Speaker
Description
The SuperNEMO experiment is a one-of-a-kind detector searching for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). The unique design of this heterogeneous detector takes advantage of the combination of 2034 drift cells operating in Geiger Mode (tracker) with 712 plastic scintillator modules (calorimeter) placed around a 6.3kg thin foil of Se-82 – the source of the double beta decay (DBD). This design allows for the study of the kinematics of the decay, ie. single electron tracks and spectra. The detector is being commissioned in the Modane Underground Laboratory (Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane - LSM) in France. While the main goal of the experiment is the search for 0νββ, its capabilities of producing large amounts of DBD data – as well as the possibility of obtaining full kinematics of the decay – make it a prime candidate for the study of more exotic (newly proposed) modes of DBD. This contribution reports both on the progress of the construction and commissioning of the SuperNEMO detector as well as on the potential uses of the detector as a tool for the studies of exotic DBD modes.
