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Low Radioactive Techniques in SuperNEMO: Status of the Radon R and D

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3579571· OSTI ID:21513195
 [1]
  1. Universite de Bordeaux, Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, UMR 5797, Chemin du Solarium, Le Haut-Vigneau, BP120, F-33175 Gradignan (France)

Radon is a well-known source of background with respect to the search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta}), due to the high Q{sub {beta}} value of one of its daughter nucleus {sup 214}Bi. Radon has been observed and reduced down to 6.5 mBq/m{sup 3} in the NEMO-3 experiment which is looking for the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} process in {sup 100}Mo and in six other isotopes. The SuperNEMO project, a next-generation double beta decay experiment which will also use a tracko-calorimeter technique, has been in an R and D phase since 2006. The goal is to reach a sensitivity of T{sub 1/2}(0{nu})>10{sup 26} y corresponding to an effective Majorana neutrino mass of 0.05-0.1 eV with 100 kg of {sup 82}Se. Such a sensitivity requires in particular to improve the radon radiopurity down to 0.1 mBq/m{sup 3} in the tracking chamber.

OSTI ID:
21513195
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1338; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English