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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Defect mitigation by ion induced amorphousization and solid-phase epitaxy

Ion implantation is a common technique in the semiconductor industry used to modify the electrical properties of materials, usually silicon. Some dopant ions are sufficiently light, such as boron, that they do not create a continuous amorphous layer in silicon over the range of the ions. In the presence of such a layer, most of the ioninduced damage can be removed by solid-phase epitaxy growth (SPEG), which results in recrystallization of the amorphous damage. However, end-of-range defects at the amorphous-crystal interface give rise to threading dislocations during SPEG that degrade the quality of the recrytallized Si. We have studied the end of range defects in silicon with three different implantations. The first was with 80 keV {sup 30}Si with a dose of 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Si/cm{sup 2}, and the second was with 100 keV {sup 72}Ge at a dose of 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Ge/cm{sup 2}, and the third was a double implant of 100 keV {sup 72}Ge at a dose of 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Ge/cm{sup 2} followed by 340 keV {sup 28}Si at a dose of 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} Si/cm{sup 2}. SPEG was done at 650 Degree-Sign C to recrystalize the implanted samples, and the end of range defects were studied using channeled Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS-c). The effects of photon-assisted hydrogenation on amorphization and recrystallization were also studied.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Direct detection of light “Ge-phobic” exothermic dark matter

We present comparisons of direct dark matter (DM) detection data for light WIMPs with exothermic scattering with nuclei (exoDM), both assuming the Standard Halo Model (SHM) and in a halo model — independent manner. Exothermic interactions favor light targets, thus reducing the importance of upper limits derived from xenon targets, the most restrictive of which is at present the LUX limit. In our SHM analysis the CDMS-II-Si and CoGeNT regions become allowed by these bounds, however the recent SuperCDMS limit rejects both regions for exoDM with isospin-conserving couplings. An isospin-violating coupling of the exoDM, in particular one with a neutron to proton coupling ratio of −0.8 (which we call “Ge-phobic”), maximally reduces the DM coupling to germanium and allows the CDMS-II-Si region to become compatible with all bounds. This is also clearly shown in our halo-independent analysis.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Background Model for the Majorana Demonstrator

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing a prototype system containing 40 kg of HPGe detectors to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a future tonne-scale experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta (0v BB) decay in 76Ge. In view of the requirement that the next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based 0vBB-decay experiment be capable of probing the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region, a major goal of theMajorana Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. This goal is pursued through a combination of a significant reduction of radioactive impurities in construction materials with analytical methods for background rejection, for example using powerful pulse shape analysis techniques profiting from the p-type point contact HPGe detectors technology. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed using Geant4 simulations of the different background components whose purity levels are constrained from radioassay measurements.

Cuesta, C.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Recent Results from the Majorana Demonstrator

The MAJORANA Collaboration has completed construction and is now operating an array of high purity Ge detectors searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) in $^{76}$Ge. The array, known as the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, is comprised of 44 kg of Ge detectors (30 kg enriched to 88% in $^{76}$Ge) installed in an ultra-low background compact shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The primary goal of the DEMONSTRATOR is to establish a low-background design that can be scaled to a next-generation tonne-scale experiment. This work reports initial background levels in the $0\nu\beta\beta$ region of interest. Also presented are recent physics results leveraging P-type point-contact detectors with sub-keV energy thresholds to search for physics beyond the Standard Model; first results from searches for bosonic dark matter, solar axions, Pauli exclusion principle violation, and electron decay have been published. Finally, this work discusses the proposed tonne-scale $^{76}$Ge $0\nu\beta\beta$ LEGEND experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Status of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, an ultralow background, 40-kg modular high purity Ge (HPGe) detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ-decay) in 76 Ge. The goal of the experiment is to demonstrate a background rate at or below 3 counts/(t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest (ROI) around the 2039 keV Q-value for 76 Ge 0νββ-decay. In this study, the status of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, including its design and measurements of properties of the HPGe crystals is presented.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Limits of Majorana neutrino mass from combined analysis of data from {sup 76}Ge and {sup 136}Xe neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

