Speaker
Description
An experiment to study double beta decay processes in $^{106}$Cd using a $^{106}$CdWO$_4$ crystal scintillator (mass 215 g) enriched in $^{106}$Cd at 66$\%$ is in progress at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), in Italy. Events in the $^{106}$CdWO$_4$ detector are recorded in (anti)coincidences with two large-volume CdWO$_4$ scintillation counters. The design of the detector system, calibration and background measurements, methods and results of data analysis to determine key detector characteristics are described. The experimental data are compared with Monte Carlo simulation results, and a background model is constructed. The radioactive contamination of the setup components is studied. After 3 yr of data taking the experimental sensitivity to $2\beta$ decay processes in $^{106}$Cd is at the level of lim T$_{1/2} \sim 10^{21-22}$ yr.
