SNO+ with Tellurium

TL;DR

The SNO+ experiment aims to detect neutrinoless double beta decay using tellurium-loaded liquid scintillator, with innovative purification techniques and promising sensitivity to Majorana neutrino masses.

Contribution

This paper introduces a new approach to tellurium purification and loading in liquid scintillator for neutrinoless double beta decay searches.

Findings

Initial Phase I with 0.3% Te loading can reach significant sensitivity.

Potential for further enhancements to cover most of the inverted hierarchy.

Demonstration of feasibility for large-scale, sensitive neutrino experiments.

Abstract

The SNO+ experiment, currently undergoing commissioning, will be a large scale liquid scintillator detector capable of studying a variety of physics topics, with the highest priority being a sensitive search for neutrinoless double beta decay. The collaboration has recently decided to use 130Te as the candidate isotope for this search, having developed a new approach to the purification and loading of tellurium into liquid scintillator. An initial Phase I demonstrator with a 0.3% Te loading is expected to reach sensitivities to Majorana neutrino masses approaching the top of the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. If successful, there is significant scope for further enhancements that could lead to measurements covering the vast majority of the inverted hierarchy range with high sensitivity.