Speaker
Dr
Wenqin Xu
(University of South Dakota)
Description
Located at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), the Majorana Demonstrator (MJD) experiment is searching for neutrinoless double beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay in $^{76}$Ge with high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors. The initial goals of the Demonstrator are to establish the required background and scalability of a ton-scale Ge-based experiment.
The construction and commissioning of the Demonstrator has been completed and the multiple-year data-taking has started. Initial results from the first physics run has demonstrated an unprecedented energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at $Q_{\beta\beta}$ and an ultra-low background that is consistent with the background goals. The initial 10 kg$\cdot$yr of enriched Ge exposure resulted in a lower limit on the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay half-life of $1.9\times10^{25}$ yr (90% CL). In this talk, we will discuss the status of the Majorana Demonstrator, the recent physics results, and the implications and status of the LEGEND ton-scale Ge-based neutrinoless double-beta decay program.
| wenqin.xu@usd.edu | |
| Collaboration name | Majorana Collaboration |
| Funding source | Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation |
Primary author
Dr
Wenqin Xu
(University of South Dakota)
