Speaker
Larissa Ejzak
(University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Description
Understanding the nature of neutrino masses will require physics beyond the long-standing Standard Model of particle physics. Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) experiments like the Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) are uniquely suited for probing the remaining mysteries of neutrino mass, particularly the question of the neutrino’s Majorana nature. CUORE will be a next-generation experiment at Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy; it will consist of an array of 988 TeO2 detector crystals operated at 10 mK, following the bolometric technique established by the Cuoricino experiment. It will look for the energy signal produced by the theoretically-predicted 0νββ decay in 130Te, and therefore reliable energy calibration of the detector is crucial to the experiment’s success. We will present the most recent results from Cuoricino and discuss the current status of the CUORE project, with a particular emphasis on the development of the calibration system.
Author
Larissa Ejzak
(University of Wisconsin-Madison)
