Operation of an archaeological lead PbWO$_4$ crystal to search for neutrinos from astrophysical sources with a Transition Edge Sensor [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2111.07638


The experimental detection of the CE$\nu$NS allows the investigation of neutrinos and neutrino sources with all-flavor sensitivity. Given its large content in neutrons and stability, Pb is a very appealing choice as target element. The presence of the radioisotope $^{210}$Pb (T$_{1/2}\sim$22 yrs) makes natural Pb unsuitable for low-background, low-energy event searches. This limitation can be overcome employing Pb of archaeological origin, where several half-lives of $^{210}$Pb have gone by. We present results of a cryogenic measurement of a 15g PbWO$_4$ crystal, grown with archaeological Pb (older than $\sim$2000 yrs) that achieved a sub-keV nuclear recoil detection threshold. A ton-scale experiment employing such material, with a detection threshold for nuclear recoils of just 1 keV would probe the entire Milky Way for SuperNovae, with equal sensitivity for all neutrino flavors, allowing the study of the core of such exceptional events.

Read this paper on arXiv…

N. Iachellini, L. Pattavina, A. Abdelhameed, et. al.
Tue, 16 Nov 21
42/97

Comments: ltd proceeding