Developments for the Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging Technique Envisaged to Detect the Neutrinoless Double β-Decay Process

• Applicant: Samuel Ayet San Andres, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 503815023

The first and main objective of the project is the design and construct a low-intensity, low-energy, and pure doubly-charged radium beam generated from a 228Th source to demonstrate the sensitivity of the Single Molecule Fluorescence Imaging, a technique envisaged to detect the neutrinoless double beta decay in the NEXT experiment. This setup will also be used to analyze the composition of radioactive sources via a combination of mass selective elements and/or radioactivity detectors. A 228Th source will be produced via implantation of thermalized recoils from 232U in a low-pressure noble gas atmosphere and the products obtained will be compared to other 228Th sources produced via different methods. Another objective foreseen in the project is to understand and characterize the mobility of ions in RF Carpets which work under pressure conditions never reached before. The main design parameters of the RF Carpet which affect the mobility of the ions will be studied. This setup can also serve as a test bench for future experiments using RF Carpets at high pressures like NEXT and the FRS Ion Catcher. All the obtained results will be published in topic-related journals.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: Spain
• Hosts: Professor Juan Jose Gomez Cadenas, Ph.D.; Carlos Peña Garay, Ph.D.