Application of Low Temperature Detectors in Physics: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Abstract

The main low temperature detectors (LTD) applications and results of LTD in fundamental physics will be considered with particular reference to the nuclear and subnuclear fields. The results obtained with cryogenic techniques and in particularly those with the hybrid ones where bolometers are operated in coincidence or anticoincidence with scintillation or semiconductor detectors will be reported and discussed. In particular the paper will refer to the results and plans in the direct determination of the neutrino mass. In connection with this subject we will review the already obtained and planned results of experiments on neutrinoless double beta decay to reveal the possible violation of the lepton number with the consequent determination or constraint on the neutrino mass. The present and future impact of low temperature techniques in direct detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles will be discussed in comparison with the present and future experiments with “classical” detectors. The report will be concluded by the present few and hopefully more numerous future results on the application of low temperature detectors on rare events in low energy nuclear physics.