Description
Experiments searching for the neutrinoless double-beta decay with high-purity $^{76}$Ge detectors rely on pulse shape analysis to identify signal events and reject backgrounds. The discrimination procedures are calibrated using $^{228}$Th sources, which provide events with topology similar to the signal of interest. We have quantified the differences between calibration and signal samples, both in terms of event topology and of their spatial distribution within the detector. We have then evaluated how these differences translate to pulse shapes, with the help of an accurate study of the detector response. With these informations, we have investigated the biases and precision of standard calibration procedures in double-beta decay searches with germanium.
