Data quality assurance for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

TL;DR

This paper discusses the data quality assurance methods used in the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR experiment, focusing on techniques to ensure accurate background and signal spectra for neutrinoless double-beta decay searches.

Contribution

It introduces specific data quality assurance procedures and monitoring techniques tailored for large-scale, modular germanium detector experiments.

Findings

Effective background event tagging and removal

Data monitoring and qualification procedures implemented

Enhanced data integrity for physics analysis

Abstract

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an experiment constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decays in germanium-76 and to demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a large-scale experiment in a phased and modular fashion. It consists of two modular arrays of natural and $^{76}$Ge-enriched germanium detectors totalling 44.1 kg, located at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. Any neutrinoless double-beta decay search requires a thorough understanding of the background and the signal energy spectra. The various techniques employed to ensure the integrity of the measured spectra are discussed. Data collection is monitored with a thorough set of checks, and subsequent careful analysis is performed to qualify the data for higher level physics analysis. Instrumental background events are tagged for removal, and problematic channels are removed from consideration as necessary.