Extending two Higgs doublet models for two-loop neutrino mass generation and one-loop neutrinoless double beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Zhen, E-mail: liu-zhen@sjtu.edu.cn; Gu, Pei-Hong, E-mail: peihong.gu@sjtu.edu.cn

2017-02-15

We extend some two Higgs doublet models, where the Yukawa couplings for the charged fermion mass generation only involve one Higgs doublet, by two singlet scalars respectively carrying a singly electric charge and a doubly electric charge. The doublet and singlet scalars together can mediate a two-loop diagram to generate a tiny Majorana mass matrix of the standard model neutrinos. Remarkably, the structure of the neutrino mass matrix is fully determined by the symmetric Yukawa couplings of the doubly charged scalar to the right-handed leptons. Meanwhile, a one-loop induced neutrinoless double beta decay can arrive at a testable level even if the electron neutrino has an extremely small Majorana mass. We also study other experimental constraints and implications including some rare processes and Higgs phenomenology.

The search for Majorana neutrinos with neutrinoless double beta decays: From CUORICINO to LUCIFER experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellini, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Universita di Roma, Roma I-00185 (Italy) and INFN - Sezione di Roma, Roma I-00185 (Italy)

2012-11-20

The study of neutrino properties is one of the fundamental challenges in particle physics nowadays. Fifty years of investigations established that neutrinos are massive but the absolute mass scale has not yet been measured. Moreover its true nature is still unknown. Is the neutrino its own antiparticle (thus violating the lepton number) as proposed by Majorana in 1937? The only way to probe the neutrino nature is through the observation of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta}), a very rare spontaneous nuclear transition which emits two electrons and no neutrinos. In this paper, after a brief introduction to the theoretical framework of Majorana's neutrino, a presentation of experimental challenges posed by 0{nu}{beta}{beta} search will be given as well as an overview of present status and future perpectives of experiments.

Why search for double beta decay?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kayser, B.

1988-01-01

Searching for neutrinoless double beta decay is the only known practical method for trying to determine whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles. The theoretical motivation for supposing that they may indeed be their own antiparticles is described. The reason that it is so difficult to ascertain experimentally whether they are or are not is explained, as is the special sensitivity of neutrinoless double beta decay. The potential implications of the observation of this reaction for neutrino mass and for the physics of neutrinos is discussed

Double Beta Decay Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piepke, A.

2005-01-01

The experimental observation of neutrino oscillations and thus neutrino mass and mixing gives a first hint at new particle physics. The absolute values of the neutrino mass and the properties of neutrinos under CP-conjugation remain unknown. The experimental investigation of the nuclear double beta decay is one of the key techniques for solving these open problems

Is neutrinoless double beta decay suppressed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomoda, T.

1989-01-01

Much effort has been devoted to the study of nuclear double beta decay, since the observation of a neutrinoless double beta (OνΒΒ) decay would be clear evidence that the electron neutrino is a Majorana particle. The OνΒΒ decay is caused by a finite Majorana neutrino mass and/or an admixture of right-handed leptonic currents. In order to relate these quantities to OνΒΒ decay rates, we need nuclear matrix elements, which are model dependent. One of the possibilities of testing nuclear models employed in such analysis is to calculate the experimentally known rates of ΒΒ decay with emission of two neutrinos (2νΒΒ decay) which occurs independently of the nature of the neutrino. There was a long-standing difficulty in such attempts that the calculated 2νΒΒ decay rates turned out to be always too large by one to two orders of magnitude. Trying to overcome such difficulty, Klapdor and Grotz as well as Vogel and Zirnbauer showed in their calculation using schematic effective interactions such that 2νΒΒ decay rates can get reduced considerably due to the nuclear ground state correlations. This paper reports that the suppression is ascribed to that of the virtual Gamow-Teller transitions from the excited 1 + states of the intermediate odd-odd -even nucleus

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garfagnini, A.

2014-08-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay is the only process known so far able to test the neutrino intrinsic nature: its experimental observation would imply that the lepton number is violated by two units and prove that neutrinos have a Majorana mass components, being their own anti-particle. While several experiments searching for such a rare decay have been per- formed in the past, a new generation of experiments using different isotopes and techniques have recently released their results or are taking data and will provide new limits, should no signal be observed, in the next few years to come. The present contribution reviews the latest public results on double beta decay searches and gives an overview on the expected sensitivities of the experiments in construction which will be able to set stronger limits in the near future. EXO and KamLAND-Zen experiments are based on the decay of Xe 136 , GERDA and MAJORANA experiments are based on the decay of Ge 76 , and the CUORE experiment is based on the decay of Te 130

Theoretical aspects of double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haxton, W.C.

1984-01-01

Considerable effort has been expended recently in theoretical studies of double beta decay. Much of this work has focussed on the constraints this process places on gauge theories of the weak interaction, in general, and on the neutrino mass matrix, in particular. In addition, interesting nuclear structure questions have arisen in studies of double beta decay matrix elements. After briefly reviewing the theory of double beta decay, some of the progress that has been made in these areas is summarized. 25 references

Double beta decay: A theoretical overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, S.P.

1988-01-01

This paper reviews the theoretical possibility of double beta decay. The titles of the main sections of this paper are: Nuclear physics setting; Particle physics requirements; Kinematical features of the decay modes; Nuclear matrix elements; the Shell model and two-neutrino decay; Quasi-particle random phase approximation; and Future considerations. 18 refs., 7 tabs

Review of modern double beta decay experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barabash, A. S., E-mail: barabash@itep.ru [Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (NRC ”Kurchatov Institute”), B. Cheremushkinskaya 25, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-10-28

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.

Grand unification and the double beta-decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faessler, A.

1992-01-01

Models of the unification of the electroweak and the strong interaction predict that the neutrino is a Majorana particle and therefore essentially identical with its own antiparticle. In such grand unified models the neutrino has also a finite mass and a slight right-handed weak interaction, since the model is left-right symmetric. These models have also left handed and right-handed vector bosons to mediate the weak interactions. If these models are correct the neutrinoless double beta-decay is feasable. Thus if one finds the neutrinoless double beta-decay one knows that the standard model can not be correct in which the neutrino is a Dirac particle and therefore different from its antiparticle. Although the neutrinoless double beta-decay has not been seen it is possible to extract from the lower limits of the lifetime against the double neutrinoless beta-decay upper limits for the effective electron-neutrino mass and for the effective mixing angle of the right-handed and the left-handed vector bosons mediating the weak interaction. One also can obtain an effective upper limit for the mass ratio of the light and the heavy vector bosons. The extraction of this physical quantities from the data is made difficult due to the fact that the weak interaction must not be diagonal in the representation of the mass matrix of the six neutrinos requested by such left-right symmetric models. (author)

Neutrino nuclear responses for double beta decays and astro neutrinos by charge exchange reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Ejiri, Hiroyasu

2014-09-01

Neutrino nuclear responses are crucial for neutrino studies in nuclei. Charge exchange reactions (CER) are shown to be used to study charged current neutrino nuclear responses associated with double beta decays(DBD)and astro neutrino interactions. CERs to be used are high energy-resolution (He3 ,t) reactions at RCNP, photonuclear reactions via IAR at NewSUBARU and muon capture reactions at MUSIC RCNP and MLF J-PARC. The Gamow Teller (GT) strengths studied by CERs reproduce the observed 2 neutrino DBD matrix elements. The GT and spin dipole (SD) matrix elements are found to be reduced much due to the nucleon spin isospin correlations and the non-nucleonic (delta isobar) nuclear medium effects. Impacts of the reductions on the DBD matrix elements and astro neutrino interactions are discussed.

Possible test of grand unification in the double beta-decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faessler, A.

1988-01-01

The more successful grand unified theories predict that the neutrino is identical with its antiparticle and therefore is a Majorana neutrino which violates lepton number conservation. Such a neutrino should have a finite mass and also a small right handed weak interaction. If the double neutrinoless beta decay is observed with the full decay energy in the two electrons, it would establish that the electron neutrino is a Majorana particle. It is shown that the relativistic corrections of the nucleonic wave functions are essential for determining an upper limit of the right handedness from the measured lower limit of the life-time against the neutrinoless double beta decay. The upper limit for the right handedness of the weak interaction derived from the lower limit of the life-times against the neutrinoless beta decay is vertical stroke vertical stroke -8 and the upper limit for the neutrino mass is vertical stroke ν m>vertical stroke + -decay in proton rich nuclei, one can explain the long standing puzzle of the quenching of the Gamow-Teller strength in agreement with the data. (orig.)

Constraining neutrinoless double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorame, L.; Meloni, D.; Morisi, S.; Peinado, E.; Valle, J.W.F.

2012-01-01

A class of discrete flavor-symmetry-based models predicts constrained neutrino mass matrix schemes that lead to specific neutrino mass sum-rules (MSR). We show how these theories may constrain the absolute scale of neutrino mass, leading in most of the cases to a lower bound on the neutrinoless double beta decay effective amplitude.

Nuclear aspects of double-beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoica, S.; Paun, V.

