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DOE OSTI2012

The double-beta decay: Theoretical challenges

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a unique process that could reveal physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics namely, if observed, it would prove that neutrinos are Majorana particles. In addition, it could provide information regarding the neutrino masses and their hierarchy, provided that reliable nuclear matrix elements can be obtained. The two neutrino double beta decay is an associate process that is allowed by the Standard Model, and it was observed for about ten nuclei. The present contribution gives a brief review of the theoretical challenges associated with these two process, emphasizing the reliable calculation of the associated nuclear matrix elements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Complementarity of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and Cosmology

Neutrinoless double beta decay experiments constrain one combination of neutrino parameters, while cosmic surveys constrain another. This complementarity opens up an exciting range of possibilities. If neutrinos are Majorana particles, and the neutrino masses follow an inverted hierarchy, then the upcoming sets of both experiments will detect signals. The combined constraints will pin down not only the neutrino masses but also constrain one of the Majorana phases. If the hierarchy is normal, then a beta decay detection with the upcoming generation of experiments is unlikely, but cosmic surveys could constrain the sum of the masses to be relatively heavy, thereby producing a lower bound for the neutrinoless double beta decay rate, and therefore an argument for a next generation beta decay experiment. In this case as well, a combination of the phases will be constrained.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Results of the double beta decay experiment NEMO-3

The double beta decay experiment NEMO-3 has taken data from February 2003 to January 2011. The two-neutrino decay half lives were measured for seven different isotopes ({sup 100}Mo, {sup 82}Se, {sup 116}Cd, {sup 150}Nd, {sup 96}Zr, {sup 48}Ca and {sup 130}Te). No evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay is observed. The 0νββ half-life limits are found to be T{sub 1/2}{sup 0ν}({sup 100}Mo)>1.0×10{sup 24}yr(90%C.L.) and T{sub 1/2}{sup 0ν}({sup 82}Se)>3.2×10{sup 23}yr(90%C.L.)

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Neutrinoless double beta decay and nuclear matrix elements

The fundamental importance of searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta}-decay) is widely recognized. Observation of the decay would tell us that the total lepton number is not conserved and that, consequently, neutrinos are massive Majorana fermions. The 0{nu}{beta}{beta}-decay is discussed in context of neutrino oscillation data. The perspectives of the experimental 0{nu}{beta}{beta}-decay searches are analyzed. The importance of reliable determination of the 0{nu}{beta}{beta}-decay nuclear matrix elements is pointed out.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Neutrinoless double beta decay and neutrino masses

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta}) is a promising test for lepton number violating physics beyond the standard model (SM) of particle physics. There is a deep connection between this decay and the phenomenon of neutrino masses. In particular, we will discuss the relation between 0{nu}{beta}{beta} and Majorana neutrino masses provided by the so-called Schechter-Valle theorem in a quantitative way. Furthermore, we will present an experimental cross check to discriminate 0{nu}{beta}{beta} from unknown nuclear background using only one isotope, i.e., within one experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay of {sup 48}Ca-CANDLES

Neutrino-less double beta decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta}) is currently known to be an only experiment to verify whether lepton number is conserved or not. The lepton number non-conservation is the key to create matter dominated universe with CP violation. The so-called leptogenesys scenario presents a way to create the matter dominated universe by these violations. If neutrinos have Majorana mass, transition from a particle to an anti-particle is possible and the left-handed and right-handed neutrinos could have different masses. It is highly likely that the neutrinos are Majorana particles. We have been studying double beta decay of {sup 48}Ca. Our first stage experiment using the ELEGANT VI detector system gave the best lower limit of the half life of 0{nu}{beta}{beta} of {sup 48}Ca. We have been working on CANDLES detector system to sense much longer lifetime region. We have developed techniques to reduce backgrounds. The CADLES detector system was installed at Kamioka underground laboratory. Here I describe a schematic view of the system.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Consistency test of neutrinoless double beta decay with one isotope

We discuss a consistency test which makes it possible to discriminate unknown nuclear background lines from neutrinoless double beta decay with only one isotope. By considering both the transition to the ground state and to the first excited 0{sup +} state, a sufficiently large detector can reveal if neutrinoless double beta decay or some other nuclear physics process is at work. Such a detector could therefore simultaneously provide a consistency test for a certain range of Majorana masses and be sensitive to lower values of the effective Majorana mass <m{sub {nu}}{sub e}>.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Review of modern double beta decay experiments

The review of modern experiments on search and studying of double beta decay processes is done. Results of the most sensitive current experiments are discussed. The main attention is paid to EXO-200, KamLAND-Zen, GERDA-I and CUORE-0 experiments. Modern values of T{sub 1/2}(2ν) and best present limits on neutrinoless double beta decay and double beta decay with Majoron emission are presented. Conservative limits on effective mass of a Majorana neutrino (〈m{sub ν}〉 < 0.46 eV) and a coupling constant of Majoron to neutrino (〈g{sub ee}〉 < 1.3 · 10{sup −5}) are obtained. Prospects of search for neutrinoless double beta decay in new experiments with sensitivity to 〈m{sub ν}〉 at the level of ∼ 0.01-0.1 eV are discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Background discrimination for neutrinoless double beta decay in liquid xenon using Cherenkov light

Neutrinoless double beta decays in liquid xenon produce a significant amount of Cherenkov light, with a photon number and angular distribution that distinguishes these events from common backgrounds. A GEANT4 simulation was used to simulate Cherenkov photon production and measurement in a liquid xenon detector and a multilayer perceptron was used to analyze the resulting distributions to classify events based on their Cherenkov photons. Our results show here that a modest improvement in the sensitivity of neutrinoless double beta decay searches is possible using this technique, but the kinematics of the neutrinoless double beta decay and electron scattering in liquid xenon substantially limit this approach.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Pattern recognition techniques to reduce backgrounds in the search for the {sup 136}Xe double beta decay with gaseous TPCs

