Development of a Li₂MoO₄scintillating bolometer for low background physics

Abstract

We present the performance of a 33 g Li2MoO4 crystal working as a\nscintillating bolometer. The crystal was tested for more than 400 h in a\ndilution refrigerator installed in the underground laboratory of Laboratori\nNazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy). This compound shows promising features in the\nframe of neutron detection, dark matter search (solar axions) and neutrinoless\ndouble-beta decay physics. Low temperature scintillating properties were\ninvestigated by means of different alpha, beta/gamma and neutron sources, and\nfor the first time the Light Yield for different types of interacting particle\nis estimated. The detector shows great ability of tagging fast neutron\ninteractions and high intrinsic radiopurity levels (< 90 \\muBq/kg for 238-U and\n< 110 \\muBq/kg for 232-Th).\n