https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2007-10553-8
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Neutron interactions as seen by a segmented germanium detector
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, München, Germany
* e-mail: jingliu@mppmu.mpg.de
Received:
9
October
2007
Accepted:
12
March
2008
Published online:
16
April
2008
The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) is designed for the search for “neutrinoless double-beta decay” ( 0ν2β with germanium detectors enriched in 76Ge . An 18-fold-segmented prototype detector for GERDA Phase II was exposed to an AmBe neutron source to improve the understanding of neutron-induced backgrounds. Neutron interactions with the germanium isotopes themselves and in the surrounding materials were studied. Segment information is used to identify neutron-induced peaks in the recorded energy spectra. The Geant4-based simulation package MaGe is used to simulate the experiment. Though many photon peaks from germanium isotopes excited by neutrons are correctly described by Geant4, some physics processes were identified as being incorrectly treated or even missing.
PACS: 23.40.-s β decay; double β decay; electron and muon capture – / 14.60.Pq Neutrino mass and mixing – / 28.20.-v Neutron physics – / 29.40.-n Radiation detectors –
© Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2008
