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Double Beta experiment using nuclear emulsions?. Marcos Dracos IPHC/IN2P3, Strasbourg. Double Beta Decay. Nuclear matrix element. Phase space factor. -1. T 1/2 = F(Q bb ,Z) |M| 2 <m n > 2. 5. ?. Effective mass:
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Double Beta experiment using nuclear emulsions? Marcos Dracos IPHC/IN2P3, Strasbourg M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Double Beta Decay Nuclear matrix element Phase space factor -1 T1/2= F(Qbb,Z)|M|2<mn>2 5 ? Effective mass: <mn>= m1|Ue1|2 + m2|Ue2|2.eia1 + m3|Ue3|2.eia2 |Uei|: mixing matrix elements, a1 and a2: Majorana phases double beta without neutrino L=2 allowed double beta T1/2 ~ 1019-1020 years ! Observed for: Mo100, Ge76, Se82, Cd116, Te130, Zr96, Ca48, Nd150 M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Neutrino mass hierarchy m2 m12 m22 m32 ? Lower bounds! Inverted hierarchy m2~m1>>m3 Degenerate m1≈m2≈m3» |mi-mj| Normal hierarchy m3>>> m2~m1 Degenerate Inverted hierarchy Goal of next generation experiments: ~10 meV Normal hierarchy | mee| in eV Lightest neutrino (m1) in eV M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Present detection techniques or under investigation Calorimeter Semi-conductors Source = detector Tracko-calo Source detector Xe TPC Source = detector Calorimeter (Loaded) Scintillator Source = detector b b b b b b b b e,M e, M e, DE isotope choice better background rejection good energy resolution CANDLES NEMO3 CUORE CaF2(Pure) EXO M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Isotopes sourcesthicknessmg/cm2) Bckg 82Se (0,93 kg) isotopes used by NEMO3 experiment at Fréjus M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
The NEMO3 detector expected sensitivity up to mn~0.3 eV plastic scintillator blocks 3m + photomultipliers (Hamamatsu 3", 5") wire chamber (Geiger) energy and time of flight measurements Sources : 10 kg, 20 m2 2 electron tracks M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Event Examples M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Results 82Se Phase I + II 693 days 48Ca 932 g 389 days 2750 even. S/B = 4 T1/2(bb0n) > 5.8 1023 (90 % C.L.) <mn> <0.6-2.5 eV 100Mo ( 7 kg ) Expected in 2009 T1/2(bb0n) > 2 1024 (90 % C.L.) <mn> <0.3-1.3 eV 82Se T1/2 = 9.6 ± 0.3 (stat) ± 1.0 (syst) 1019 y 116Cd T1/2 = 2.8 ± 0.1 (stat) ± 0.3 (syst) 1019 y 150Nd T1/2 = 9.7 ± 0.7 (stat) ± 1.0 (syst) 1018 y 96Zr T1/2 = 2.0 ± 0.3 (stat) ± 0.2 (syst) 1019 y 48Ca T1/2 = 3.9 ± 0.7 (stat) ± 0.6 (syst) 1019 y background subtracted M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Improvements: Energy resolution 15% DE/E = 4% @ 3 MeV Efficiency 15% 20 - 40% @ 3 MeV Source x10 larger 7kg 100 - 200 kg Most promising isotopes 82Se (baseline) or perhaps 150Nd Aim: T1/2 > 2 x 1026 y Mbb < 40 - 90 meV R&D up to 2009, construction between 2010 and 2013 (if approved) Super NEMO source sheet M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
2 with emulsions "veto" emulsion, if needed (~50 m like in OPERA?) e e beta source (~50 m in NEMO3 could be less for emulsions) plastic base "2" emulsion thick enough to detect up to 4 MeV electrons (density?) M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Tests in Nagoya using OPERA emulsions A. Ariga, diploma thesis electron spectrometer 50 m M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Electron tracks in emulsions 1 MeV e- simulation 100 m 2 MeV e- simulation (A. Ariga and NIM A 575 (2007) 466) M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
2 with emulsions • NEMO3 surface: 20 m2 • Super-NEMO surface: 10x20 m2 • To cover the same isotope source surface with emulsions (both sides to detect the 2 electrons) we need an emulsion surface: 2x200=400 m2. • Just for comparison, one OPERA emulsion has a surface of about 0.012 m2 and one brick 0.680 m2. So 400 m2 is about the equivalent of 600 OPERA bricks over 150000 (but not with the same thickness of course, taking into account the thickness this could be the equivalent in emulsion volume of about 25000 OPERA bricks). • Use the same envelops like the OPERA changeable sheets by introducing at the middle of the two emulsions (or stack of emulsion sheets) a double beta source sheet. • Keep all these envelops for some time (e.g. 6-12 months) in the experiment and after this period start scanning them one after the other. They could be replaced by new envelops during 5 years in order to accumulate something equivalent to what Super-NEMO could do: 5*400 year*m2 • Experiment volume: <5 m3 very compact experiment! M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Previous tentative • 1.28 g 96Zr (powder) • source thickness: 180 m • total exposure time: 3717 hours • scanned surface for electron pairs: 10 mm2 • estimated total efficiency: 18% • Conclusion: • T1/2(96Zr)>1017 years, • decrease the thickness of the isotope layer, • use