학술논문

Limits on uranium and thorium bulk content in Gerda Phase I detectors
Document Type
article
Source
Subject
Germanium detectors
Double beta decay
Radiopurity
Uranium and thorium bulk content
physics.ins-det
nucl-ex
Astronomical and Space Sciences
Atomic
Molecular
Nuclear
Particle and Plasma Physics
Nuclear & Particles Physics
Language
Abstract
Internal contaminations of 238U, 235U and 232Th in the bulk of high purity germanium detectors are potential backgrounds for experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge. The data from GERDA Phase I have been analyzed for alpha events from the decay chain of these contaminations by looking for full decay chains and for time correlations between successive decays in the same detector. No candidate events for a full chain have been found. Upper limits on the activities in the range of a few nBq/kg for 226Ra, 227Ac and 228Th, the long-lived daughter nuclides of 238U, 235U and 232Th, respectively, have been derived. With these upper limits a background index in the energy region of interest from 226Ra and 228Th contamination is estimated which satisfies the prerequisites of a future ton scale germanium double beta decay experiment.