Inelastic Neutron Scattering Cross Section Measurements for ^134,136Xe of Relevance to Neutrinoless Double-β Decay Searches

Authors

Erin E. Peters, University of KentuckyFollow
T. J. Ross, University of Kentucky
S. H. Liu, University of Kentucky
Marcus T. McEllistrem, University of KentuckyFollow
Steven W. Yates, University of KentuckyFollow

Abstract

Neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) searches typically involve large-scale experiments for which backgrounds can be complex. One possible source of background near the 0νββ signature in the observed spectra is γ rays arising from inelastic neutron scattering from the materials composing or surrounding the detector. In relation to searches for the 0νββ of ¹³⁶Xe to ¹³⁶Ba, such as the EXO-200 and KamLAND-Zen projects, inelastic neutron scattering γ-ray production cross sections for ¹³⁶Xe and ¹³⁴Xe are of importance for characterizing such γ rays that may inhibit the unambiguous identification of this yet-to-be-observed process. These cross sections have been measured at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory at neutron energies from 2.5 to 4.5 MeV.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-23-2017

Notes/Citation Information

Published in Physical Review C, v. 95, issue 1, 014325, p. 1-4.

©2017 American Physical Society

The copyright holder has granted permission for posting the article here.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.95.014325

Funding Information

This material is based upon work supported by the US National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-1606890.

Repository Citation

Peters, Erin E.; Ross, T. J.; Liu, S. H.; McEllistrem, Marcus T.; and Yates, Steven W., "Inelastic Neutron Scattering Cross Section Measurements for ^134,136Xe of Relevance to Neutrinoless Double-β Decay Searches" (2017). Chemistry Faculty Publications. 107.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/chemistry_facpub/107