Micromegas readouts for double beta decay searches

Abstract

Double beta $\beta \beta$ decay experiments are one of the most active research topics in Neutrino Physics. The measurement of the neutrinoless mode $0\nu \beta \beta$ could give unique information on the neutrino mass scale and nature. The current generation of experiments aims at detector target masses at the 100 kg scale, while the next generation will need to go to the ton scale in order to completely explore the inverse hierarchy models of neutrino mass. Very good energy resolutions and ultra-low background levels are the two main experimental requirements for a successful experiment. The topological information of the $\beta \beta$ events offered by gaseous detectors like gas Time Projection Chambers (TPC) could provide a very powerful tool of signal identification and background rejection. However only recent advances in TPC readouts may assure the competitiveness of a high pressure gas TPCs for $\beta \beta$ searches, especially regarding the required energy resolution. In this paper we present first results on energy resolution with state-of-the-art microbulk Micromesh Gas Amplification Structure (Micromegas) using a 5.5 MeV alpha source in high pressure pure xenon. Resolutions down to 2 % FWHM have been achieved for pressures up to 5 bar. These results, together with their recently measured radiopurity , prove that Micromegas readouts are not only a viable option but a very competitive one for $\beta \beta$ searches.

15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in JCAP

References in corpus (7)

• Evidence for oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos
• Measurement of the rate of nu_e + d --> p + p + e^- interactions produced by 8B solar neutrinos at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
• Double Beta Decay, Majorana Neutrinos, and Neutrino Mass
• Measurement of the Total Active 8B Solar Neutrino Flux at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory with Enhanced Neutral Current Sensitivity
• Determination of Solar Neutrino Oscillation Parameters using 1496 Days of Super-Kamiokande-I Data
• Micromegas in a Bulk
• Energy resolution of alpha particles in a microbulk Micromegas detector at high pressure Argon and Xenon mixtures

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• Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: Results from the T-REX project. I. Double beta decay
• Status of R&D on Micromegas for Rare Event Searches: The T-REX project
• Microbulk Micromegas for the search of 0$\nu \beta \beta$ of 136Xe in the PandaX-III experiment
• Probing the fourth neutrino existence by neutral current oscillometry in the spherical gaseous TPC
• Micromegas-TPC operation at high pressure in Xenon-trimethylamine mixtures
• Double Beta Decay Experiments at Canfranc Underground Laboratory
• Microbulk Micromegas in non-flammable mixtures of argon and neon at high pressure
• On the Formation of GW190521-like Binary Black Hole Merger Systems
• Low Background Micromegas in CAST