Universe Colloquium: The GERDA experiment for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay: status and perspectives

by Matteo Agostini (TUM)

Wednesday 15 May 2013, 16:30 → 17:30 Europe/Berlin

Seminar room, basement (Universe)

The neutrinoless double beta decay (0vbb) is a lepton-number-violating nuclear transition predicted by several extensions of the Standard Model. Besides one unconfirmed claim, this transition has not been observed to date. Its detection would imply the existence of new physics beyond the Standard Model and prove that neutrinos have a Majorana mass component. The GERDA experiment searches for the 0vbb of Ge-76, by operating high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors (87% Ge-76) directly in liquid argon. GERDA will scrutinize the claim in the current data-taking phase (Nov 2011 - Maj/Jun 2013), with about 20 kg yr of exposure and a background index of 0.02 cts/(keV kg yr). The status and perspectives of GERDA will be discussed, with focus on the background model, the first results, and the preparation of the 0vbb analysis. The Universe Colloquium is followed by a social gathering with wine and cheese.