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arXiv · 1007.3231

Astroparticle Physics with a Customized Low-Background Broad Energy Germanium Detector

MAJORANA Collaboration·C. E. Aalseth·M. Amman·F. T. Avignone III·H. O. Back·A. S. Barabash·P. S. Barbeau·M. Bergevin·F. E. Bertrand·M. Boswell·V. Brudanin·W. Bugg·T. H. Burritt·M. Busch·G. Capps·Y-D. Chan·J. I. Collar·R. J. Cooper·R. Creswick·J. A. Detwiler·J. Diaz·P. J. Doe·Yu. Efremenko·V. Egorov·H. Ejiri·S. R. Elliott·J. Ely·J. Esterline·H. Farach·J. E. Fast·N. Fields·P. Finnerty·B. Fujikawa·E. Fuller·V. M. Gehman·G. K. Giovanetti·V. E. Guiseppe·K. Gusey·A. L. Hallin·G. C Harper·R. Hazama·R. Henning·A. Hime·E. W. Hoppe·T. W. Hossbach·M. A. Howe·R. A. Johnson·K. J. Keeter·M. Keillor·C. Keller·J. D. Kephart·M. F. Kidd·A. Knecht·O. Kochetov·S. I. Konovalov·R. T. Kouzes·L. Leviner·J. C. Loach·P. N. Luke·S. MacMullin·M. G. Marino·R. D. Martin·D. -M. Mei·H. S. Miley·M. L. Miller·L. Mizouni·A. W. Meyers·M. Nomachi·J. L. Orrell·D. Peterson·D. G. Phillips II·A. W. P. Poon·G. Prior·J. Qian·D. C. Radford·K. Rielage·R. G. H. Robertson·L. Rodriguez·K. P. Rykaczewski·H. Salazar·A. G. Schubert·T. Shima·M. Shirchenko·D. Steele·J. Strain·G. Swift·K. Thomas·V. Timkin·W. Tornow·T. D. Van Wechel·I. Vanyushin·R. L. Varner·K. Vetter·J. F. Wilkerson·B. A. Wolfe·W. Xiang·E. Yakushev·H. Yaver·A. R. Young·C. -H. Yu
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Abstract

The MAJORANA Collaboration is building the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 60 kg array of high purity germanium detectors housed in an ultra-low background shield at the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge while demonstrating the feasibility of a tonne-scale experiment. It may also carry out a dark matter search in the 1-10 GeV/c^2 mass range. We have found that customized Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors produced by Canberra have several desirable features for a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment, including low electronic noise, excellent pulse shape analysis capabilities, and simple fabrication. We have deployed a customized BEGe, the MAJORANA Low-Background BEGe at Kimballton (MALBEK), in a low-background cryostat and shield at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility in Virginia. This paper will focus on the detector characteristics and measurements that can be performed with such a radiation detector in a low-background environment.

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MAJORANA Collaboration, C. E. Aalseth, M. Amman, F. T. Avignone III, H. O. Back, A. S. Barabash, P. S. Barbeau, M. Bergevin, F. E. Bertrand, M. Boswell, V. Brudanin, W. Bugg, T. H. Burritt, M. Busch, G. Capps, Y-D. Chan, J. I. Collar, R. J. Cooper, R. Creswick, J. A. Detwiler, J. Diaz, P. J. Doe, Yu. Efremenko, V. Egorov, H. Ejiri, S. R. Elliott, J. Ely, J. Esterline, H. Farach, J. E. Fast, N. Fields, P. Finnerty, B. Fujikawa, E. Fuller, V. M. Gehman, G. K. Giovanetti, V. E. Guiseppe, K. Gusey, A. L. Hallin, G. C Harper, R. Hazama, R. Henning, A. Hime, E. W. Hoppe, T. W. Hossbach, M. A. Howe, R. A. Johnson, K. J. Keeter, M. Keillor, C. Keller, J. D. Kephart, M. F. Kidd, A. Knecht, O. Kochetov, S. I. Konovalov, R. T. Kouzes, L. Leviner, J. C. Loach, P. N. Luke, S. MacMullin, M. G. Marino, R. D. Martin, D. -M. Mei, H. S. Miley, M. L. Miller, L. Mizouni, A. W. Meyers, M. Nomachi, J. L. Orrell, D. Peterson, D. G. Phillips II, A. W. P. Poon, G. Prior, J. Qian, D. C. Radford, K. Rielage, R. G. H. Robertson, L. Rodriguez, K. P. Rykaczewski, H. Salazar, A. G. Schubert, T. Shima, M. Shirchenko, D. Steele, J. Strain, G. Swift, K. Thomas, V. Timkin, W. Tornow, T. D. Van Wechel, I. Vanyushin, R. L. Varner, K. Vetter, J. F. Wilkerson, B. A. Wolfe, W. Xiang, E. Yakushev, H. Yaver, A. R. Young, C. -H. Yu. 2010-07-19. Astroparticle Physics with a Customized Low-Background Broad Energy Germanium Detector. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2010.08.100

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