low radioactivity emulsions, • scanning speed has to considerably be increased (automatic scanning needed). M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Emulsion scanning Scanning Power Roadmap 700 1000 140 60 40 100 1stage 7.0 facility 10 1.2 0.1 / h 1 2 cm 0.1 0.1 0.003 0.01 0.003 0.001 TS(1994) NTS(1996) UTS(1998) SUTS(2006) SUTS(2007-) CHORUS DONUT OPERA • How much time is needed to make a full scan of 2000 m2(full scan in all volume not needed, just follow tracks present in the emulsion layer near the isotope foil)? • If the Japanese S-UTS scanning system is used with a speed of 50 cm2/hour, for one scanning table: 25 m2/year (200 working days/year). By using 16 tables and extracting 100 m2/3 months (1 year exposure at the beginning and putting back new emulsions with the same isotopes), this finally will take less than 5 years (as Super-NEMO). • Probably the emulsion thickness needed to detect these electrons will need more scanning time and the speed would be significantly less than 50 cm2/h. On the other hand, scanning speed increases with time… Nakamura san Nufact07 M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Pending questions • Energy resolution for NEMO: 15% for 1 MeV electrons • Required for Super-NEMO: lower than 8% • Emulsion experiment energy resolution: ??? • Overall reconstruction efficiency for NEMO: 15-18% • Required for Super-NEMO: >30% • Emulsion experiment reconstruction efficiency: ?? • Minimum electron energy (~0.5 MeV?, 0.200 MeV for NEMO3), will greatly influence the total efficiency. • Afforded background? • Possibility to take thinner isotope sheets (60 m for NEMO3) and have better energy resolution (but also more scanning for the same isotope mass, find good compromise). M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Possible isotopes to be used • For emulsions the electron detection threshold cannot be so low than NEMO3 (200 keV, low density material gas+plastic scintillator) utilisation of high Q-value isotopes>3 MeV • advantage: low background, high efficiency • problem: low abundance M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Feasibility studies 207Bi source with well known activity (EICe-=976, 482 keV) emulsion sheets 0.6 mm thick (3-4 layers) • Reconstruction efficiency: by counting the number of reconstructed electrons from both energy lines after scanning (this would help to tune the algorithms). • Electron threshold: the reconstruction efficiency for both electrons (mainly those at 482 keV) would give a good idea about the threshold. • Energy resolution: by counting the associated grains to the track, by measuring the track range. • Afforded background: perform the above tests with different backgrounds. • Needed • scanning tables, • low radioactivity lab (Gran Sasso, Baksan, Fréjus…), • thick emulsions (refreshed in low radioactivity lab). M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Limitations • high multiple scattering for low energy electrons • de/dx fluctuations • bremsstrahlung gammas (energy lost) • lost -electrons • electron backscattering 0.7 MeV e- (10 tracks) d=2.7 g/cm3 (Geant 3.2) better to use low density emulsions? M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Extra Ideas e e e e decreasing density (25 m layers) emitter in powder (diluted in an emulsion layer) better vertex and energy reconstruction? (few isotopes are anyway in powder form) to minimize the emulsion thickness and better energy resolution at the end of the track M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
BACKGROUND EVENTS OBSERVED BY NEMO-3and rejection in emulsions end of tracks easily recognised in emulsions rejection alpha tracks easily recognised in emulsions rejection Electron + a delay track (164 ms) 214Bi 214Po 210Pb Electron crossing > 4 MeV Neutron capture cannot be rejected in absence of magnetic field good emulsion shielding no vertex or very good vertex resolution in emulsions rejection Electron – positron pair B rejection Electron + N g’s 208Tl (Eg = 2.6 MeV) M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
bb0n-like event due to Radon from the gas (NEMO3) E1+E2= 2880 keV a track (delay = 70 ms) 214Po 210Pb • 214Bi 214Po • decay IN THE GAS Run 2220, event 136.604, May 11th 2003 M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
NEMO3 main background configurations Proportion of types of events in raw data: M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
Conclusion • Technology allows now the investigation about observation of double beta decays using nuclear emulsions • To prove the experiment feasibility few questions have to be answered: • what is the energy resolution? • what is the afforded background? • what is the overall efficiency? • The above questions could be answered with relatively low investment. M. Dracos, Bologna, 01/09/2008
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