Final Results of GERDA on the Search for Neutrinoless Double-β Decay.

Abstract

The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment searched for the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless double-β (0νββ) decay of ^{76}Ge, whose discovery would have far-reaching implications in cosmology and particle physics. By operating bare germanium diodes, enriched in ^{76}Ge, in an active liquid argon shield, GERDA achieved an unprecedently low background index of 5.2×10^{-4} counts/(keV kg yr) in the signal region and met the design goal to collect an exposure of 100kg yr in a background-free regime. When combined with the result of Phase I, no signal is observed after 127.2kg yr of total exposure. A limit on the half-life of 0νββ decay in ^{76}Ge is set at T_{1/2}>1.8×10^{26} yr at 90%C.L., which coincides with the sensitivity assuming no signal.