Characterization of ZnSe scintillating bolometers for Double Beta Decay

ZnSe scintillating bolometers are good candidates for future Double Beta Decay searches, because of the Se-82 high Q-value and thanks to the possibility of alpha background rejection on the basis of the scintillation signal. In this paper we report the characteristics and the anomalies observed in an extensive study of these devices. Among them, an unexpected high emission from alpha particles, accompanied with an unusual pattern of the light vs. heat scatter plot. The perspectives for the application of this kind of detectors to search for the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of Se-82 are presented. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.