The recent development of large mass, low noise P-type point contact (PPC) high purity germanium detectors has opened up a number of new opportunities for experiments in neutrino and astroparticle physics. Several of these experiments have been performed with the earliest prototypes. They are described in this thesis. A measurement for the quenching factor for sub-keV nuclear recoils in germanium detectors is presented. Also discussed is an assessment of the low energy backgrounds at a nuclear power reactor along with the progress that has been achieved towards a measurement of coherent neutrino-nuclear scattering. Using the brief exposure of the detector to a high flux of reactor neutrinos, a limit is placed on the magnitude of a neutrino magnetic moment and a projected limit that can be achieved with a more complete experiment is discussed. A limit is also placed on the magnitude of a continuous energy deposition by reactor neutrinos in the germanium detector. Using the low background data that were obtained at the reactor, limits on light WIMPs as well as dark galactic pseudoscalars are presented, which constrain the physical explanation for a claimed observation of dark matter by the DAMA collaboration. As PPC detectors have been chosen as the preferred detector for the 60 kg Majorana demonstrator double beta decay experiment, projected limits on light WIMPs and dark pseudoscalars are also presented. Finally, bounds are placed on the lifetime of the electron for the "invisible" decay into three neutrinos, and projected limits for such a search using the 60 kg Majorana demonstrator are also presented.
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机译：大规模，低噪声的P型点接触（PPC）高纯度锗探测器的最新发展为中微子和天体物理学的实验开辟了许多新的机会。其中的一些实验是使用最早的原型进行的。本文对它们进行了描述。提出了一种在锗探测器中测量低于keV核后座力的淬火因子的方法。还讨论了对核动力反应堆低能背景的评估，以及在测量相干中微子-核散射方面已取得的进展。通过将探测器短暂暴露于反应堆中微子的高通量，对中微子磁矩的大小设置了限制，并讨论了可以通过更完整的实验实现的预计限制。锗探测器中反应堆中微子连续能量沉积的大小也受到限制。使用在反应堆处获得的低背景数据，提出了对轻型WIMP以及暗银河准标量的限制，这限制了DAMA合作对声称的暗物质观测的物理解释。由于PPC检测器已被选为60 kg Majorana示威者双β衰变实验的首选检测器，因此还提出了浅色WIMP和深色伪标量的预计极限。最后，将电子的寿命设置为“看不见”衰变成三个中微子的界限，并给出了使用60 kg Majorana演示器进行此类搜索的预计极限。
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