Frankfurt 2014 – scientific programme

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HK: Fachverband Physik der Hadronen und Kerne

HK 54: Nukleare Astrophysik

HK 54.3: Talk

Friday, March 21, 2014, 11:45–12:00, HZ 4

Background intercomparison with escape-suppressed germanium detectors in underground mines — •Tamás Szücs and Daniel Bemmerer — Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden

A key requirement for underground nuclear astrophysics experiments is the very low background level in germanium detectors underground. The reference for these purposes is the world’s so far only underground accelerator laboratory for nuclear astrophysics, LUNA. LUNA is located deep underground in the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy, shielded from cosmic rays by 1400 m of rock. The background at LUNA was studied in detail using an escape-suppressed Clover-type HPGe detector [1]. Exactly the same detector was subsequently transported to the Felsenkeller underground laboratory in Dresden, shielded by 45 m of rock, and the background was shown to be only a factor of three higher than at LUNA when comparing the escape-suppressed spectra, with interesting consequences for underground nuclear astrophysics [2]. As the next step of a systematic study of the effects of a combination of active and passive shielding on the cosmic ray induced background, this detector is now being brought to the "Reiche Zeche" mine in Freiberg/Sachsen, shielded by 150 m of rock. The data from the Freiberg measurement will be shown and discussed. – Supported by the Helmholtz Association (HGF) through the Nuclear Astrophysics Virtual Institute (HGF VH-VI-417).

[1] T. Szücs et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 44, 513 (2010)

[2] T. Szücs et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 48, 8 (2012)