Observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on Al2O3

CRAB Collaboration

doi:10.1103/NT33-5Z88

Observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on Al₂O₃

CRAB Collaboration

Chair of Experimental and Astroparticle Physics

Technische Universität Wien
Technical University of Munich
Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
University Paris-Sud
Sezione INFN di Roma La Sapienza
INFN Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata
University of Rome Tor Vergata
Service de recherche en Corrosion et Comportement des Materiaux
Dipartimento di Fisica
Universita La Sapienza
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik
IRFM, CEA

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report the observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on aluminum in a cryogenic Al₂O₃ detector developed by the NUCLEUS collaboration for the detection of reactor neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus (CEνNS) process. Data collected at the Technical University of Munich in 2024 with a ²⁵²Cf source reveal a main recoil line at 1145 eV from single-γ de-excitation of ²⁸Al and a newly observed structure near 575 eV originating from several two-γ cascades. The latter constitutes the first direct measurement of a nuclear recoil line induced by multi-γ cascades. It is predicted by our simulations when the recoiling nucleus has time to stop before the emission of the next γ ray in the cascade. These results demonstrate the potential performance of the CRAB (Calibration Recoil for Accurate Bolometry) method for in situ nuclear recoil calibration and highlight the importance of accurately modeling recoil stopping and nuclear de-excitation times in cryogenic detectors of CEνNS and dark-matter interactions.

Original language	English
Article number	014621
Journal	Physical Review C
Volume	114
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/NT33-5Z88
State	Published - 2026

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10.1103/NT33-5Z88

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@article{0a5a8cbd888248708bcbe79bc26394cf,

title = "Observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on Al2O3",

abstract = "We report the observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on aluminum in a cryogenic Al2O3 detector developed by the NUCLEUS collaboration for the detection of reactor neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus (CEνNS) process. Data collected at the Technical University of Munich in 2024 with a 252Cf source reveal a main recoil line at 1145 eV from single-γ de-excitation of 28Al and a newly observed structure near 575 eV originating from several two-γ cascades. The latter constitutes the first direct measurement of a nuclear recoil line induced by multi-γ cascades. It is predicted by our simulations when the recoiling nucleus has time to stop before the emission of the next γ ray in the cascade. These results demonstrate the potential performance of the CRAB (Calibration Recoil for Accurate Bolometry) method for in situ nuclear recoil calibration and highlight the importance of accurately modeling recoil stopping and nuclear de-excitation times in cryogenic detectors of CEνNS and dark-matter interactions.",

author = "\{CRAB Collaboration\} and H. Abele and P. Ajello and B. Arnold and E. Bossio and J. Burkhart and F. Cappella and N. Casali and R. Cerulli and Crocombette, \{J. P.\} and \{del Castello\}, G. and \{del Gallo Roccagiovine\}, M. and \{de Marcillac\}, P. and S. Dorer and C. Doutre and A. Erhart and S. Fichtinger and M. Friedl and C. Goupy and D. Hauff and E. Jericha and M. Kaznacheeva and H. Kluck and T. Lasserre and D. Lhuillier and O. Litaize and S. Marnieros and R. Martin and E. Namuth and T. Ortmann and L. Peters and Poda, \{D. V.\} and F. Reindl and W. Reindl and J. Rothe and N. Schermer and J. Schieck and S. Sch{\"o}nert and C. Schwertner and G. Soum-Sidikov and R. Strauss and R. Thalmeier and L. Thulliez and M. Vignati and M. Vivier and P. Wasser and A. Wex",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright}2026 American Physical Society",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.1103/NT33-5Z88",

language = "English",

volume = "114",

journal = "Physical Review C",

issn = "2469-9985",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on Al2O3

AU - CRAB Collaboration

AU - Abele, H.

AU - Ajello, P.

AU - Arnold, B.

AU - Bossio, E.

AU - Burkhart, J.

AU - Cappella, F.

AU - Casali, N.

AU - Cerulli, R.

AU - Crocombette, J. P.

AU - del Castello, G.

AU - del Gallo Roccagiovine, M.

AU - de Marcillac, P.

AU - Dorer, S.

AU - Doutre, C.

AU - Erhart, A.

AU - Fichtinger, S.

AU - Friedl, M.

AU - Goupy, C.

AU - Hauff, D.

AU - Jericha, E.

AU - Kaznacheeva, M.

AU - Kluck, H.

AU - Lasserre, T.

AU - Lhuillier, D.

AU - Litaize, O.

AU - Marnieros, S.

AU - Martin, R.

AU - Namuth, E.

AU - Ortmann, T.

AU - Peters, L.

AU - Poda, D. V.

AU - Reindl, F.

AU - Reindl, W.

AU - Rothe, J.

AU - Schermer, N.

AU - Schieck, J.

AU - Schönert, S.

AU - Schwertner, C.

AU - Soum-Sidikov, G.

AU - Strauss, R.

AU - Thalmeier, R.

AU - Thulliez, L.

AU - Vignati, M.

AU - Vivier, M.

AU - Wasser, P.

AU - Wex, A.

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - We report the observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on aluminum in a cryogenic Al2O3 detector developed by the NUCLEUS collaboration for the detection of reactor neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus (CEνNS) process. Data collected at the Technical University of Munich in 2024 with a 252Cf source reveal a main recoil line at 1145 eV from single-γ de-excitation of 28Al and a newly observed structure near 575 eV originating from several two-γ cascades. The latter constitutes the first direct measurement of a nuclear recoil line induced by multi-γ cascades. It is predicted by our simulations when the recoiling nucleus has time to stop before the emission of the next γ ray in the cascade. These results demonstrate the potential performance of the CRAB (Calibration Recoil for Accurate Bolometry) method for in situ nuclear recoil calibration and highlight the importance of accurately modeling recoil stopping and nuclear de-excitation times in cryogenic detectors of CEνNS and dark-matter interactions.

AB - We report the observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on aluminum in a cryogenic Al2O3 detector developed by the NUCLEUS collaboration for the detection of reactor neutrinos via coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus (CEνNS) process. Data collected at the Technical University of Munich in 2024 with a 252Cf source reveal a main recoil line at 1145 eV from single-γ de-excitation of 28Al and a newly observed structure near 575 eV originating from several two-γ cascades. The latter constitutes the first direct measurement of a nuclear recoil line induced by multi-γ cascades. It is predicted by our simulations when the recoiling nucleus has time to stop before the emission of the next γ ray in the cascade. These results demonstrate the potential performance of the CRAB (Calibration Recoil for Accurate Bolometry) method for in situ nuclear recoil calibration and highlight the importance of accurately modeling recoil stopping and nuclear de-excitation times in cryogenic detectors of CEνNS and dark-matter interactions.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105051171238

U2 - 10.1103/NT33-5Z88

DO - 10.1103/NT33-5Z88

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105051171238

SN - 2469-9985

VL - 114

JO - Physical Review C

JF - Physical Review C

IS - 1

M1 - 014621

ER -

Observation of two nuclear recoil peaks induced by neutron capture on Al₂O₃

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