Neutron-Induced Reactions on Copper and Zero-Neutrino Double-Beta Decay Searches

Cross-section measurements of (n,x$\gamma )$ reactions on $^{nat}$Cu were carried out at TUNL using monoenergetic neutrons at six energies of E$_{n}$ = 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 MeV. These studies were performed to provide accurate cross-section data on materials abundant in experimental setups involving HPGe detectors used to search for rare events, like the neutrino-less double-beta decay of $^{76}$Ge. Spallation and ($\alpha $,n) neutrons are expected to cause the largest source of external background in the energy region of interest. At TUNL pulsed neutron beams were produced via the $^{2}$H(d,n)$^{3}$He reaction and the deexcitation $\gamma $ rays from the reaction $^{nat}$Cu(n,x$\gamma )$ were detected with clover HPGe detectors. Our cross-section data will be compared to theoretical calculations and to data recently obtained at LANL with a white neutron beam.