| Title: |
Search for the in-situ production of $^{77}$Ge in the GERDA neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment |
| Authors: |
Agostini, M.; Alexander, A.; Araujo, G.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Belogurov, S.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Biancacci, V.; Bossio, E.; Bothe, V.; Brugnera, R.; Caldwell, A.; Calgaro, S.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; Chiu, P.-J.; Comellato, T.; D’Andrea, V.; Demidova, E. V.; Di Marco, N.; Doroshkevich, E.; Fomina, M.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gooch, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Hakenmüller, J.; Hemmer, S.; Hofmann, W.; Huang, J.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Janicskó Csáthy, J.; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; Kermaïdic, Y.; Khushbakht, H.; Kihm, T.; Kilgus, K.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Klimenko, A.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Krause, P.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Marshall, G.; Misiaszek, Marcin; Morella, M.; Müller, Y.; Nemchenok, I.; Neuberger, M.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pertoldi, L.; Piseri, P.; Pullia, A.; Ransom, C.; Rauscher, L.; Redchuk, M.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Sailer, S.; Salamida, F.; Schönert, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schütz, A.-K.; Schulz, O.; Schwarz, M.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Selivanenko, O.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Shtembari, L.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stukov, D.; Sullivan, S.; Vasenko, A. A.; Veresnikova, A.; Vignoli, C.; von Sturm, K.; Wester, T.; Wiesinger, C.; Wójcik, Marcin; Yanovich, E.; Zatschler, B.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zschocke, A.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, Grzegorz |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
Jagiellonian University Repository |
| Description: |
The beta decay of $^{77}$Ge and $^{77m}$Ge, both produced by neutron capture on $^{76}$Ge, is a potential background for Germanium based neutrinoless double-beta decay search experiments such as GERDA or the LEGEND experiment. In this work we present a search for $^{77}$Ge decays in the full GERDA Phase II data set. A delayed coincidence method was employed to identify the decay of $^{77}$Ge via the isomeric state of $^{77}$As (9/2$^{+}$, 475 keV, T$_{1/2}$ = 114 μs, $^{77m}$As). New digital signal processing methods were employed to select and analyze pile-up signals. No signal was observed, and an upper limit on the production rate of $^{77}$Ge was set at < 0.216 nuc/(kg $\cdot$ yr) (90% CL). This corresponds to a total production rate of $^{77}$Ge and $^{77m}$Ge of < 0.38 nuc/(kg $\cdot$ yr) (90% CL), assuming equal production rates. A previous Monte Carlo study predicted a value for in-situ $^{77}$Ge and $^{77m}$Ge production of (0.21 ± 0.07) nuc/(kg $\cdot$ yr), a prediction that is now further corroborated by our experimental limit. Moreover, tagging the isomeric state of $^{77m}$As can be utilised to further suppress the $^{77}$Ge background. Considering the similar experimental configurations of LEGEND-1000 and GERDA, the cosmogenic background in LEGEND-1000 at LNGS is estimated to remain at a sub-dominant level. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
European Physical Journal C, T. 85, nr 7; https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/handle/item/558782 |
| DOI: |
10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-14445-x |
| Availability: |
https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/handle/item/558782; https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-14445-x |
| Rights: |
Udzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 4.0 Międzynarodowa ; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.pl |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.72A5CD22 |
| Database: |
BASE |