The observation of the neutrinoless double beta decay may provide essential information on the nature of neutrinos. Among the current experimental approaches, a high pressure gaseous TPC is an attractive option for the search of double beta decay due to its good energy resolution and the detailed topological information of each event. We present in this talk a detailed study of the ionization topology of the {sup 136}Xe double beta decay events in a High Pressure Xenon TPC, as well as that of the typical competing backgrounds. We define some observables based on graph theory concepts to develop automated discrimination algorithms. Our criteria are able to reduce the background level by about three orders of magnitude in the region of interest of the {sup 136}Xe Q{sub ββ} for a signal acceptance of 40%. This result provides a quantitative assessment of the benefit of topological information offered by gaseous TPCs for double beta decay search, and proves that it is a promising feature in view of future experiments in the field. Possible ideas for further improvement in the discrimination algorithms and the dependency of these results with the gas diffusion and readout granularity will be also discussed.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Heavy Physics Contributions to Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay from QCD

Observation of neutrinoless double beta decay, a lepton number violating process that has been proposed to clarify the nature of neutrino masses, has spawned an enormous world-wide experimental effort. Relating nuclear decay rates to high-energy, beyond the standard model (BSM) physics requires detailed knowledge of nonperturbative QCD effects. Using lattice QCD, we compute the necessary matrix elements of short-range operators, which arise due to heavy BSM mediators, that contribute to this decay via the leading order 𝜋 − → 𝜋 + exchange diagrams. Utilizing our result and taking advantage of effective field theory methods will allow for model-independent calculations of the relevant two-nucleon decay, which may then be used as input for nuclear many-body calculations of the relevant experimental decays. Furthermore, contributions from short-range operators may prove to be equally important to, or even more important than, those from long-range Majorana neutrino exchange.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Chiral Two-body Currents and Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

The nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) of neutrinoless double-beta (0{nu}{beta}{beta}) decay are studied using weak currents derived in the framework of chiral effective field theory. Apart from the standard one-body (1b) currents, it is shown that two-body (2b) currents contribute to weak processes. The normal-ordered 1b part of 2b currents modifies the Gamow-Teller (GT){sigma}{tau}{sup -} part of the 1b current, contributing to the well-known quenching of GT single-{beta} decays. The momentum-transfer dependence of the quenching due to 2b currents is also predicted. Therefore, including 2b currents allows to address, microscopically, the problem of the axial weak coupling (g{sub A}) value, which is the biggest uncertainty in the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay NME calculations for all available methods.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Investigation of Double Beta Decay of 100Mo to Excited States of 100Ru

Double beta decay of 100Mo to the excited states of daughter nuclei has been studied using a 600 cm3 low-background HPGe detector and an external source consisting of 2588 g of 97.5% enriched metallic 100Mo, which was formerly inside the NEMO-3 detector and used for the NEMO-3 measurements of 100Mo. The half-life for the two-neutrino double beta decay of 100Mo to the excited View the MathML source state in 100Ru is measured to be T1/2=[7.5±0.6(stat)±0.6(syst)]·1020 yr. For other (0?+2?) transitions to the View the MathML source, View the MathML source, View the MathML source, View the MathML source and View the MathML source levels in 100Ru, limits are obtained at the level of ~(0.25–1.1)·1022 yr.

100Mo↗
DOE OSTI2012

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR: A Search for Neutrinoless Double-beta Decay of Germanium-76

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would determine whether the neutrino is a Majorana particle and provide information on the absolute scale of neutrino mass. The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the DEMONSTRATOR, an array of germanium detectors, to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge. The DEMONSTRATOR will contain 40 kg of germanium; up to 30 kg will be enriched to 86% in 76Ge. The DEMONSTRATOR will be deployed deep underground in an ultra-low-background shielded environment. Operation of the DEMONSTRATOR aims to determine whether a future tonne-scale germanium experiment can achieve a background goal of one count per tonne-year in a 4-keV region of interest around the 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay Q-value of 2039 keV.

Schubert, Alexis G.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Investigations of 82Se Using Three Shell Model Hamiltonians

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is considered one of the most promising processes that would help clarify some of the symmetry-breaking problems in our understanding of the observable universe. Recent studies of neutrinoless double-beta decay matrix elements have employed statistical approaches based on modified shell model effective Hamiltonians for 48Ca (Phys. Rev. C 106, 054302 (2022)) and 136Xe (Phys. Rev. C 107, 045501 (2023)). The analyses rely on inducing perturbations in the starting effective Hamiltonians to observe the behavior of a wide range of observables, besides the 0νββ) NME, that are compared with experimental data. Following a Bayesian model averaging approach, the range of probable values for the neutrinoless double-beta decay matrix elements is presented. In this paper, we present a similar study for 82Se, which is described in the same model space as 76Ge that is under experimental observation. Due to its faster calculation time compared to 76Ge, 82Se can be used as an appropriate substitute in our complex statistical study. Using the calculations performed for the statistical analysis of the neutrinoless double-beta decay matrix elements, we also search for the correlations between the observables that we can compare to experimental data.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2019

Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay: Status and Prospects

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is a forbidden, lepton-number-violating nuclear transition whose observation would have fundamental implications for neutrino physics, theories beyond the Standard Model, and cosmology. In this review, we summarize the theoretical progress to understand this process, the expectations and implications under various particle physics models, and the nuclear physics challenges that affect the precise predictions of the decay half-life. Finally, we provide a synopsis of the current and future large-scale experiments that aim to discover this process in physically well-motivated half-life ranges.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