%0 Journal Article
%T Neutron Activation of 74Ge and 76Ge
%A Meierhofer G.
%A Canella L.
%A Grabmayr P.
%A Jochum J.
%J EPJ Web of Conferences
%D 2010
%I 
%R 10.1051/epjconf/20100205002
%X The upcoming GERDA and MAJORANA experiments will use germanium crystals, isotopically enriched in 76Ge to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay (0¦Í2¦Â). The very long half-life of 0¦Í2¦Â (> 1025 y for 76Ge) requires an extremely low background level. Neutrons induced by cosmic muons can be captured after thermalization by 74Ge or 76Ge, followed by ¦Â  -decay of 75Ge and 77Ge respectively. The prompt ¦Ã-cascade after neutron capture and the ¦Â-decay contribute to the total backround in these experiments. For a good estimation of the background the poorly known cross-sections for the 74Ge(n,¦Ã)75,75mGe reactions were measured using targets, isotopically depleted in 76Ge. Furthermore the prompt ¦Ã-rays in 77Ge were measured with isotopically enriched germanium targets. The results of the latter measurement were combined with the results of a dedicated coincidence measurement to reconstruct the prompt ¦Ã-ray decay scheme.
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20100205002