2002-01-01

Calculations of the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) matrix elements are performed with the second quasi random phase approximation (SQRPA) method for several nuclei. The results display a weak dependence on the single particle basis used and the Ikeda sum rule is fulfilled with good accuracy. Comparing our calculations with similar ones performed with other QRPA-based methods we estimate the accuracy of these methods in the prediction of the (0νββ) decay matrix elements and neutrino mass parameter, which is settled to about 50% from their calculated values. Taking the most recent experimental limits for the neutrinoless double beta decay half-lives, we also deduced new limits for the neutrino mass parameter. (authors)

Double Beta Decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiorini, Ettore

2008-01-01

The importance of neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (DBD) is stressed in view of the recent results of experiments on neutrino oscillations which indicate that the difference between the squared masses of two neutrinos of different flavours is finite [For a recent review including neutrino properties and recent results see: Review of Particle Physics, J. of Phys. G: Nuclear and Particle Physics 33, 1]. As a consequence the mass of at least one neutrino has to be different from zero and it becomes imperative to determine its absolute value. The various experimental techniques to search for DBD are discussed together with the difficult problems of the evaluation of the corresponding nuclear matrix elements. The upper limits on neutrino mass coming from the results of the various experiments are reported together with the indication for a non zero value by one of them not confirmed so far. The two presently running experiments on neutrinoless DBD are briefly described together with the already approved or designed second generation searches aiming to reach the values on the absolute neutrino mass indicated by the results on neutrino oscillations

Review of modern double beta decay experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Barabash, A. S.

2015-10-01

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 T1/2(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 ( at the level of ˜ 0.01-0.1 eV are discussed.

Neutrinoless double beta decay in type I+II seesaw models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borah, Debasish [Department of Physics, Tezpur University,Tezpur-784028 (India); Dasgupta, Arnab [Institute of Physics, Sachivalaya Marg,Bhubaneshwar-751005 (India)

2015-11-30

We study neutrinoless double beta decay in left-right symmetric extension of the standard model with type I and type II seesaw origin of neutrino masses. Due to the enhanced gauge symmetry as well as extended scalar sector, there are several new physics sources of neutrinoless double beta decay in this model. Ignoring the left-right gauge boson mixing and heavy-light neutrino mixing, we first compute the contributions to neutrinoless double beta decay for type I and type II dominant seesaw separately and compare with the standard light neutrino contributions. We then repeat the exercise by considering the presence of both type I and type II seesaw, having non-negligible contributions to light neutrino masses and show the difference in results from individual seesaw cases. Assuming the new gauge bosons and scalars to be around a TeV, we constrain different parameters of the model including both heavy and light neutrino masses from the requirement of keeping the new physics contribution to neutrinoless double beta decay amplitude below the upper limit set by the GERDA experiment and also satisfying bounds from lepton flavor violation, cosmology and colliders.

Nuclear Structure Calculations for Two-Neutrino Double-β Decay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Sarriguren

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We study the two-neutrino double-β decay in 76Ge, 116Cd, 128Te, 130Te, and 150Nd, as well as the two Gamow-Teller branches that connect the double-β decay partners with the states in the intermediate nuclei. We use a theoretical microscopic approach based on a deformed self-consistent mean field with Skyrme interactions including pairing and spin-isospin residual forces, which are treated in a proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation. We compare our results for Gamow-Teller strength distributions with experimental information obtained from charge-exchange reactions. We also compare our results for the two-neutrino double-β decay nuclear matrix elements with those extracted from the measured half-lives. Both single-state and low-lying-state dominance hypotheses are analyzed theoretically and experimentally making use of recent data from charge-exchange reactions and β decay of the intermediate nuclei.

The majorana {sup 76}Ge double-beta decay project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aalseth, C.E.; Adles, E.; Anderson, D.; Avignone, F.T.; Barabash, A.; Bowyer, T.W.; Brodzinski, R.L.; Brudanin, V.; Champangne, A.; Collar, J.I.; Doe, P.J.; Egorov, S.; Elliott, S.R.; Farach, H.A.; Gaitskell, R.; Jordan, D.; Jain, R.K.; Kazkaz, K.; King, G.; Kochetov, O.; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, R.; Miley, H.S.; Palms, J.M.; Pitts, W.K.; Reeves, J.H.; Robertson, R.G.H.; Rohm, R.; Sandukovsky, S.; Smith, L.E.; Stekhanov, V.; Thompson, R.C.; Tornow, W.; Umatov' , V.; Warner, R.; Webb, J.; Wilkerson, J.F.; Young, A

2003-07-01

The interest and relevance of next-generation 0{sub v} {beta}{beta}-decay experiments is increasing. Even with nonzero neutrino mass strongly suggested by solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments sensitive to {delta}m{sup 2}, 0{sub v} {beta}{beta}-decay experiments are still the only way to establish the Dirac or Majorana nature of neutrinos by measuring the effective electron neutrino mass, . In addition, the atmospheric neutrino oscillation experiments imply that at least one neutrino has a mass greater than about 50 meV. The Majorana Experiment expects to probe an effective neutrino mass near this critical value. Majorana is a next-generation {sup 76}Ge double-beta decay search. It will employ 500 kg of Ge, isotopically enriched to 86% in {sup 76}Ge, in the form of {approx} 200 detectors in a close-packed array. Each crystal will be electronically segmented and each segment fitted with pulse-shape analysis electronics. This combination of segmentation and pulse-shape analysis significantly improves our ability to discriminate neutrinoless double beta-decay from internal cosmogenic {sup 68}Ge and {sup 60}Co. The half-life sensitivity is estimated to be 4.2 x 10{sup 27} y corresponding to a range of {<=} 20 - 70 meV, depending on the nuclear matrix elements used to interpret the data.

Neutrino mass from laboratory: contribution of double beta decay to the neutrino mass matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

2001-01-01

Double beta decay is indispensable to solve the question of the neutrino mass matrix together with ν oscillation experiments. The most sensitive experiment - since eight years the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment in Gran-Sasso - already now, with the experimental limit of ν > < 0.26 eV practically excludes degenerate ν mass scenarios allowing neutrinos as hot dark matter in the universe for the smallangle MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem. It probes cosmological models including hot dark matter already now on the level of future satellite experiments MAP and PLANCK. It further probes many topics of beyond SM physics at the TeV scale. Future experiments should give access to the multi-TeV range and complement on many ways the search for new physics at future colliders like LHC and NLC. For neutrino physics some of them (GENIUS) will allow to test almost all neutrino mass scenarios allowed by the present neutrino oscillation experiments

Constraining neutrino mass from neutrinoless double beta decay

Science.gov (United States)

Dev, P. S. Bhupal; Goswami, Srubabati; Mitra, Manimala; Rodejohann, Werner

2013-11-01

We study the implications of the recent results on neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) from GERDA-I (Ge76) and KamLAND-Zen+EXO-200 (Xe136) and the upper limit on the sum of light neutrino masses from Planck. We show that the upper limits on the effective neutrino mass from Xe136 are stronger than those from Ge76 for most of the recent calculations of the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs). We also analyze the compatibility of these limits with the claimed observation in Ge76 and show that while the updated claim value is still compatible with the recent GERDA limit as well as the individual Xe136 limits for a few NME calculations, it is inconsistent with the combined Xe136 limit for all but one NME. Imposing the most stringent limit from Planck, we find that the canonical light neutrino contribution cannot saturate the current limit, irrespective of the NME uncertainties. Saturation can be reached by inclusion of the right-handed (RH) neutrino contributions in TeV-scale left-right symmetric models with type-II seesaw. This imposes a lower limit on the lightest neutrino mass. Using the 0νββ bounds, we also derive correlated constraints in the RH sector, complimentary to those from direct searches at the LHC.

Double beta decay, neutrino physics, nuclear structure and isospin and spin-isospin symmetries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krmpotic, F.

1989-12-01

Prominent features of the double beta decay processes are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the neutrino masses and the quasiparticle random phase approximation (GRPA). The suppression mechanism for the ββ-decay transition rates, proposed by Vogel and Zirnbauer, is found to be closely related to the restoration of SU(4) symmetry. It is suggested that the extreme sensitivity of the ββ-decay amplitude on the proton-neutron coupling is a consequence of the explicit violation of the SU(4) symmetry and therefore an artifact of the model. A prescription is given for fixing this interaction strength within the GRPA itself, which in this way acquires predicting power on both single and double β-decay lifetimes. (author) [pt

New physics in the new millennium with GENIUS: double beta decay, dark matter, solar neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

2001-01-01

Double beta decay is indispensable to solve the question of the neutrino mass matrix together with ν oscillation experiments. The most sensitive experiment since eight years - the HEIDELBERG - MOSCOW experiment in Gran Sasso - already now, with the experimental limit of ν > 7 Be) solar neutrinos. A GENIUS Test Facility has just been funded and will come into operation by the end of 2001

The Majorana Zero-Neutrino Double-Beta Decay Experiment White Paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaitskell, R.; Barabash, A.; Konovalov, S.; Stekhanov, V.; Umatov, V.; Brudanin, V.; Egorov, S.; Webb, J.; Miley, Harry S.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Anderson, Dale N.; Bowyer, Ted W.; Brodzinski, Ronald L.; Jordan, David B.; Kouzes, Richard T.; Smith, Eric E.; Thompson, Robert C.; Warner, Ray A.; Tornow, W.; Young, A.; Collar, J.I.; Avignone, Frank T.; Palms, John M.; Doe, P J.; Elliott, Steven R.; Kazkaz, K.; Robertson, Hamish; Wilkerson, John

2002-01-01

The goal of the Majorana Experiment is to determine the effective Majorana mass of the electron neutrino. Detection of the neutrino mass implied by oscillation results in within our grasp. This exciting physics goal is best pursued using double-beta decay of germanium because of the historical and emerging advances in eliminating competing signals from radioactive backgrounds. The Majorana Experiment will consist of a large mass of 76Ge in the form of high-resolution detectors deep underground, searching for a sharp peak at the BB endpoint. We present here an overview of the entire project in order to help put in perspective the scope, the level and technical risk, and the readiness of the Collaboration to begin the undertaking

Neutrinoless double beta decay search with SNO+

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lozza V.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The SNO+ experiment is the follow up of SNO. The detector is located 2 km underground in the Vale Canada Ltd.’s Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The active volume of the detector consists of 780 tonnes of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB in an acrylic vessel of 12 m diameter, surrounded by about 9500 PMTs. The main goal of the SNO+ experiment is the search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. With an initial loading of 0.3% of natural tellurium (nearly 800 kg of 130Te, it is expected to reach a sensitivity on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of about 100 meV after several years of data taking. Designed as a general purpose neutrino experiment, other exciting physical goals can be explored, like the measurement of reactor neutrino oscillations and geo-neutrinos in a geologically-interesting location, watch of supernova neutrinos and studies of solar neutrinos. A first commissioning phase with water filled detector will start at the end of 2013, while the double beta decay phase will start in 2015.

