0000000000748141
AUTHOR
E. Armengaud
Precise measurement of 2νββ decay of 100Mo with the CUPID-Mo detection technology
We report the measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta (2 νββ) decay of 100Mo to the ground state of 100Ru using lithium molybdate (Li2100MoO4) scintillating bolometers. The detectors were developed for the CUPID-Mo program and operated at the EDELWEISS-III low background facility in the Modane underground laboratory (France). From a total exposure of 42.235 kg× day, the half-life of 100Mo is determined to be T1/22ν=[7.12-0.14+0.18(stat.)±0.10(syst.)]×1018 years. This is the most accurate determination of the 2 νββ half-life of 100Mo to date.
Axion search with BabyIAXO in view of IAXO
Axions are a natural consequence of the Peccei-Quinn mechanism, the most compelling solution to the strong-CP problem. Similar axion-like particles (ALPs) also appear in a number of possible extensions of the Standard Model, notably in string theories. Both axions and ALPs are very well motivated candidates for Dark Matter, and in addition, they would be copiously produced at the sun's core. A relevant effort during the last decade has been the CAST experiment at CERN, the most sensitive axion helioscope to-date. The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) is a large-scale 4th generation helioscope. As its primary physics goal, IAXO will look for solar axions or ALPs with a signal to backgro…
Precise measurement of $$2\nu \beta \beta $$ 2νββ decay of $$^{100}$$ 100 Mo with the CUPID-Mo detection technology
We report the measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta ($$2\nu \beta \beta $$ 2νββ ) decay of $$^{100}$$ 100 Mo to the ground state of $$^{100}$$ 100 Ru using lithium molybdate ($$\hbox {Li}_2^{\;\;100}\hbox {MoO}_4$$ Li2100MoO4 ) scintillating bolometers. The detectors were developed for the CUPID-Mo program and operated at the EDELWEISS-III low background facility in the Modane underground laboratory (France). From a total exposure of 42.235 kg$$\times $$ × day, the half-life of $$^{100}$$ 100 Mo is determined to be $$T_{1/2}^{2\nu }=[7.12^{+0.18}_{-0.14}\,\mathrm {(stat.)}\pm 0.10\,\mathrm {(syst.)}]\times 10^{18}$$ T1/22ν=[7.12-0.14+0.18(stat.)±0.10(syst.)]×1018 years. This is the mo…
Next Generation Search for Axion and ALP Dark Matter with the International Axion Observatory
International audience; More than 80 years after the postulation of dark matter, its nature remains one of the fundamental questions in cosmology. Axions are currently one of the leading candidates for the hypothetical, non-baryonic dark matter that is expected to account for about 25% of the energy density of the Universe. Especially in the light of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN slowly closing in on Weakly-Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) searches, axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) provide a viable alternative approach to solving the dark matter problem. The fact that makes them particularly appealing is that they were initially introduced to solve a long-standing problem in qu…
Precise measurement of $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay of $^{100}$Mo with the CUPID-Mo detection technology
We report the measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta ($2\nu\beta\beta$) decay of $^{100}$Mo to the ground state of $^{100}$Ru using lithium molybdate (\crystal) scintillating bolometers. The detectors were developed for the CUPID-Mo program and operated at the EDELWEISS-III low background facility in the Modane underground laboratory. From a total exposure of $42.235$ kg$\times$d, the half-life of $^{100}$Mo is determined to be $T_{1/2}^{2\nu}=[7.12^{+0.18}_{-0.14}\,\mathrm{(stat.)}\pm0.10\,\mathrm{(syst.)}]\times10^{18}$ years. This is the most accurate determination of the $2\nu\beta\beta$ half-life of $^{100}$Mo to date. We also confirm, with the statistical significance of $>3\sigm…
Observation of the suppression of the flux of cosmic rays above 4x10^19eV
The energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5 × 10¹⁸ eV, derived from 20,000 events recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory, is described. The spectral index γ of the particle flux, J ∝ E-γ, at energies between 4 × 10¹⁸ eV and 4 × 10¹⁹ eV is 2.69 ± 0.02(stat) ± 0.06(syst), steepening to 4.2 ± 0.4(stat) ± 0.06(syst) at higher energies. The hypothesis of a single power law is rejected with a significance greater than 6 standard deviations. The data are consistent with the prediction by Greisen and by Zatsepin and Kuz'min.
Correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic objects.
Using data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory during the past 3.7 years, we demonstrated a correlation between the arrival directions of cosmic rays with energy above ~ 6x10^{19} electron volts and the positions of active galactic nuclei (AGN) lying within ~ 75 megaparsecs. We rejected the hypothesis of an isotropic distribution of these cosmic rays with at least a 99% confidence level from a prescribed a priori test. The correlation we observed is compatible with the hypothesis that the highest energy particles originate from nearby extragalactic sources whose flux has not been substantially reduced by interaction with the cosmic background radiation. AGN or objects having a similar…
Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon flux above 1019 eV using the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
A method is developed to search for air showers initiated by photons using data recorded by the surface detector of the Auger Observatory. The approach is based on observables sensitive to the longitudinal shower development, the signal risetime and the curvature of the shower front. Applying this method to the data, upper limits on the flux of photons of 3.8 x 10-3, 2.5 x 10-3; and 2.2 x 10-3 km-2 sr-1 yr-1 above 1019 eV, 2 x 1019 eV; and 4 x 1019 eV are derived, with corresponding limits on the fraction of photons being 2.0%, 5.1%, and 31% (all limits at 95% c.l.). These photon limits disfavor certain exotic models of sources of cosmic rays. The results also show that the approach adopted…
Upper limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory is sensitive to Earth-skimming tau neutrinos that interact in Earth’s crust. Tau leptons from ντ charged-current interactions can emerge and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a significant electromagnetic component. The data collected between 1 January 2004 and 31 August 2007 are used to place an upper limit on the diffuse flux of ντ at EeV energies. Assuming an E−2ν differential energy spectrum the limit set at 90% C.L. is E2νdNντdEν<1.3×10−7 GeV cm−2 s−1 sr−1 in the energy range 2×1017 eV<E<2×1019 eV.
Correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the positions of nearby active galactic nuclei
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory provide evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of the cosmic rays with the ighest-energies, which are correlated with the positions of relatively nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) [Pierre Auger Collaboration, Science 318 (2007) 938]. The correlation has maximum significance for cosmic rays with energy greater than ~6 x 1019 eV and AGN at a distance less than ~75 Mpc. We have confirmed the anisotropy at a confidence level of more than 99% through a test with parameters specified a priori, using an independent data set. The observed correlation is compatible with the hypothesis that cosmic rays with the highest-energies originate fro…