Journal Article

Demonstration of the event identification capabilities of the NEXT-White detector

Yahlali, N., Lebrun, P., Haefner, J., Pérez, J., Rodríguez, J., Mano, R. D. P., Santos, F. P., Simón, A., Losada, M., Martín-Albo, J., Henriques, C. A. O., Monrabal, F., Para, A., Muñoz Vidal, J., Carrión, J. V., Adams, C., Palmeiro, B., Romo-Luque, C., Woodruff, K., Johnston, S., Mora, F. J., Ferreira, A. L., Arnquist, I. J., Jones, B. J. P., Nygren, D. R., Novella, P., Hauptman, J., Herrero, V., Laing, A., Sorel, M., Escada, J., Torrent, J., Ballester, F., Ripoll, L., White, J. T., Webb, R., Renner, J., Veloso, J. F. C. A., Azevedo, C. D. R, Diesburg, M., Stiegler, T., Gómez-Cadenas, J. J., Gutíerrez, R. M., Monteiro, C. M. B., Rogers, L., González-Díaz, D., McDonald, A. D., Díaz López, G., Ghosh, S., Martínez-Lema, G., dos Santos, J. M. F., Byrnes, N., Repond, J., Rodríguez García, Y., Cárcel, S., Guenette, R., Fernandes, A. F. M., Goldschmidt, A., Kekic, M., Álvarez, V., Psihas, F., Querol, M., Weiss-Babai, R., Conde, C. A. N., Arazi, L., Esteve, R., Ifergan, Y., Martínez, A., Toledo, J. F., Bailey, K., Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M., Hafidi, K., Romeo, B., Usón, A., Felkai, R., Fernandes, L. M. P., Generowicz, J., López-March, N., Riordan

2019

Overview

A bstract In experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay, the possibility of identifying the two emitted electrons is a powerful tool in rejecting background events and therefore improving the overall sensitivity of the experiment. In this paper we present the first measurement of the efficiency of a cut based on the different event signatures of double and single electron tracks, using the data of the NEXT-White detector, the first detector of the NEXT experiment operating underground. Using a 228 Th calibration source to produce signal-like and background-like events with energies near 1.6 MeV, a signal efficiency of 71 . 6 ± 1 . 5 stat ± 0 . 3 sys % for a background acceptance of 20 . 6 ± 0 . 4 stat ± 0 . 3 sys % is found, in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations. An extrapolation to the energy region of the neutrinoless double beta decay by means of Monte Carlo simulations is also carried out, and the results obtained show an improvement in background rejection over those obtained at lower energies.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V,Springer Nature,SpringerOpen
• Subject: Beta decay / Classical and Quantum Gravitation / Computer simulation / Dark Matter and Double Beta Decay (experiments) / Elementary Particles / High energy physics / Monte Carlo simulation / Physics / Physics and Astronomy / Quantum Field Theories / Quantum Field Theory / Quantum Physics / Regular Article - Experimental Physics / Relativity Theory / Sensors / Single electrons / String Theory