Few active mechanisms of the neutrinoless double beta-decay and effective mass of Majorana neutrinos

CERN Document Server

Simkovic, Fedor; Faessler, Amand

2010-01-01

It is well known that there exist many mechanisms that may contribute to neutrinoless double beta decay (0nbb-decay). By exploiting the fact that the associated nuclear matrix elements are target dependent we show that, given definite experimental results on a sufficient number of targets, one can determine or sufficiently constrain all lepton violating parameters including the mass term. As a specific example we show that, assuming the observation of the 0nbb-decay in three different nuclei, e.g., 76Ge, 100Mo and 130Te, and just three lepton number violating mechanisms (light and heavy neutrino mass mechanisms as well as R-parity breaking SUSY mechanism) being active, there are only four different solutions for the lepton violating parameters, provided that they are relatively real. In particular, assuming evidence of the 0nbb-decay of 76Ge, the effective neutrino Majorana mass |m_bb| can be almost uniquely extracted by utilizing other existing constraints (cosmological observations and tritium beta-decay ex...

Double-beta decay processes from lattice quantum chromodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Davoudi, Zohreh; Tiburzi, Brian; Wagman, Michael; Winter, Frank; Chang, Emmanuel; Detmold, William; Orginos, Kostas; Savage, Martin; Shanahan, Phiala; Nplqcd Collaboration

2017-09-01

While an observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay in upcoming experiments will establish that the neutrinos are Majorana particles, the underlying new physics responsible for this decay can only be constrained if the theoretical predictions of the rate are substantially refined. This talk demonstrates the roadmap in connecting the underlying high-scale theory to the corresponding nuclear matrix elements, focusing mainly on the nucleonic matrix elements in the simplest extension of Standard Model in which a light Majorana neutrino is mediating the process. The role of lattice QCD and effective field theory in this program, in particular, the prospect of a direct matching of the nn to pp amplitude to lattice QCD will be discussed. As a first step towards this goal, the results of the first lattice QCD calculation of the relevant matrix element for neutrinofull double-beta decay will be presented, albeit with unphysical quark masses, along with important lessons that could impact the calculations of nuclear matrix elements involved in double-beta decays of realistic nuclei.

On the nuclear double beta decay: microscopic description

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Civitarese, Osvaldo

1989-01-01

This paper is devoted to the discussion of some problems related with microscopic descriptions of the nuclear double beta decay. It has been organized in the following order: 1) Review of the experimental situation; 2) Brief discussion of the theoretical aspects related to the current algebra, weak interaction, neutrino and majoron's status and 3) Elements of the standard nuclear theory involved in the calculation of transition densities for the nuclear double beta decay. (Author) [es

Search for neutrinoless double beta decay in {sup 136}Xe with EXO-200

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feldmeier, Wolfhart

2015-02-19

Several properties of neutrinos, such as their absolute mass, their possible Majorana nature or the mechanisms that lead to small neutrino masses, are still unknown. The EXO-200 experiment is trying to answer some of these questions by searching for the hypothetical neutrinoless double beta decay of the isotope {sup 136}Xe. This thesis describes an analysis of two years of detector data, which yields a lower limit on the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay of {sup 136}Xe of 1.1 x 10{sup 25} years.

Challenges in Double Beta Decay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliviero Cremonesi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the past ten years, neutrino oscillation experiments have provided the incontrovertible evidence that neutrinos mix and have finite masses. These results represent the strongest demonstration that the electroweak Standard Model is incomplete and that new Physics beyond it must exist. In this scenario, a unique role is played by the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay searches which can probe lepton number conservation and investigate the Dirac/Majorana nature of the neutrinos and their absolute mass scale (hierarchy problem with unprecedented sensitivity. Today Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay faces a new era where large-scale experiments with a sensitivity approaching the so-called degenerate-hierarchy region are nearly ready to start and where the challenge for the next future is the construction of detectors characterized by a tonne-scale size and an incredibly low background. A number of new proposed projects took up this challenge. These are based either on large expansions of the present experiments or on new ideas to improve the technical performance and/or reduce the background contributions. In this paper, a review of the most relevant ongoing experiments is given. The most relevant parameters contributing to the experimental sensitivity are discussed and a critical comparison of the future projects is proposed.

Experiments on double beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busto, J [Neuchatel Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. de Physique

1996-11-01

The Double Beta Decay, and especially ({beta}{beta}){sub 0{nu}} mode, is an excellent test of Standard Model as well as of neutrino physics. From experimental point of view, a very large number of different techniques are or have been used increasing the sensitivity of this experiments quite a lot (the factor of 10{sup 4} in the last 20 years). In future, in spite of several difficulties, the sensitivity would be increased further, keeping the interest of this very important process. (author) 4 figs., 5 tabs., 21 refs.

Future of double beta decay and dark matter searches - GENIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H. V.; Baudis, L.; Heusser, G.; Krivosheina, I. V.; Kolb, S.; Majorovits, B.; Nabi, J.-U.; Paes, H.

1999-01-01

The recent results from the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment have demonstrated the large potential of double beta decay to search for new physics beyond the standard model. To increase further by a major step the present sensitivity for double beta decay and dark matter searches, we describe here a project, proposed recently [1], which would operate one tonne of 'naked' enriched germanium-detectors in liquid nitrogen as shielding in an underground set-up (GENIUS). It improves the sensitivity of neutrino masses to 0.01 eV. A 10 tonne version would probe neutrino masses even down to 10 -3 eV

Search for new physics with neutrinoless double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.; Baudis, L.; Hellmig, J.; Hirsch, M.; Kolb, S.; Paes, H.; Ramachers, Y.

1999-01-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is one of the most sensitive approaches to test particle physics beyond the standard model. During the last years, besides the most restrictive limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, the analysis of new contributions by the Heidelberg group led to bounds on left-right-symmetric models, leptoquarks and R-parity violating models competitive to recent accelerator limits, which are of special interest in view of the HERA anomaly at large Q 2 and x. These new results deduced from the Heidelberg-Moscow double beta decay experiment are reviewed. Also an outlook on the future of double beta decay, the GENIUS proposal, is given

A neutrino mass-mixing sum rule from SO(10) and neutrinoless double beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buccella, F. [INFN, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso University Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli (Italy); Chianese, M. [INFN, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso University Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica Ettore Pancini, Università di Napoli Federico II,Complesso University Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli (Italy); Mangano, G. [INFN, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso University Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli (Italy); Miele, G.; Morisi, S.; Santorelli, P. [INFN, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso University Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica Ettore Pancini, Università di Napoli Federico II,Complesso University Monte S. Angelo, I-80126 Napoli (Italy)

2017-04-03

Minimal SO(10) grand unified models provide phenomenological predictions for neutrino mass patterns and mixing. These are the outcome of the interplay of several features, namely: i) the seesaw mechanism; ii) the presence of an intermediate scale where B-L gauge symmetry is broken and the right-handed neutrinos acquire a Majorana mass; iii) a symmetric Dirac neutrino mass matrix whose pattern is close to the up-type quark one. In this framework two natural characteristics emerge. Normal neutrino mass hierarchy is the only allowed, and there is an approximate relation involving both light-neutrino masses and mixing parameters. This differs from what occurring when horizontal flavour symmetries are invoked. In this case, in fact, neutrino mixing or mass relations have been separately obtained in literature. In this paper we discuss an example of such comprehensive mixing-mass relation in a specific realization of SO(10) and, in particular, analyse its impact on the expected neutrinoless double beta decay effective mass parameter 〈m{sub ee}〉, and on the neutrino mass scale. Remarkably a lower limit for the lightest neutrino mass is obtained (m{sub lightest}≳7.5×10{sup −4} eV, at 3 σ level).

The Search for Neutrino-less Double-Beta Decay: A Decade of Discovery or Despair?