We present effective Majorana neutrino mass limits obtained from the joint analysis of the recently published results of {sup 76}Ge and {sup 136}Xe neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) experiments, which was carried out by using the Bayesian calculations. Nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) used for the analysis are taken from the works, in which NMEs of {sup 76}Ge and {sup 136}Xe were simultaneously calculated. This reduced systematic errors connected with NME calculation techniques. The new effective Majorana neutrino mass limits less than [85.4–197.0] meV are much closer to the inverse neutrino mass hierarchy region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for a Nonrelativistic Boson in Two-Body Antimuon Decay

We demonstrate the feasibility of probing the charged lepton-flavor-violating decay μ + → e + X 0 for the presence of a slow-moving neutral boson X 0 capable of undergoing gravitational binding to large structures and, as such, able to participate in some cosmological scenarios. A short exposure to surface antimuons from beam line M20 at TRIUMF generates a branching ratio limit of ≲ 10 –5 . This is comparable to or better than previous searches for this channel, although in a thus-far-unexplored region of X 0 phase space very close to the kinematic limit of the decay, where m X 0 approaches m μ+ . The future improved sensitivity of the method using a customized p -type point-contact germanium detector is described.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Low-energy enhancement in the γ -ray strength functions of Ge 73 , 74

Here, t≤he γ-ray strength functions and level densities of 73,74 Ge have been extracted up to the neutron-separation energy S n from particle-γ coincidence data using the Oslo method. Moreover, the γ-ray strength function of 74 Ge above S n has been determined from photoneutron measurements; hence these two experiments cover the range of Eγ ≈ 1–13 MeV for 74 Ge. The obtained data show that both 73,74 Ge display an increase in strength at low γ energies. The experimental γ-ray strength functions are compared with M1 strength functions deduced from average B(M1) values calculated within the shell model for a large number of transitions. The observed low-energy enhancements in 73,74 Ge are adopted in the calculations of the 72,73 Ge(n,γ) cross sections, where there are no direct experimental data. Calculated reaction rates for more neutron-rich germanium isotopes are shown to be strongly dependent on the presence of the low-energy enhancement.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Analysis techniques for background rejection at the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, an ultra-low background, 40- kg modular HPGe detector array to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in {sup 76}Ge. In view of the next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based 0νβ β-decay searches that will probe the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region, a major goal of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 count/tonne/year in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. The background rejection techniques to be applied to the data include cuts based on data reduction, pulse shape analysis, event coincidences, and time correlations. The Point Contact design of the DEMONSTRATOR’s germanium detectors allows for significant reduction of gamma background.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Interpretable boosted-decision-tree analysis for the Majorana Demonstrator

The Majorana Demonstrator is a leading experiment searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay with high purity germanium detectors (HPGe). Machine learning provides a new way to maximize the amount of information provided by these detectors, but the data-driven nature makes it less interpretable compared to traditional analysis. An interpretability study reveals the machine's decision-making logic, allowing us to learn from the machine to feedback to the traditional analysis. In this work, we have presented the first machine learning analysis of the data from the Majorana Demonstrator; this is also the first interpretable machine learning analysis of any germanium detector experiment. Two gradient boosted decision tree models are trained to learn from the data, and a game-theory-based model interpretability study is conducted to understand the origin of the classification power. By learning from data, this analysis recognizes the correlations among reconstruction parameters to further enhance the background rejection performance. By learning from the machine, this analysis reveals the importance of new background categories to reciprocally benefit the standard Majorana analysis. This model is highly compatible with next-generation germanium detector experiments like LEGEND since it can be simultaneously trained on a large number of detectors.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Measurement of the activity and spectrum of internal bremsstrahlung of a {sup 51}Cr source

The activity of the {sup 51}Cr source in the BEST experiment searching for sterile neutrinos is planned to be determined by measuring the spectrum of internal bremsstrahlung. The measurements of activity and the spectrum of internal bremsstrahlung of point low-activity {sup 51}Cr sources with Ge semiconductor detectors are discussed. The accuracy and errors of this measurement method are examined.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Status of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR: A search for neutrinoless double-beta decay

