TeO2 crystals have proven to be superb bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay in many respects. However, if used alone, they do not exhibit any feature that allows to discriminate an alpha energy deposit from a beta/gamma one. This fact limits their ability to reject the background due to natural radioactivity and eventually affects the sensitivity of the search. In this paper we show the results of a TeO2 crystal where, in coincidence with its bolometric heat signal, also the luminescence light escaping the crystal is recorded. The results show that we are able to measure the light produced by beta/gamma particles, which can be explained as due to Cerenkov emission. No light is detected from a particles, allowing the rejection of this background source. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Discrimination of alpha and beta/gamma interactions in a TeO2 bolometer / Beeman, J. W.; Bellini, Fabio; Cardani, Laura; Casali, N.; Dafinei, Ioan; Di Domizio, S.; Ferroni, Fernando; Orio, Filippo; Pessina, G.; Pirro, S.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, Marco. - In: ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS. - ISSN 0927-6505. - 35:9(2012), pp. 558-562. [10.1016/j.astropartphys.2011.12.004]
Discrimination of alpha and beta/gamma interactions in a TeO2 bolometer
BELLINI, Fabio;CARDANI, LAURA;N. Casali;DAFINEI, Ioan;FERRONI, Fernando;ORIO, FILIPPO;VIGNATI, Marco
2012
Abstract
TeO2 crystals have proven to be superb bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay in many respects. However, if used alone, they do not exhibit any feature that allows to discriminate an alpha energy deposit from a beta/gamma one. This fact limits their ability to reject the background due to natural radioactivity and eventually affects the sensitivity of the search. In this paper we show the results of a TeO2 crystal where, in coincidence with its bolometric heat signal, also the luminescence light escaping the crystal is recorded. The results show that we are able to measure the light produced by beta/gamma particles, which can be explained as due to Cerenkov emission. No light is detected from a particles, allowing the rejection of this background source. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