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2011-01-01

The search for "neutrino-less double-bete decay" decay in candidate nuclear isotopes remains a central focus in contemporary particle physics, with the main goal of establishing whether the neutrino is its own anti-particle. A positive detection would also establish the presence of lepton number violation in this decay, and suggest the existence of processes beyond the Standard Model and reach of terrestrial accelerators. With the discovery and quantitative assessment of neutrino flavor oscillation, guaranteeing the presence of a non-zero neutrino mass – a requirement for "neutrino-less double-bete decay" decay to occur – motivation has surged. In a review of the present diverse and vigorous current experimental situation, I must focus on just a few approaches and candidate isotopes, in particular on 136Xe and a new experimental effort, NEXT, exploiting the unfamiliar phenomenon of electroluminescence. But, even if the neutrino is its own anti-particle, experiments may see no decays! Stil...

Exploring the neutrinoless double beta decay in the inverted neutrino hierarchy with bolometric detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artusa, D.R. [University of South Carolina, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Columbia, SC (United States); INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, L' Aquila (Italy); Avignone, F.T.; Chott, N.; Creswick, R.J.; Farach, H.A.; Rosenfeld, C.; Wilson, J. [University of South Carolina, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Columbia, SC (United States); Azzolini, O.; Camacho, A.; De Biasi, A.; Keppel, G.; Palmieri, V.; Pira, C.; Rampazzo, V. [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Padua (Italy); Balata, M.; Bucci, C.; Canonica, L.; Casali, N.; Di Vacri, M.L.; Goett, J.; Gorla, P.; Nisi, S.; Orlandi, D.; Pattavina, L.; Pirro, S.; Zarra, C. [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, L' Aquila (Italy); Banks, T.I. [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, L' Aquila (Italy); University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Bari, G.; Deninno, M.M.; Moggi, N. [INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Beeman, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Bellini, F.; Cardani, L.; Cosmelli, C.; Ferroni, F.; Piperno, G. [Sapienza Universita di Roma, Dipartimento di Fisica, Rome (Italy); INFN-Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Bersani, A. [INFN-Sezione di Genova, Genoa (Italy); Biassoni, M.; Brofferio, C.; Capelli, S.; Carrettoni, M.; Chiesa, D.; Clemenza, M.; Faverzani, M.; Ferri, E.; Fiorini, E.; Giachero, A.; Gironi, L.; Gotti, C.; Maiano, C.; Maino, M.; Nucciotti, A.; Pavan, M.; Sala, E.; Sisti, M.; Terranova, F.; Zanotti, L. [Universita di Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica, Milan (Italy); INFN-Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Cai, X.Z.; Cao, X.G.; Fang, D.Q.; Li, Y.L.; Ma, Y.G.; Tian, W.D.; Wang, H.W. [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Shanghai (China); Carbone, L.; Cremonesi, O.; Datskov, V.; Pessina, G.; Previtali, E.; Rusconi, C. [INFN-Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Dafinei, I.; Morganti, S.; Orio, F.; Pettinacci, V.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M. [INFN-Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Dally, A.; Ejzak, L.; Wielgus, L. [University of Wisconsin, Department of Physics, Madison, WI (United States); Di Domizio, S.; Fernandes, G.; Pallavicini, M. [INFN-Sezione di Genova, Genoa (Italy); Universita di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genoa (Italy); Franceschi, M.A.; Ligi, C.; Napolitano, T. [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Rome (Italy); Freedman, S.J. [University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Fujikawa, B.K.; Han, K.; Mei, Y.; Smith, A.R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Giuliani, A.; Tenconi, M. [Centre de Spectrometrie Nucleaire et de Spectrometrie de Masse, Orsay (France); Gutierrez, T.D. [California Polytechnic State University, Physics Department, San Luis Obispo, CA (United States); Haller, E.E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); University of California, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States); Heeger, K.M.; Maruyama, R.H. [Yale University, Department of Physics, New Haven, CT (United States); Hennings-Yeomans, R.; O' Donnell, T. [University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, CA (United States); Huang, H.Z.; Liu, X.; Trentalange, S.; Winslow, L.A.; Zhu, B.X. [University of California, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Kadel, R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Physics Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Kazkaz, K.; Pedretti, M.; Sangiorgio, S.; Scielzo, N.D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States); Kolomensky, Yu.G. [University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Physics Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Martinez, M. [Universidad de Zaragoza, Laboratorio de Fisica Nuclear y Astroparticulas, Saragossa (Spain); Nones, C. [CEA/Saclay, Service de Physique des Particules, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Norman, E.B.; Wang, B.S. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States); University of California, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States); Ouellet, J.L. [University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Taffarello, L. [INFN-Sezione di Padova, Padua (Italy); Ventura, G. [Universita di Firenze, Dipartimento di Fisica, Florence (Italy); INFN-Sezione di Firenze, Florence (Italy); Wise, T. [University of Wisconsin, Department of Physics, Madison, WI (United States); Yale University, Department of Physics, New Haven, CT (United States); Woodcraft, A. [University of Edinburgh, SUPA, Institute for Astronomy, Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Zucchelli, S. [INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Universita di Bologna, Dipartimento di Fisica, Bologna (Italy)

2014-10-15

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is one of the most sensitive probes for physics beyond the Standard Model, providing unique information on the nature of neutrinos. In this paper we review the status and outlook for bolometric 0νββ decay searches. We summarize recent advances in background suppression demonstrated using bolometers with simultaneous readout of heat and light signals. We simulate several configurations of a future CUORE-like bolometer array which would utilize these improvements and present the sensitivity reach of a hypothetical next-generation bolometric 0νββ experiment. We demonstrate that a bolometric experiment with the isotope mass of about 1 ton is capable of reaching the sensitivity to the effective Majorana neutrino mass (vertical stroke m{sub ee} vertical stroke) of order 10-20 meV, thus completely exploring the so-called inverted neutrino mass hierarchy region. We highlight the main challenges and identify priorities for an R and D program addressing them. (orig.)

The GERDA Neutrinoless Double Beta-Decay Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majorovits, Bela A.

2007-01-01

Neutrinoless double beta (0νββ)-decay is the key process to gain understanding of the nature of neutrinos. The GErmanium Detector Array (GERDA) is designed to search for 0νββ-decay of the isotope 76 Ge. Germanium crystals enriched in 76 Ge, acting as source and detector simultaneously, will be submerged directly into an ultra pure cooling medium that also serves as a radiation shield. This concept will allow for a reduction of the background by up to two orders of magnitudes with respect to earlier experiments

First results of neutrinoless double beta decay search with the GERmanium Detector Array "GERDA"

Science.gov (United States)

Janicskó Csáthy, József

2014-06-01

The study of neutrinoless double beta decay is the most powerful approach to the fundamental question if the neutrino is a Majorana particle, i.e. its own anti-particle. The observation of the lepton number violating neutrinoless double beta decay would establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Until now neutrinoless double beta decay was not observed. The GERmanium Detector Array, GERDA is a double beta decay experiment located at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory, Italy. GERDA operates bare Ge diodes enriched in 76Ge in liquid argon supplemented by a water shield. The exposure accumulated adds up to 21.6 kg· yr with a background level of 1.8 · 10-2 cts/(keV·kg·yr). The results of the Phase I of the experiment are presented and the preparation of the Phase II is briefly discussed.

Sensitivity and Discovery Potential of CUORE to Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alessandria, F; Ardito, R; Artusa, DR; III, FTA; Azzolini, O; Balata, M; Banks, TI; Bari, G; Beeman, J; Bellini, F; Bersani, A; Biassoni, M; Bloxham, T; Brofferio, C; Bucci, C; Cai, XZ; Canonica, L; Cao, X; Capelli, S; Carbone, L; Cardani, L; Carrettoni, M; Casali, N; Chiesa, D; Chott, N; Clemenza, M; Cosmelli, C; Cremonesi, O; Creswick, RJ; Dafinei, I; Dally, A; Datskov, V; Biasi, AD; Deninno, MM; Domizio, SD; Vacri, MLD; Ejzak, L; Faccini, R; Fang, DQ; Farach, HA; Faverzani, M; Fernandes, G; Ferri, E; Ferroni, F; Fiorini, E; Franceschi, MA; Freedman, SJ; Fujikawa, BK; Giachero, A; Gironi, L; Giuliani, A; Goett, J; Gorla, P; Gotti, C; Guardincerri, E; Gutierrez, TD; Haller, EE; Han, K; Heeger, KM; Huang, HZ; Kadel, R; Kazkaz, K; Keppel, G; Kogler, L; Kolomensky, YG; Lenz, D; Li, YL; Ligi, C; Liu, X; Ma, YG; Maiano, C; Maino, M; Martinez, M; Maruyama, RH; Mei, Y; Moggi, N; Morganti, S; Napolitano, T; Newman, S; Nisi, S; Nones, C; Norman, EB; Nucciotti, A; O' Donnell, T; Orio, F; Orlandi, D; Ouellet, JL; Pallavicini, M; Palmieri, V; Pattavina, L; Pavan, M; Pedretti, M; Pessina, G; Piperno, G; Pirro, S; Previtali, E; Rampazzo, V; Rimondi, F; Rosenfeld, C; Rusconi, C; Sala, E; Sangiorgio, S; Scielzo, ND; Sisti, M; Smith, AR; Stivanello, F; Taffarello, L; Tenconi, M; Tian, WD; Tomei, C; Trentalange, S; Ventura, G; Vignati, M; Wang, BS; Wang, HW; Wise, T; Woodcraft, A; Zanotti, L; Zarra, C; Zhu, BX; Zucchelli, S

2017-07-06

We present a study of the sensitivity and discovery potential of CUORE, a bolometric double-beta decay experiment under construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. Two approaches to the computation of experimental sensitivity for various background scenarios are presented, and an extension of the sensitivity formulation to the discovery potential case is also discussed. Assuming a background rate of 10^-2 cts/(keV kg y), we find that, after 5 years of live time, CUORE has a 1 sigma sensitivity to the neutrinoless double-beta decay half-life of T$0v\\atop{1/2}$(1θ) = 1.6 \\times 10²⁶ y and thus a potential to probe the effective Majorana neutrino mass down to 40-100 meV; the sensitivity at 1.64 sigma, which corresponds to 90% C.L., will be T$0v\\atop{1/2}$(1.64θ) = 9.5 \\times 10²⁵ y. This range is compared with the claim of observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay in ⁷⁶Ge and the preferred range of the neutrino mass parameter space from oscillation results.

