2025/04/24 by Pichotta, Marie, Döring, Toralf, Hoffmann, Hans Fritz Rudolf +5
#FOS: Physical sciences #Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2504.17591
Neutrinoless double-beta decay of nuclei represents one of the most promising methods for uncovering physics beyond the Standard Model. In this context, 76Ge stands out as a particularly attractive candidate, as it can serve as an intrinsic component in semiconductor detectors. If the neutrinoless process occurs in 76Ge, its signature would appear as a distinct peak at the Q value of 2039 keV. A neutron activation measurement was performed on a germanium sample isotopically enriched in 76Ge at the DT neutron generator of TU Dresden. The measurement confirmed the presence of γ rays with energies of 2033.1±0.5 keV, 2035.5±0.4 keV, and 2040.22±0.26 keV originating from the decays of 74Ga and 76Ga. These γ rays lie in close proximity to the expected neutrinoless double-beta decay signal of 76Ge.