Search for Neutrinoless Double-β Decay in ^{76}Ge with the Majorana Demonstrator.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

The Majorana Collaboration is operating an array of high purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-β decay in ^{76}Ge. The Majorana Demonstrator comprises 44.1 kg of Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched in ^{76}Ge) split between two modules contained in a low background shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. Here we present results from data taken during construction, commissioning, and the start of full operations. We achieve unprecedented energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at Q_{ββ} and a very low background with no observed candidate events in 9.95 kg yr of enriched Ge exposure, resulting in a lower limit on the half-life of 1.9×10^{25}  yr (90% C.L.). This result constrains the effective Majorana neutrino mass to below 240-520 meV, depending on the matrix elements used. In our experimental configuration with the lowest background, the background is 4.0_{-2.5}^{+3.1}  counts/(FWHM t yr).

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Aalseth, CE; Abgrall, N; Aguayo, E; Alvis, SI; Amman, M; Arnquist, IJ; Avignone, FT; Back, HO; Barabash, AS; Barbeau, PS; Barton, CJ; Barton, PJ; Bertrand, FE; Bode, T; Bos, B; Boswell, M; Bradley, AW; Brodzinski, RL; Brudanin, V; Busch, M; Buuck, M; Caldwell, AS; Caldwell, TS; Chan, Y-D; Christofferson, CD; Chu, P-H; Collar, JI; Combs, DC; Cooper, RJ; Cuesta, C; Detwiler, JA; Doe, PJ; Dunmore, JA; Efremenko, Y; Ejiri, H; Elliott, SR; Fast, JE; Finnerty, P; Fraenkle, FM; Fu, Z; Fujikawa, BK; Fuller, E; Galindo-Uribarri, A; Gehman, VM; Gilliss, T; Giovanetti, GK; Goett, J; Green, MP; Gruszko, J; Guinn, IS; Guiseppe, VE; Hallin, AL; Haufe, CR; Hehn, L; Henning, R; Hoppe, EW; Hossbach, TW; Howe, MA; Jasinski, BR; Johnson, RA; Keeter, KJ; Kephart, JD; Kidd, MF; Knecht, A; Konovalov, SI; Kouzes, RT; LaFerriere, BD; Leon, J; Lesko, KT; Leviner, LE; Loach, JC; Lopez, AM; Luke, PN; MacMullin, J; MacMullin, S; Marino, MG; Martin, RD; Massarczyk, R; McDonald, AB; Mei, D-M; Meijer, SJ; Merriman, JH; Mertens, S; Miley, HS; Miller, ML; Myslik, J; Orrell, JL; O'Shaughnessy, C; Othman, G; Overman, NR; Perumpilly, G; Pettus, W; Phillips, DG; Poon, AWP; Pushkin, K; Radford, DC; Rager, J; Reeves, JH; Reine, AL; Rielage, K; Robertson, RGH; Ronquest, MC; Ruof, NW; Schubert, AG; Shanks, B; Shirchenko, M; Snavely, KJ; Snyder, N; Steele, D; Suriano, AM; Tedeschi, D; Tornow, W; Trimble, JE; Varner, RL; Vasilyev, S; Vetter, K; Vorren, K; White, BR; Wilkerson, JF; Wiseman, C; Xu, W; Yakushev, E; Yaver, H; Young, AR; Yu, C-H; Yumatov, V; Zhitnikov, I; Zhu, BX; Zimmermann, S; Majorana Collaboration,

Published Date

  • March 2018

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 120 / 13

Start / End Page

  • 132502 -

PubMed ID

  • 29694188

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1079-7114

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0031-9007

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1103/physrevlett.120.132502

Language

  • eng