Search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of Ge-76 with GERDA

TL;DR

GERDA is a cutting-edge experiment using enriched germanium detectors in liquid argon to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of Ge-76, aiming to confirm or refute previous claims and significantly reduce background noise.

Contribution

This paper introduces GERDA's innovative shielding method and design, advancing the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay with improved sensitivity.

Findings

GERDA's design achieves lower background levels than previous experiments.

Initial R&D results support the feasibility of the new shielding concept.

GERDA aims to verify or refute recent decay claim with enhanced detection capabilities.

Abstract

GERDA, the GERmanium Detector Array experiment, is a new double beta-decay experiment which is currently under construction in the INFN National Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. It is implementing a new shielding concept by operating bare Ge diodes - enriched in Ge-76 - in high purity liquid argon supplemented by a water shield. The aim of GERDA is to verify or refute the recent claim of discovery, and, in a second phase, to achieve a two orders of magnitude lower background index than recent experiments. The paper discusses motivation, physics reach, design and status of construction of GERDA, and presents some R&D results.