Structure of the two-neutrino double-β decay matrix elements within perturbation theory

Science.gov (United States)

Štefánik, Dušan; Šimkovic, Fedor; Faessler, Amand

2015-06-01

The two-neutrino double-β Gamow-Teller and Fermi transitions are studied within an exactly solvable model, which allows a violation of both spin-isospin SU(4) and isospin SU(2) symmetries, and is expressed with generators of the SO(8) group. It is found that this model reproduces the main features of realistic calculation within the quasiparticle random-phase approximation with isospin symmetry restoration concerning the dependence of the two-neutrino double-β decay matrix elements on isovector and isoscalar particle-particle interactions. By using perturbation theory an explicit dependence of the two-neutrino double-β decay matrix elements on the like-nucleon pairing, particle-particle T =0 and T =1 , and particle-hole proton-neutron interactions is obtained. It is found that double-β decay matrix elements do not depend on the mean field part of Hamiltonian and that they are governed by a weak violation of both SU(2) and SU(4) symmetries by the particle-particle interaction of Hamiltonian. It is pointed out that there is a dominance of two-neutrino double-β decay transition through a single state of intermediate nucleus. The energy position of this state relative to energies of initial and final ground states is given by a combination of strengths of residual interactions. Further, energy-weighted Fermi and Gamow-Teller sum rules connecting Δ Z =2 nuclei are discussed. It is proposed that these sum rules can be used to study the residual interactions of the nuclear Hamiltonian, which are relevant for charge-changing nuclear transitions.

The SNO+ experiment for neutrinoless double-beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lozza, Valentina; Krosigk, Belina von; Soerensen, Arnd; Zuber, Kai [Institut fuer Kern- und Teilchenphysik, Dresden (Germany)

2015-07-01

SNO+ is a large liquid scintillator based experiment that re-uses the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory detector. The detector, located 2 km underground in a mine near Sudbury, Canada, consists of a 12 m diameter acrylic vessel which will be filled with 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator. The main physics goal of SNO+ is to search for the neutrinoless double-beta (0n2b) decay of {sup 130}Te. During the double-beta phase, the liquid scintillator will be initially loaded with 0.3% natural tellurium (nearly 800 kg of {sup 130}Te). During this demonstration phase we anticipate that we will achieve a sensitivity in the region just above the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. Recently the possibility to deploy up to 10 times more natural tellurium is being developed, by which SNO+ could explore, in the near future, deep into the parameter space for the inverted hierarchy. Designed as a general purpose neutrino experiment, SNO+ can additionally measure the reactor neutrino oscillations, geo-neutrinos in a geologically-interesting location, watch supernova neutrinos and measure low energy solar neutrinos. A first commissioning phase with the detector filled with water has started in autumn 2014, while full running with water will take place in 2015. Transition to the scintillator phase will start towards the end of 2015. The 0n2b decay phase is foreseen for the 2016.

Nuclear Matrix Elements for the $\\beta\\beta$ Decay of the $^{76}$Ge

CERN Document Server

Brown, B A; Horoi, M

2015-01-01

The nuclear matrix elements for two-neutrino double-beta (2 n$\\beta\\beta$ ) and zero-neutrino double-beta (0 n$\\beta\\beta$) decay of 76 Ge are evaluated in terms of the configuration interaction (CI), quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA) and interacting boson model (IBM) methods. We show that the decomposition of the matrix elements in terms of interemediate states in 74 Ge is dominated by ground state of this nucleus. We consider corrections to the CI results that arise from configurations admixtures involving orbitals out-side of the CI configuration space by using results from QRPA, many-body-perturbation theory, and the connections to related observables. The CI two-neutrino matrix element is reduced due to the inclusion of spin-orbit partners, and to many-body correlations connected with Gamow-Teller beta decay. The CI zero-neutrino matrix element for the heavy neutrino is enhanced due to particle-particle correlations that are connected with the odd-even oscillations in the nuclear masse...

Nuclear transparency and double beta decay of molybdenum 100

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicholson, H.W.

1992-08-01

Data taking is now complete on a double beta decay experiment which has been carried out with collaborators from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, the University of New Mexico, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and work is continuing on a second collaborative experiment, AGS experiment 850 at the Brookhaven National Laboratory to study nuclear color transparency. In March, the experimental apparatus used to search for double beta decay in molybdenum 100 in the Consil silver mine in Osburn, Idaho was dismantled, and the data analysis is in its final stages. No evidence has been seen for the O + → O + mode of zero neutrino double beta decay collaborators with a 1σ lifetime limit of 3 x 10 22 years. This limit is 7.5 times greater than the limit we published previously in Physical Review Letters in 1989. Backgrounds have been simulated and fits are currently underway to a simulated O + → 2 + mode of zero neutrino double beta decay to improve on a very preliminary 1σ lifetime limit of 2.3 x 10 21 years presented at the April, 1992 meeting of the APS in Washington. A scintillating fiber detector with three Hamamatsu, H4140, 256 channel multianode phototubes has been built, instrumented, and tested in the May--July 1992 run in the EVA detector at Brookhaven Laboratory's AGS. Preliminary results from this detector have been disappointing. it is likely that the detector will have to be substantially redesigned before the 1993 AGS run

A review of superheated superconducting granules as a detector for dark matter, solar neutrinos, monopoles and double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pretzl, K.P.

1987-11-01

The use of superheated superconducting granules as a particle detector is reviewed. Their application for the detection of dark matter, solar neutrinos, monopoles, and double beta decay is described. A status report on the experimental development of these devices is given. (orig.)

Probing new physics models of neutrinoless double beta decay with SuperNEMO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, R. [CNRS/IN2P3, IPHC, Universite de Strasbourg, Strasbourg (France); Augier, C.; Bongrand, M.; Garrido, X.; Jullian, S.; Sarazin, X.; Simard, L. [CNRS/IN2P3, LAL, Universite Paris-Sud 11, Orsay (France); Baker, J.; Caffrey, A.J.; Horkley, J.J.; Riddle, C.L. [INL, Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Barabash, A.S.; Konovalov, S.I.; Umatov, V.I.; Vanyushin, I.A. [Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Basharina-Freshville, A.; Evans, J.J.; Flack, R.; Holin, A.; Kauer, M.; Richards, B.; Saakyan, R.; Thomas, J.; Vasiliev, V.; Waters, D. [University College London, London (United Kingdom); Brudanin, V.; Egorov, V.; Kochetov, O.; Nemchenok, I.; Timkin, V.; Tretyak, V.; Vasiliev, R. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Cebrian, S.; Dafni, T.; Irastorza, I.G.; Gomez, H.; Iguaz, F.J.; Luzon, G.; Rodriguez, A. [University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza (Spain); Chapon, A.; Durand, D.; Guillon, B.; Mauger, F. [Universite de Caen, LPC Caen, ENSICAEN, Caen (France); Chauveau, E.; Hubert, P.; Hugon, C.; Lutter, G.; Marquet, C.; Nachab, A.; Nguyen, C.H.; Perrot, F.; Piquemal, F.; Ricol, J.S. [UMR 5797, Universite de Bordeaux, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Gradignan (France); UMR 5797, CNRS/IN2P3, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Gradignan (France); Deppisch, F.F.; Jackson, C.M.; Nasteva, I.; Soeldner-Rembold, S. [Univ. of Manchester (United Kingdom); Diaz, J.; Monrabal, F.; Serra, L.; Yahlali, N. [CSIC - Univ. de Valencia, IFIC (Spain); Fushima, K.I. [Tokushima Univ., Tokushima (Japan); Holy, K.; Povinec, P.P.; Simkovic, F. [Comenius Univ., FMFI, Bratislava (Slovakia); Ishihara, N. [KEK, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Kovalenko, V. [CNRS/IN2P3, IPHC, Univ. de Strasbourg (France); Joint Inst. for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Lamhamdi, T. [USMBA, Fes (Morocco); Lang, K.; Pahlka, R.B. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (and others)

2010-12-15

The possibility to probe new physics scenarios of light Majorana neutrino exchange and right-handed currents at the planned next generation neutrinoless double {beta} decay experiment SuperNEMO is discussed. Its ability to study different isotopes and track the outgoing electrons provides the means to discriminate different underlying mechanisms for the neutrinoless double {beta} decay by measuring the decay half-life and the electron angular and energy distributions. (orig.)

Experimental search for double beta decay of 100Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alston-Garnjost, M.; Dougherty, B.L.; Kenney, R.W.; Krivicich, J.M.; Tripp, R.D.; Nicholson, H.W.; Dieterle, B.D.; Leavitt, C.P.

