A\&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, P, Princeton University, University of New Orleans, Alabama A\&M University, Vanderbilt Univ., Konstanz Univ., Isik Univ., Department of Physics, Yale University

  • Philip Adams

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, ORNL, UT, ORNL/UT, UK, LSU, Louisiana State University, Zhejiang Normal University, Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, University of Tuebingen, Germany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Plank Institute for Astrophysics, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Albert Einstein Institute, California Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA 70803, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Department of Physics, North Carolina A\&T State University, Clark Atlanta University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, P, Princeton University, University of New Orleans, Alabama A\&M University, Vanderbilt Univ., Konstanz Univ., Isik Univ., Department of Physics, Yale University