α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors

I. J. Arnquist; F. T. Avignone; A. S. Barabash; C. J. Barton; F. E. Bertrand; E. Blalock; B. Bos; M. Busch; M. Buuck; T. S. Caldwell; Y. D. Chan; C. D. Christofferson; P. H. Chu; M. L. Clark; C. Cuesta; J. A. Detwiler; A. Drobizhev; T. R. Edwards; D. W. Edwins; F. Edzards; Y. Efremenko; S. R. Elliott; T. Gilliss; G. K. Giovanetti; M. P. Green; J. Gruszko; I. S. Guinn; V. E. Guiseppe; C. R. Haufe; R. J. Hegedus; R. Henning; D. Hervas Aguilar; E. W. Hoppe; A. Hostiuc; I. Kim; R. T. Kouzes; A. M. Lopez; J. M. López-Castaño; E. L. Martin; R. D. Martin; R. Massarczyk; S. J. Meijer; S. Mertens; J. Myslik; T. K. Oli; G. Othman; W. Pettus; A. W.P. Poon; D. C. Radford; J. Rager; A. L. Reine; K. Rielage; N. W. Ruof; B. Saykı; S. Schönert; M. J. Stortini; D. Tedeschi; R. L. Varner; S. Vasilyev; J. F. Wilkerson; M. Willers; C. Wiseman; W. Xu; C. H. Yu; B. X. Zhu

doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y

α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors

I. J. Arnquist, F. T. Avignone, A. S. Barabash, C. J. Barton, F. E. Bertrand, E. Blalock, B. Bos, M. Busch, M. Buuck, T. S. Caldwell, Y. D. Chan, C. D. Christofferson, P. H. Chu, M. L. Clark, C. Cuesta, J. A. Detwiler, A. Drobizhev, T. R. Edwards, D. W. Edwins, F. EdzardsY. Efremenko, S. R. Elliott, T. Gilliss, G. K. Giovanetti, M. P. Green, J. Gruszko, I. S. Guinn, V. E. Guiseppe, C. R. Haufe, R. J. Hegedus, R. Henning, D. Hervas Aguilar, E. W. Hoppe, A. Hostiuc, I. Kim, R. T. Kouzes, A. M. Lopez, J. M. López-Castaño, E. L. Martin, R. D. Martin, R. Massarczyk, S. J. Meijer, S. Mertens, J. Myslik, T. K. Oli, G. Othman, W. Pettus, A. W.P. Poon, D. C. Radford, J. Rager, A. L. Reine, K. Rielage, N. W. Ruof, B. Saykı, S. Schönert, M. J. Stortini, D. Tedeschi, R. L. Varner, S. Vasilyev, J. F. Wilkerson, M. Willers, C. Wiseman, W. Xu, C. H. Yu, B. X. Zhu

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Abstract

P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector’s response to α particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p⁺ surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the MajoranaDemonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) in ⁷⁶Ge. α decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of α identification, reliably identifying α background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface α events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the 0 νββ region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the MajoranaDemonstrator and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.

Original language	English
Article number	226
Journal	European Physical Journal C
Volume	82
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y
State	Published - Mar 2022

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Arnquist, I. J., Avignone, F. T., Barabash, A. S., Barton, C. J., Bertrand, F. E., Blalock, E., Bos, B., Busch, M., Buuck, M., Caldwell, T. S., Chan, Y. D., Christofferson, C. D., Chu, P. H., Clark, M. L., Cuesta, C., Detwiler, J. A., Drobizhev, A., Edwards, T. R., Edwins, D. W., ... Zhu, B. X. (2022). α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors. European Physical Journal C, 82(3), Article 226. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y

@article{ccb2cc611a3c497a8dd934c172f4b32b,

title = "α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors",

abstract = "P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector{\textquoteright}s response to α particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p+ surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the MajoranaDemonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) in 76Ge. α decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of α identification, reliably identifying α background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface α events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the 0 νββ region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the MajoranaDemonstrator and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.",

author = "Arnquist, {I. J.} and Avignone, {F. T.} and Barabash, {A. S.} and Barton, {C. J.} and Bertrand, {F. E.} and E. Blalock and B. Bos and M. Busch and M. Buuck and Caldwell, {T. S.} and Chan, {Y. D.} and Christofferson, {C. D.} and Chu, {P. H.} and Clark, {M. L.} and C. Cuesta and Detwiler, {J. A.} and A. Drobizhev and Edwards, {T. R.} and Edwins, {D. W.} and F. Edzards and Y. Efremenko and Elliott, {S. R.} and T. Gilliss and Giovanetti, {G. K.} and Green, {M. P.} and J. Gruszko and Guinn, {I. S.} and Guiseppe, {V. E.} and Haufe, {C. R.} and Hegedus, {R. J.} and R. Henning and Aguilar, {D. Hervas} and Hoppe, {E. W.} and A. Hostiuc and I. Kim and Kouzes, {R. T.} and Lopez, {A. M.} and L{\'o}pez-Casta{\~n}o, {J. M.} and Martin, {E. L.} and Martin, {R. D.} and R. Massarczyk and Meijer, {S. J.} and S. Mertens and J. Myslik and Oli, {T. K.} and G. Othman and W. Pettus and Poon, {A. W.P.} and Radford, {D. C.} and J. Rager and Reine, {A. L.} and K. Rielage and Ruof, {N. W.} and B. Saykı and S. Sch{\"o}nert and Stortini, {M. J.} and D. Tedeschi and Varner, {R. L.} and S. Vasilyev and Wilkerson, {J. F.} and M. Willers and C. Wiseman and W. Xu and Yu, {C. H.} and Zhu, {B. X.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y",

