Neutron radiative capture reactions on nuclei of relevance to 0νββ, dark matter and neutrino/antineutrino searches

Abstract

Abstract.A program is underway at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) to measure the neutron capture cross section in the 0.5 to 15 MeV energy range on nuclei whose radioactive daughters could potentially create backgrounds in searches for rare events. Here, we refer to neutrino-less double-beta decay and dark-matter searches, and to detectors built for neutrino and/or antineutrino studies. Neutron capture cross-section data obtained by using the activation method are reported for 40 Ar , 74,76 Ge, 128,130 Te and 136 Xe and compared to model calculations and evaluations.