1986-01-01

An experiment is proposed to search for double beta decay in 100 Mo using thin silicon solid state detectors. We expect to be sensitive to a half life limit of over 2 x 10 23 years for the neutrinoless mode and 2 x 10 20 years for the two-neutrino mode in one year's running. This is a substantial improvement in the measurement of the limits on electron neutrino mass and/or right-handed current admixtures over present 76 Ge experiments. 16 refs., 12 figs., 9 tabs

A background free double beta decay experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giomataris, I

2011-01-01

We present a new detection scheme for rejecting backgrounds in neutrino-less double beta decay experiments. It relies on the detection of Cherenkov light emitted by electrons in the MeV region. The momentum threshold is tuned to reach a good discrimination between background and good events. We consider many detector concepts and a range of target materials. The most promising is the high-pressure 136 Xe emitter where the required energy threshold is easily adjusted. Combination of this concept and a high pressure Time Projection Chamber could provide an optimal solution. A simple and low cost effective solution is the use of the Spherical Proportional Counter that provides, using a single read-out channel, two delayed signals from ionization and Cherenkov light. In solid-state double beta decay emitters, because of its higher density, the considered process is out of energy range. An escape will be the fabrication of double decay emitters having lower density by using for instance the aerogel technique. It is surprising that a technology used for particle identification in high-energy physics becomes a powerful tool for rejecting backgrounds in such low-energy experiments.

New underground neutrino observatory-GENIUS-in the new millenium for solar neutrinos, dark matter and double beta decay

CERN Document Server

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H V

2001-01-01

Double beta decay is indispensable to solve the question of the neutrino mass matrix together with nu oscillation experiments. The most sensitive experiment for eight years-the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment in Gran-Sasso-already now, with the experimental limit of (m/sub nu /)<0.26 eV excludes degenerate nu mass scenarios allowing neutrinos as hot dark matter in the Universe for the small angle MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem. It probes cosmological models including hot dark matter already now on the level of future satellite experiments MAP and PLANCK. It further probes many topics of beyond standard model physics at the TeV scale. Future experiments should give access to the multiTeV range and complement on many ways the search for new physics at future colliders like LHC and NLC. For neutrino physics GENIUS will allow to test almost all neutrino mass scenarios allowed by the present neutrino oscillation experiments. At the same time GENIUS will cover a wide range of the parameter space of pred...

Double beta decay in the generalized seniority scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pittel, S.; Engel, J.; Vogel, P.; Ji Xiangdong

1990-01-01

A generalized-seniority truncation scheme is used in shell-model calculations of double beta decay matrix elements. Calculations are carried out for 78 Ge, 82 Se and 128,130 Te. Matrix elements calculated for the two-neutrino decay mode are small compared to weak-coupling shell-model calculations and support the suppression mechanism first observed in the quasi-particle random phase approximation. Matrix elements for the neutrinoless mode are similar to those of the weak-coupling shell model, suggesting that these matrix elements can be pinned down fairly accurately. (orig.)

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schubert, Alexis G.; Aguayo, Estanislao; Avignone, F. T.; Zhang, C.; Back, Henning O.; Barabash, Alexander S.; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, Matthew; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Christofferson, Cabot-Ann; Collar, J. I.; Combs, Dustin C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, Jason A.; Leon, Jonathan D.; Doe, Peter J.; Efremenko, Yuri; Egorov, Viatcheslav; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Esterline, James H.; Fast, James E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, Florian; Gehman, Victor M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M.; Guiseppe, Vincente; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, Reyco; Hime, Andrew; Hoppe, Eric W.; Horton, Mark; Howard, Stanley; Howe, Mark; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K.; Keillor, Martin E.; Keller, C.; Kephart, Jeremy D.; Kidd, M. F.; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, Oleg; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, Richard T.; LaFerriere, Brian D.; LaRoque, B. H.; Leviner, L.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, Michael G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, Dong-Ming; Merriman, Jason H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, Leila; Nomachi, Masaharu; Orrell, John L.; Overman, Nicole R.; Phillips, D.; Poon, Alan; Perumpilly, Gopakumar; Prior, Gersende; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, Keith; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, Kyle J.; Sobolev, V.; Steele, David; Strain, J.; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, Werner; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, Kai; Vorren, Kris R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wolfe, B. A.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Yumatov, Vladimir

2012-09-28

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.

Main features of detectors and isotopes to investigate double beta decay with increased sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Barabash, A. S.

2018-03-01

The current situation in double beta decay experiments, the characteristics of modern detectors and the possibility of increasing the sensitivity to neutrino mass in future experiments are discussed. The issue of the production and use of enriched isotopes in double beta decay experiments is discussed in addition.

The 76Ge Program to Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay

Science.gov (United States)

Guiseppe, Vincente

2017-09-01

Neutrinoless double-beta decay searches play a major role in determining the nature of neutrinos, the existence of a lepton violating process, and the effective Majorana neutrino mass. The Majorana and Gerda Collaborations are operating arrays of high purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. The Majorana Demonstrator is operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota while the Gerda experiment is operating at LNGS in Italy. The Gerda and Majorana Demonstrator experiments have achieved the lowest backgrounds in the neutrinoless double-beta decay region of interest. These results, coupled with the superior energy resolution (0.1%) of Ge detectors demonstrate that 76Ge is an ideal isotope for a large next generation experiment. The LEGEND collaboration, with 220 members from 47 institutions around the world, has been formed to pursue a ton scale 76Ge experiment. Building on the successes of Gerda and Majorana, the LEGEND collaboration aims to develop a phased neutrinoless double-beta decay experimental program with discovery potential at a half-life significantly longer than 1027 years. This talk will present the initial results from the Majorana Demonstrator and Gerda experiments and the plan for the LEGEND program.

Limits on neutrino-less double beta decay of 100Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ejiri, H.; Fushimi, K.; Hayashi, K.; Kishimoto, T.; Kudomi, N.; Ohsumi, H.; Okada, K.; Shima, T.; Tanaka, J.

1996-01-01

Exclusive measurements of neutrino-less double beta decays (0νββ) of 100 Mo were made by means of ELEGANT V. Most stringent lower limits on the half-lives for the ground-state transition were obtained for the 0νββ processes as T 1/2 0ν (m ν ) > 5.2 x 10 22 y, T 1/2 0ν (λ) > 3.9 x 10 22 y and T 1/2 0ν (η) > 5.1 x 10 22 y, for the mass term left angle m ν right angle, for the right-handed current terms of left angle λ right angle and left angle η right angle, respectively, and as T 1/2 0νB > 5.4 x 10 21 y for the process (0νββB) followed by a Majoron (B). These limits lead to the upper limits of left angle m ν right angle -6 , left angle η right angle -8 and left angle g B right angle -5 with g B being the coupling of B with the neutrino field. Limits on other possible processes beyond the standard theory are discussed. (orig.)

Searches for massive neutrinos in nuclear beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaros, J.A.

1992-10-01

The status of searches for massive neutrinos in nuclear beta decay is reviewed. The claim by an ITEP group that the electron antineutrino mass > 17eV has been disputed by all the subsequent experiments. Current measurements of the tritium beta spectrum limit m bar νe < 10 eV. The status of the 17 keV neutrino is reviewed. The strong null results from INS Tokyo and Argonne, and deficiencies in the experiments which reported positive effects, make it unreasonable to ascribe the spectral distortions seen by Simpson, Hime, and others to a 17keV neutrino. Several new ideas on how to search for massive neutrinos in nuclear beta decay are discussed

Radiative corrections to light neutrino masses in low scale type I seesaw scenarios and neutrinoless double beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Pavon, J. [SISSA and INFN - sezione di Trieste, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste (Italy); Molinaro, E. [CP-Origins and Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark,Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M (Denmark); Petcov, S.T. [SISSA and INFN - sezione di Trieste, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste (Italy); Kavli IPMU (WPI), University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, 277-8583 Kashiwa (Japan)

2015-11-05

We perform a detailed analysis of the one-loop corrections to the light neutrino mass matrix within low scale type I seesaw extensions of the Standard Model and their implications in experimental searches for neutrinoless double beta decay. We show that a sizable contribution to the effective Majorana neutrino mass from the exchange of heavy Majorana neutrinos is always possible, provided one requires a fine-tuned cancellation between the tree-level and one-loop contribution to the light neutrino masses. We quantify the level of fine-tuning as a function of the seesaw parameters and introduce a generalisation of the Casas-Ibarra parametrization of the neutrino Yukawa matrix, which easily allows to include the one-loop corrections to the light neutrino masses.

Exchange effects in double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephenson, G.J. Jr.; Goldman, T.; Maltman, K.R.; Schmidt, K.E.

