Speaker
Mr
Pau Novella
(IFIC)
Description
The NEXT experiment aims at the sensitive search of the neutrino-less double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe at the LSC. A large-scale prototype of a high-pressure gas-Xenon electroluminescent TPC (NEW) is being operated since 2016, proving both the excellent energy resolution and the topological capabilities for background rejection. NEW is currently measuring the backgrounds for the $\beta\beta$ search. The internal $^{222}$Rn activity has being measured, yielding $(37.5\pm 2.3~\mathrm{(stat.)}\pm 5.9~\mathrm{(syst.)})$~mBq/m$^3$. The Rn-induced electron background has been characterized allowing for the validation of the MC expectations. The corresponding extrapolation to the NEXT-100 detector demonstrates that Rn will not be a dominant background source. For an expected total background below $4\times10^{-4}$~counts~keV$^{-1}$~kg$^{-1}$~yr$^{-1}$, NEXT-100 will reach a sensitivity to the $\beta\beta0\nu$ half-life of $6\times10^{25}$ y after 3 years of data taking.
| Authorship annotation | for the NEXT collaboration |
|---|---|
| Session and Location | Monday Session, Poster Wall #49 (Auditorium Gallery Right) |
| Poster included in proceedings: | yes |
Primary author
Mr
Pau Novella
(IFIC)
