The CUORE experiment at LNGS

TL;DR

The CUORE experiment is a large-scale cryogenic detector using TeO2 crystals to search for neutrinoless double beta decay, with operational data collection beginning in 2017 and initial performance results reported.

Contribution

First operational large-scale bolometric experiment for neutrinoless double beta decay with detailed performance and initial results.

Findings

Detector successfully cooled and operational since 2017

Initial data shows promising sensitivity for rare event detection

First results set the stage for future analysis and discovery

Abstract

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is the first bolometric experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay that has been able to reach the 1-ton scale. The detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals arranged in a cylindrical compact structure of 19 towers. The construction of the experiment and, in particular, the installation of all towers in the cryostat was completed in August 2016, followed by the cooldown to base temperature at the beginning of 2017. The CUORE detector is now operational and has been taking science data since Spring 2017. We present here the initial performance of the detector and the preliminary results from the first detector run.