1988-01-01

The motivation underlying the resurgence of interest in double beta decay is the hope that the observation of or limits on the 0-neutrino mode will provide information about the nature of the neutrino. This clearly requires confidence in the nuclear matrix elements involved in the transition. The shell model calculations do not agree well with the geochemical values for 130 Te, which has lead to a spate of papers offering specific fixes for the problem. In this contribution we shall not comment on any of the specific nuclear calculations, rather we make some remarks which should be relevant to any model calculation

Combining and comparing neutrinoless double beta decay experiments using different nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Bergström, Johannes

2013-02-01

We perform a global fit of the most relevant neutrinoless double beta decay experiments within the standard model with massive Majorana neutrinos. Using Bayesian inference makes it possible to take into account the theoretical uncertainties on the nuclear matrix elements in a fully consistent way. First, we analyze the data used to claim the observation of neutrinoless double beta decay in 76Ge, and find strong evidence (according to Jeffrey's scale) for a peak in the spectrum and moderate evidence for that the peak is actually close to the energy expected for the neutrinoless decay. We also find a significantly larger statistical error than the original analysis, which we include in the comparison with other data. Then, we statistically test the consistency between this claim with that of recent measurements using 136Xe. We find that the two data sets are about 40 to 80 times more probable under the assumption that they are inconsistent, depending on the nuclear matrix element uncertainties and the prior on the smallest neutrino mass. Hence, there is moderate to strong evidence of incompatibility, and for equal prior probabilities the posterior probability of compatibility is between 1.3% and 2.5%. If one, despite such evidence for incompatibility, combines the two data sets, we find that the total evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay is negligible. If one ignores the claim, there is weak evidence against the existence of the decay. We also perform approximate frequentist tests of compatibility for fixed ratios of the nuclear matrix elements, as well as of the no signal hypothesis. Generalization to other sets of experiments as well as other mechanisms mediating the decay is possible.

Extra dimensions and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gozdz, Marek; Kaminski, Wieslaw A.; Faessler, Amand

2005-01-01

The neutrinoless double beta decay is one of the few phenomena, belonging to the nonstandard physics, which is extensively being sought for in experiments. In the present paper the link between the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay and theories with large extra dimensions is explored. The use of the sensitivities of currently planned 0ν2β experiments: DAMA, CANDLES, COBRA, DCBA, CAMEO, GENIUS, GEM, MAJORANA, MOON, CUORE, EXO, and XMASS, gives the possibility for a nondirect 'experimental' verification of various extra dimensional scenarios. We discuss also the results of the Heidelberg-Moscow Collaboration. The calculations are based on the Majorana neutrino mass generation mechanism in the Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali model

Observed double beta decay spectra from 82Se, 100Mo, and 150Nd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, S.R.; Moe, M.K.; Nelson, M.A.; Vient, M.A.

1993-01-01

Two-electron events resembling double beta decay are being observed at energies beyond the die-off of the spectrum predicted for the two-neutrino mode. The anomaly appears in three isotopes having different half lives and Q-values. Tests are now underway to determine its origin. (orig.)

New Technique for Barium Daughter Ion Identification in a Liquid Xe-136 Double Beta Decay Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fairbank, William

2016-01-01

This work addresses long-standing issues of fundamental interest in elementary particle physics. The most important outcome of this work is a new limit on neutrinoless double beta decay. This is an extremely rare and long-sought-after type of radioactive decay. If discovered, it would require changes in the standard model of the elementary constituents of matter, and would prove that neutrinos and antineutrinos are the same, a revolutionary concept in particle physics. Neutrinos are major components of the matter in the universe that are so small and so weakly interacting with other matter that their masses have not yet been discovered. A discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay could help determine the neutrino masses. An important outcome of the work on this project was the Colorado State University role in operating the EXO-200 neutrinoless double beta decay experiment and in analysis of the data from this experiment. One type of double beta decay of the isotope "1"3"6Xe, the two-neutrino variety, was discovered in this work. Although the other type of double beta decay, the neutrinoless variety, was not yet discovered in this work, a world's best sensitivity of 1.9x10"2"5 year half-life was obtained. This result rules out a previous claim of a positive result in a different isotope. This work also establishes that the masses of the neutrinos are less than one millionth of that of electrons. A unique EXO-200 analysis, in which the CSU group had a leading role, has established for the first time ever in a liquid noble gas the fraction of daughter atoms from alpha and beta decay that are ionized. This result has important impact on other pending studies, including nucleon decay and barium tagging. Novel additional discoveries include multiphoton ionization of liquid xenon with UV pulsed lasers, which may find application in calibration of future noble liquid detectors, and studies of association and dissociation reactions of Ba"+ ions in gaseous xenon. Through

New Technique for Barium Daughter Ion Identification in a Liquid Xe-136 Double Beta Decay Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fairbank, William [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)

2016-06-08

This work addresses long-standing issues of fundamental interest in elementary particle physics. The most important outcome of this work is a new limit on neutrinoless double beta decay. This is an extremely rare and long-sought-after type of radioactive decay. If discovered, it would require changes in the standard model of the elementary constituents of matter, and would prove that neutrinos and antineutrinos are the same, a revolutionary concept in particle physics. Neutrinos are major components of the matter in the universe that are so small and so weakly interacting with other matter that their masses have not yet been discovered. A discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay could help determine the neutrino masses. An important outcome of the work on this project was the Colorado State University role in operating the EXO-200 neutrinoless double beta decay experiment and in analysis of the data from this experiment. One type of double beta decay of the isotope ¹³⁶Xe, the two-neutrino variety, was discovered in this work. Although the other type of double beta decay, the neutrinoless variety, was not yet discovered in this work, a world’s best sensitivity of 1.9x10²⁵ year half-life was obtained. This result rules out a previous claim of a positive result in a different isotope. This work also establishes that the masses of the neutrinos are less than one millionth of that of electrons. A unique EXO-200 analysis, in which the CSU group had a leading role, has established for the first time ever in a liquid noble gas the fraction of daughter atoms from alpha and beta decay that are ionized. This result has important impact on other pending studies, including nucleon decay and barium tagging. Novel additional discoveries include multiphoton ionization of liquid xenon with UV pulsed lasers, which may find application in calibration of future noble liquid detectors, and studies of association and dissociation reactions of Ba

NEUTRINOLESS DOUBLE BETA DECAY: AN EXTREME CHALLENGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Ferroni

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay is the only known way to possibly resolve the nature of neutrino mass. The chances to cover the mass region predicted by the inverted hierarchy require a step forward in detector capability. A possibility is to make use of scintillating bolometers. These devices shall have a great power in distinguishing signals from alfa particles from those induced by electrons. This feature might lead to an almost background-free experiment. Here the Lucifer concept will be introduced and the prospects related to this project will be discussed.

Computer code for double beta decay QRPA based calculations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbero, C. A.; Mariano, A. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina and Instituto de Física La Plata, CONICET, La Plata (Argentina); Krmpotić, F. [Instituto de Física La Plata, CONICET, La Plata, Argentina and Instituto de Física Teórica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo (Brazil); Samana, A. R.; Ferreira, V. dos Santos [Departamento de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, BA (Brazil); Bertulani, C. A. [Department of Physics, Texas A and M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX (United States)

2014-11-11

The computer code developed by our group some years ago for the evaluation of nuclear matrix elements, within the QRPA and PQRPA nuclear structure models, involved in neutrino-nucleus reactions, muon capture and β{sup ±} processes, is extended to include also the nuclear double beta decay.

The MAJORANA experiment: an ultra-low background search for neutrinoless double-beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phillips, D.; Aguayo Navarrete, Estanislao; Avignone, Frank T.; Back, Henning O.; Barabash, Alexander S.; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, Matthew; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Christofferson, Cabot-Ann; Collar, J. I.; Combs, Dustin C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, Jason A.; Doe, Peter J.; Efremenko, Yuri; Egorov, Viatcheslav; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, Steven R.; Esterline, James H.; Fast, James E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, Florian; Gehman, Victor; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, Matthew P.; Guiseppe, Vincente; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, Reyco; Hime, Andrew; Hoppe, Eric W.; Horton, Mark; Howard, Stanley; Howe, M. A.; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K.; Keller, C.; Kidd, Mary; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, Oleg; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, Richard T.; LaFerriere, Brian D.; LaRoque, B. H.; Leon, Jonathan D.; Leviner, L.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, Michael G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, Dong-Ming; Merriman, Jason H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, Leila; Nomachi, Masaharu; Orrell, John L.; Overman, Nicole R.; Poon, Alan; Perumpilly, Gopakumar; Prior, Gersende; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, Keith; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, Alexis G.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, Kyle J.; Steele, David; Strain, J.; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, Kai; Vorren, Kris R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wolfe, B. A.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Yumatov, Vladimir; Zhang, C.

2012-12-01

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would resolve the Majorana nature of the neutrino and could provide information on the absolute scale of the neutrino mass. The initial phase of the Majorana Experiment, known as the Demonstrator, will house 40 kg of Ge in an ultra-low background shielded environment at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The objective of the Demonstrator is to validate whether a future 1-tonne experiment can achieve a background goal of one count per tonne-year in a narrow region of interest around the 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay peak.

Testing Left-Right extensions of the standard model of electroweak interactions with double-beta decay and LHC measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Civitarese, O.; Suhonen, J.; Zuber, K.

2015-07-01

The minimal extension of the standard model of electroweak interactions allows for massive neutrinos, a massive right-handed boson WR, and a left-right mixing angle ζ. While an estimate of the light (electron) neutrino can be extracted from the non-observation of the neutrinoless double beta decay, the limits on the mixing angle and the mass of the righthanded (RH) boson may be extracted from a combined analysis of the double beta decay measurements (GERDA, EXO-200 and KamLAND-Zen collaborations) and ATLAS data on the two-jets two-leptons signals following the excitation of a virtual RH boson mediated by a heavy-mass neutrino. In this work we shall compare results of both types of experiments, and show that the estimates are not in tension.