language = "English",

volume = "82",

journal = "European Physical Journal C",

issn = "1434-6044",

publisher = "Springer New York",

number = "3",

}

Arnquist, IJ, Avignone, FT, Barabash, AS, Barton, CJ, Bertrand, FE, Blalock, E, Bos, B, Busch, M, Buuck, M, Caldwell, TS, Chan, YD, Christofferson, CD, Chu, PH, Clark, ML, Cuesta, C, Detwiler, JA, Drobizhev, A, Edwards, TR, Edwins, DW, Edzards, F, Efremenko, Y, Elliott, SR, Gilliss, T, Giovanetti, GK, Green, MP, Gruszko, J, Guinn, IS, Guiseppe, VE, Haufe, CR, Hegedus, RJ, Henning, R, Aguilar, DH, Hoppe, EW, Hostiuc, A, Kim, I, Kouzes, RT, Lopez, AM, López-Castaño, JM, Martin, EL, Martin, RD, Massarczyk, R, Meijer, SJ, Mertens, S, Myslik, J, Oli, TK, Othman, G, Pettus, W, Poon, AWP, Radford, DC, Rager, J, Reine, AL, Rielage, K, Ruof, NW, Saykı, B, Schönert, S, Stortini, MJ, Tedeschi, D, Varner, RL, Vasilyev, S, Wilkerson, JF, Willers, M, Wiseman, C, Xu, W, Yu, CH & Zhu, BX 2022, 'α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors', European Physical Journal C, vol. 82, no. 3, 226. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors

AU - Arnquist, I. J.

AU - Avignone, F. T.

AU - Barabash, A. S.

AU - Barton, C. J.

AU - Bertrand, F. E.

AU - Blalock, E.

AU - Bos, B.

AU - Busch, M.

AU - Buuck, M.

AU - Caldwell, T. S.

AU - Chan, Y. D.

AU - Christofferson, C. D.

AU - Chu, P. H.

AU - Clark, M. L.

AU - Cuesta, C.

AU - Detwiler, J. A.

AU - Drobizhev, A.

AU - Edwards, T. R.

AU - Edwins, D. W.

AU - Edzards, F.

AU - Efremenko, Y.

AU - Elliott, S. R.

AU - Gilliss, T.

AU - Giovanetti, G. K.

AU - Green, M. P.

AU - Gruszko, J.

AU - Guinn, I. S.

AU - Guiseppe, V. E.

AU - Haufe, C. R.

AU - Hegedus, R. J.

AU - Henning, R.

AU - Aguilar, D. Hervas

AU - Hoppe, E. W.

AU - Hostiuc, A.

AU - Kim, I.

AU - Kouzes, R. T.

AU - Lopez, A. M.

AU - López-Castaño, J. M.

AU - Martin, E. L.

AU - Martin, R. D.

AU - Massarczyk, R.

AU - Meijer, S. J.

AU - Mertens, S.

AU - Myslik, J.

AU - Oli, T. K.

AU - Othman, G.

AU - Pettus, W.

AU - Poon, A. W.P.

AU - Radford, D. C.

AU - Rager, J.

AU - Reine, A. L.

AU - Rielage, K.

AU - Ruof, N. W.

AU - Saykı, B.

AU - Schönert, S.

AU - Stortini, M. J.

AU - Tedeschi, D.

AU - Varner, R. L.

AU - Vasilyev, S.

AU - Wilkerson, J. F.

AU - Willers, M.

AU - Wiseman, C.

AU - Xu, W.

AU - Yu, C. H.

AU - Zhu, B. X.

PY - 2022/3

Y1 - 2022/3

N2 - P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector’s response to α particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p+ surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the MajoranaDemonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) in 76Ge. α decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of α identification, reliably identifying α background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface α events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the 0 νββ region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the MajoranaDemonstrator and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.

AB - P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector’s response to α particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p+ surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the MajoranaDemonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) in 76Ge. α decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of α identification, reliably identifying α background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface α events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the 0 νββ region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the MajoranaDemonstrator and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127352821&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y

DO - 10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10161-y

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85127352821

SN - 1434-6044

VL - 82

JO - European Physical Journal C

JF - European Physical Journal C

IS - 3

M1 - 226

ER -

α -event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors

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