The Majorana Experiment: a Straightforward Neutrino Mass Experiment Using The Double-Beta Decay of Ge-76
The Majorana Experiment proposes to measure the effective mass of the electron neutrino to as low as 0.02 eV using well-tested technology. A half life of about 4E27 y, corresponding to a mass range of [0.02 - 0.07] eV can be reached by operating 500 kg of germanium enriched to 86% in Ge-76 deep underground. Radiological backgrounds of cosmogenic or primordial origin will be greatly reduced by ultra-low background screening of detector, structural, and shielding materials, by chemical processing of materials, and by electronic rejection of multi-site events in the detector. Electronic background reduction is achieved with pulse shape analysis, detector segmentation, and detector-to detector coincidence rejection.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 15016260
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-38834; TRN: US0502144
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Neutrino Oscillations and their Origin: Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop, Kanazawa (JP), 02/10/2003--02/14/2003; Other Information: PBD: 1 Aug 2004
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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