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arXiv · 1610.06141

Search for Pauli Exclusion Principle Violating Atomic Transitions and Electron Decay with a P-type Point Contact Germanium Detector

N. Abgrall·I. J. Arnquist·F. T. Avignone III·A. S. Barabash·F. E. Bertrand·A. W. Bradley·V. Brudanin·M. Busch·M. Buuck·A. S. Caldwell·Y-D. Chan·C. D. Christofferson·P. -H. Chu·C. Cuesta·J. A. Detwiler·C. Dunagan·Yu. Efremenko·H. Ejiri·S. R. Elliott·P. S Finnerty·A. Galindo-Uribarri·T. Gilliss·G. K. Giovanetti·J. Goett·M. P. Green·J. Gruszko·I. S. Guinn·V. E. Guiseppe·R. Henning·E. W. Hoppe·S. Howard·M. A. Howe·B. R. Jasinski·K. J. Keeter·M. F. Kidd·S. I. Konovalov·R. T. Kouzes·B. D. LaFerriere·J. Leon·J. MacMullin·R. D. Martin·R. Massarczyk·S. J. Meijer·S. Mertens·J. L. Orrell·C. O'Shaughnessy·A. W. P. Poon·D. C. Radford·J. Rager·K. Rielage·R. G. H. Robertson·E. Romero-Romero·B. Shanks·M. Shirchenko·A. M. Suriano·D. Tedeschi·J. E. Trimble·R. L. Varner·S. Vasilyev·K. Vetter·K. Vorren·B. R. White·J. F. Wilkerson·C. Wiseman·W. Xu·E. Yakushev·C. -H. Yu·V. Yumatov·I. Zhitnikov
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Abstract

A search for Pauli-exclusion-principle-violating K-alpha electron transitions was performed using 89.5 kg-d of data collected with a p-type point contact high-purity germanium detector operated at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility. A lower limit on the transition lifetime of 5.8x10^30 seconds at 90% C.L. was set by looking for a peak at 10.6 keV resulting from the x-ray and Auger electrons present following the transition. A similar analysis was done to look for the decay of atomic K-shell electrons into neutrinos, resulting in a lower limit of 6.8x10^30 seconds at 90 C.L. It is estimated that the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 44 kg array of p-type point contact detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76-Ge, could improve upon these exclusion limits by an order of magnitude after three years of operation.

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N. Abgrall, I. J. Arnquist, F. T. Avignone III, A. S. Barabash, F. E. Bertrand, A. W. Bradley, V. Brudanin, M. Busch, M. Buuck, A. S. Caldwell, Y-D. Chan, C. D. Christofferson, P. -H. Chu, C. Cuesta, J. A. Detwiler, C. Dunagan, Yu. Efremenko, H. Ejiri, S. R. Elliott, P. S Finnerty, A. Galindo-Uribarri, T. Gilliss, G. K. Giovanetti, J. Goett, M. P. Green, J. Gruszko, I. S. Guinn, V. E. Guiseppe, R. Henning, E. W. Hoppe, S. Howard, M. A. Howe, B. R. Jasinski, K. J. Keeter, M. F. Kidd, S. I. Konovalov, R. T. Kouzes, B. D. LaFerriere, J. Leon, J. MacMullin, R. D. Martin, R. Massarczyk, S. J. Meijer, S. Mertens, J. L. Orrell, C. O'Shaughnessy, A. W. P. Poon, D. C. Radford, J. Rager, K. Rielage, R. G. H. Robertson, E. Romero-Romero, B. Shanks, M. Shirchenko, A. M. Suriano, D. Tedeschi, J. E. Trimble, R. L. Varner, S. Vasilyev, K. Vetter, K. Vorren, B. R. White, J. F. Wilkerson, C. Wiseman, W. Xu, E. Yakushev, C. -H. Yu, V. Yumatov, I. Zhitnikov. 2016-10-19. Search for Pauli Exclusion Principle Violating Atomic Transitions and Electron Decay with a P-type Point Contact Germanium Detector. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc%2Fs10052-016-4467-0

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