ZnWO_4 crystals as detectors for double beta decay and dark matter experiments

Abstract

Energy resolution, alpha/beta ratio, and the pulse shape discrimination ability of the ZnWO_4 crystal scintillators were studied. The radioactive contamination of a ZnWO_4 crystal was investigated in the Solotvina Underground Laboratory. Possibilities to apply ZnWO_4 crystals for the dark matter and double beta decay searches are discussed. New improved half-life limits on double beta decay in zinc isotopes were established, in particular, for ECβ^+ decay of 64-Zn as: T_1/2^2nu > 8.9 10^18 yr and T_1/2^0nu > 3.6 10^18 yr, both at 68% CL.

16 pages, 6 figures

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• Double Beta Decay
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Cited by in corpus (28)

• Double Beta Decay, Majorana Neutrinos, and Neutrino Mass
• Semi-empirical calculation of quenching factors for ions in scintillators
• Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay: a Probe of Physics Beyond the Standard Model
• Development of CaMoO4 crystal scintillators for double beta decay experiment with 100-Mo
• Combined Raman scattering and ab initio investigation of pressure-induced structural phase transitions in the scintillator ZnWO4
• Search for double beta decay of Zinc and Tungsten with the help of low-background ZnWO4 crystal scintillators
• Radioactive contamination of ZnWO4 crystal scintillators
• Final results of an experiment to search for 2beta processes in zinc and tungsten with the help of radiopure ZnWO4 crystal scintillators
• Neutrinoless Double-Electron Capture
• Search for Dark Matter with CRESST
• Application of PbWO4 crystal scintillators in experiment to search for double beta decay of 116Cd
• Improvement of radiopurity level of enriched ${}^{116}$CdWO${}_4$ and ZnWO${}_4$ crystal scintillators by recrystallization
• Experimental searches for rare alpha and beta decays
• First results on double beta decay modes of Cd, Te and Zn isotopes with the COBRA experiment
• Measurements of ZnWO${}_4$ anisotropic response to nuclear recoils for the ADAMO project
• Optical, luminescence, and scintillation properties of advanced ZnWO${}_4$ crystal scintillators
• Radioactive contamination of scintillators
• Pulse Shape Analysis and Identification of Multipoint Events in a Large-Volume Proportional Counter in an Experimental Search for 2K Capture Kr-78
• Optimization of light collection from crystal scintillators for cryogenic experiments
• Sound and light from fractures in scintillators
• Radiopure tungstate and molybdate crystal scintillators for double beta decay experiments
• Directional Detection of Dark Matter Using Solid-State Quantum Sensing
• Response of CdWO4 crystal scintillator for few MeV ions and low energy electrons
• Search for long-lived superheavy eka-tungsten with radiopure ZnWO${}_4$ crystal scintillator
• Developments and improvements of radiopure ZnWO${}_4$ anisotropic scintillators
• ZnO-based scintillating bolometers: New prospects to study double beta decay of ${}^{64}$Zn
• Scintillation properties of $({\mathrm{Zn}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Pb}}_{0.1})({\mathrm{W}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Mo}}_{0.1}){\mathrm{O}}_4$ and $({\mathrm{Zn}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Cd}}_{0.1})({\mathrm{W}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Mo}}_{0.1}){\mathrm{O}}_4$ mixed crystals
• Precise measurement of the scintillation decay constant of ZnWO${}_4$ crystal