If neutrinos are Majorana particles, i.e. fermions that are their own antiparticles, then neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay is possible. In such a process, two neutrons can simultaneously decay into two protons and two electrons without emitting neutrinos. Neutrinos being Majorana particles would explicitly violate lepton number conservation, and might play a role in the matter–antimatter asymmetry in the universe. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR experiment is under construction at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD and will search for the neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of the 76 Ge isotope. The goal of the experiment is to demonstrate that it is possible to achieve a sufficiently low background rate in the 4 keV region of interest (ROI) around the 2039 keV Q-value to justify building a tonne-scale experiment. In this study, we discuss the physics and design of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, its approach to achieving ultra-low background and the status of the experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Results of the LEGEND-200 experiment in the search for $0νββ$ decay

The LEGEND experiment is looking for the extremely rare neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76 Ge using isotopically-enriched high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. The detection of this process would imply that the neutrino is a Majorana particle and the total lepton number would not be conserved, which could be related to the cosmological asymmetry between matter and antimatter through leptogenesis. The long-term goal of the collaboration is LEGEND-1000: a 1-ton detector array planned to run for 10 years, with a projected half-life sensitivity exceeding 10 28 years, fully covering the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. A first search for the 0νββ decay has been carried out by LEGEND-200 building on the experience gained from GERDA and the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR. The experiment has been collecting physics data for a year at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy with 140 kg of HPGe detectors. With a total exposure of 61 kg yr, LEGEND-200 has achieved a background index of $5_{−2}^{+3}$ × 10 −4 counts/(keV kg yr) in the 0νββ decay signal region from the highest performing detectors. After combining the results from GERDA, the MAJORANA Demonstrator and LEGEND-200, an exclusion sensitivity > 2.8 × 10 26 yr has been obtained at 90% confidence level for the 0νββ decay half-life, with no evidence for a signal. A new observed lower limit of $T_{1/2}^{0v} >$ 1.9 × 10 26 yr at 90% confidence level has been established.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CDEX-1 1 kg point-contact germanium detector for low mass dark matter searches

The CDEX Collaboration has been established for direct detection of light dark matter particles, using ultra-low energy threshold p-type point-contact germanium detectors, in China JinPing underground Laboratory (CJPL). The first 1 kg point-contact germanium detector with a sub-keV energy threshold has been tested in a passive shielding system located in CJPL. The outputs from both the point-contact p + electrode and the outside n + electrode make it possible to scan the lower energy range of less than 1 keV and at the same time to detect the higher energy range up to 3 MeV. The outputs from both p + and n + electrode may also provide a more powerful method for signal discrimination for dark matter experiment. Some key parameters, including energy resolution, dead time, decay times of internal X-rays, and system stability, have been tested and measured. The results show that the 1 kg point-contact germanium detector, together with its shielding system and electronics, can run smoothly with good performances. This detector system will be deployed for dark matter search experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Determination of activity of {sup 51}Cr on gamma radiation measurements

A method of determining the activity of intensive distributed -sources on the measurement of the continuous spectrum of radiation, for example the internal bremsstrahlung, is developed. The recurrent formula for reconstructing of a continuous spectrum, registered in a Ge detector, at distorting it in the detector. The method of precise measurements of the spectrum of {sup 51}Cr internal bremsstrahlung using two point sources of low activity is described.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Identifying the theory of dark matter with direct detection

Identifying the true theory of dark matter depends crucially on accurately characterizing interactions of dark matter (DM) with other species. In the context of DM direct detection, we present a study of the prospects for correctly identifying the low-energy effective DM-nucleus scattering operators connected to UV-complete models of DM-quark interactions. We take a census of plausible UV-complete interaction models with different low-energy leading-order DM-nuclear responses. For each model (corresponding to different spin–, momentum–, and velocity-dependent responses), we create a large number of realizations of recoil-energy spectra, and use Bayesian methods to investigate the probability that experiments will be able to select the correct scattering model within a broad set of competing scattering hypotheses. We conclude that agnostic analysis of a strong signal (such as Generation-2 would see if cross sections are just below the current limits) seen on xenon and germanium experiments is likely to correctly identify momentum dependence of the dominant response, ruling out models with either “heavy” or “light” mediators, and enabling downselection of allowed models. However, a unique determination of the correct UV completion will critically depend on the availability of measurements from a wider variety of nuclear targets, including iodine or fluorine. We investigate how model-selection prospects depend on the energy window available for the analysis. In addition, we discuss accuracy of the DM particle mass determination under a wide variety of scattering models, and investigate impact of the specific types of particle-physics uncertainties on prospects for model selection.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