The contribution of light Majorana neutrinos to neutrinoless double beta decay and cosmology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dell’Oro, S.; Marcocci, S. [INFN, Gran Sasso Science Institute,Viale F. Crispi 7, 67100 L’Aquila (Italy); Viel, M. [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste,Via G.B. Tiepolo 11, 34131 Trieste (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Trieste,Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste (Italy); Vissani, F. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso,Via G. Acitelli 22, 67100 Assergi (AQ) (Italy); INFN, Gran Sasso Science Institute,Viale F. Crispi 7, 67100 L’Aquila (Italy)

2015-12-11

Cosmology is making impressive progress and it is producing stringent bounds on the sum of the neutrino masses Σ, a parameter of great importance for the current laboratory experiments. In this letter, we exploit the potential relevance of the analysis of Palanque-Delabrouille et al. to the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) search. This analysis indicates small values for the lightest neutrino mass, since the authors find Σ<84 meV at 1σ C.L., and provides a 1σ preference for the normal hierarchy. The allowed values for the Majorana effective mass, probed by 0νββ, turn out to be <75 meV at 3σ C.L. and lower down to less than 20 meV at 1σ C.L. . If this indication is confirmed, the impact on the 0νββ experiments will be tremendous since the possibility of detecting a signal will be out of the reach of the next generation of experiments.

Search for 136Xe neutrinoless double beta decay with the Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giroux, G.

2014-01-01

The EXO collaboration is searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 136 Xe. Such observation would determine an absolute mass scale for the neutrinos, establish their Majorana nature, and uncover physics beyond the Standard Model. The EXO-200 detector is a single phase liquid xenon ultra low background TPC (Time Projection Chamber), with an active mass of 110 kg of 80.6% enriched xenon in the isotope 136. The detector is currently operating at the WIPP site and has been collecting data with enriched xenon since May 2011. The data collected give a lower limit for the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of 136 Xe: T > 1.6*10 25 years at 90% C.L. The same data give a lower limit for the 2 neutrinos double beta decay of 136 Xe: T > 2.23*10 21 years that agrees with experimental values found in the literature

Neutrinoless double-beta decay - Status of evidence and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

2002-01-01

Double-beta decay is indispensable to solve the question of the neutrino mass matrix together with ν oscillation experiments. Recent analysis of the most sensitive experiment in the last eight years - the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment in Gran Sasso - yields evidence for the neutrinoless decay mode at a 97% C.L. This result is the first indication for lepton number violation and for the neutrino to be a Majorana particle. We give the present status of the analysis in these proceedings. It excludes several of the neutrino mass scenarios allowed from present neutrino oscillation experiments - essentially only degenerate and partially degenerate mass scenarios survive. To improve the present result, considerably enlarged experiments are required, such as GENIUS. A GENIUS Test Facility has just been funded and will come into operation by the end of 2002

Neutrino mass, the right-handed interaction and the double beta decay, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doi, Masaru; Kotani, Tsuneyuki; Nishiura, Hiroyuki; Okuda, Kazuko; Takasugi, Eiichi.

1981-01-01

In order to shed light on the important question whether neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana particles, the double β decay is investigated within a general form of weak interaction Hamiltonian. The systematic study is made on the 0 + → J + nuclear transitions for the two-neutrino and neutrinoless modes both in the two-nucleon- and N*-mechanism. It is shown that for the neutrinoless mode, only the 0 + → 0 + transition in the two-nucleon mechanism is allowed if there is no right-handed interaction. When the right-handed interaction gives a sizable contribution, the role of the 0 + → 2 + transition becomes as important as the 0 + → 0 + transition. The comparison of our results with the previous ones is also presented. (author)

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Abgrall

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Majorana Demonstrator will search for the neutrinoless double-beta (ββ0ν decay of the isotope Ge with a mixed array of enriched and natural germanium detectors. The observation of this rare decay would indicate that the neutrino is its own antiparticle, demonstrate that lepton number is not conserved, and provide information on the absolute mass scale of the neutrino. The Demonstrator is being assembled at the 4850-foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The array will be situated in a low-background environment and surrounded by passive and active shielding. Here we describe the science goals of the Demonstrator and the details of its design.

New results for double-beta decay of {sup 100}Mo to excited final states of {sup 100}Ru using the TUNL-ITEP apparatus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kidd, M.F.; Esterline, J.H. [Department of Physics, Duke University and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27708-0308 (United States); Tornow, W. [Department of Physics, Duke University and Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27708-0308 (United States)], E-mail: tornow@tunl.duke.edu; Barabash, A.S.; Umatov, V.I. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, 117259 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2009-04-15

The coincidence detection efficiency of the TUNL-ITEP apparatus designed for measuring half-life times of two-neutrino double-beta (2{nu}{beta}{beta}) decay transitions to excited final states in daughter nuclei has been measured with a factor of 2.4 improved accuracy. In addition, the previous measuring time of 455 days for the study of the {sup 100}Mo 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay to the first excited 0{sub 1}{sup +} state in {sup 100}Ru has been increased by 450 days, and a new result (combined with the previous measurement obtained with the same apparatus) for this transition is presented: T{sub 1/2}=[5.5{sub -0.8}{sup +1.2}(stat){+-}0.3(syst)]x10{sup 20} yr. Measured 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay half-life times to excited states can be used to test the reliability of nuclear matrix element calculations needed for determining the effective neutrino mass from zero-neutrino double-beta decay data. We also present new limits for transitions to higher excited states in {sup 100}Ru which, if improved, may be of interest for more exotic conjectures, like a bosonic component to neutrino statistics.

Double beta decay: a new formalism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirsch, J.; Krmpotic, F.

1990-01-01

A study is made of the validity of those methods consisting in an average of solutions from initial and final solutions within the quasi-particle random phase approximation (QRPA) for double beta decay. A new method is developed that works with a single QRPA equation for the intermediate nucleus in which the correlations of the ground state for β - transitions are β + and vice versa. Numerical results agree in the different formulations, which avails the known averaging procedures while showing the greater operative simplicity of the proposed method for the case of the two neutrino mode in which the diagonalization process may be substituted by a matrix inversion. (Author). 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Double Beta Decay Experiments: Present Status and Prospects for the Future

Science.gov (United States)

Barabash, A. S.

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 T1/2(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 ( at the level of ˜ (0.01-0.1) eV are discussed. The main attention is paid to experiments of CUORE, GERDA, MAJORANA, EXO, KamLAND-Zen-2, SuperNEMO and SNO+. Possibilities of low-temperature scintillating bolometers on the basis of inorganic crystals (ZnSe, ZnMoO4, Li2MoO4, CaMoO4 and CdWO4) are considered too.

The next enriched xenon observatory. A search for neutrinoless double beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bayerlein, Reimund; Hufschmidt, Patrick; Jamil, Ako; Schneider, Judith; Wagenpfeil, Michael; Wrede, Gerrit; Ziegler, Tobias; Hoessl, Juergen; Anton, Gisela; Michel, Thilo [ECAP, Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg (Germany)

2016-07-01

The question whether the neutrino could be its own antiparticle is still not answered. The most practical way to test this is the search for the neutrinoless double beta decay. The half-life of this decay is related to the value of a linear combination of the masses of the neutrino mass eigenstates and therefore provides information about the absolute mass scale of neutrinos. The nEXO experiment - the successor of EXO200 - is currently under research and development. The baseline concept comprises a single-phase liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chamber (TPC) filled with about 5 tons of liquid xenon enriched to about 80% Xe-136 as the double beta decay nuclide. In order to fully cover the range of the effective Majorana neutrino mass in the inverted hierarchy scheme, excellent energy resolution is required. Therefore, a position-resolving, low-noise charge readout and very efficient light collection and detection are mandatory. For the purpose of very low background levels radiopure Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) have to be used to detect the scintillation light of LXe. Due to the large half-life a huge detector mass and long term measurement are needed. In this talk the baseline-concept of the experimental setup is presented.

Status of evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay, and the future. Genius and genius-TF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

2004-01-01

The first evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay has been observed in the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment, which is the most sensitive double beta decay experiment since ten years. This is the first evidence for lepton number violation and proves that the neutrino is a Majorana particle. It further shows that neutrino masses are degenerate. In addition it puts several stringent constraints on other physics beyond the Standard Model. The result from the HEIDEL-BERG-MOSCOW experiment is consistent with recent results from CMB investigations, with high energy cosmic rays, with the result from the g-2 experiment and with recent theoretical work. It is indirectly supported by the analysis of other Ge double beta experiments. The new project GENIUS will cover a wide range of the parameter space of predictions of SUSY for neutralinos as cold dark matter. Further it has the potential to be a real-time detector for low-energy (pp and 7 Be) solar neutrinos. A GENIUS Test Facility has come into operation on May 5, 2003. This is the first time that this novel technique for extreme background reduction in search for rare decays is applied under the background conditions of an underground laboratory. (author)

Search for neutrinoless double beta decay beyond GERDA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwingenheuer, Bernhard [MPI Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany)

2016-07-01

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay might be the only window to observe lepton number violation and to determine the nature of neutrinos. Is is therefore considered to be of highest relevance. The isotope Ge-76 has historically been most important for this search and the ongoing experiment GERDA has the lowest background of all experiments in the field. The proposed experimental program beyond GERDA (and Majorana) is presented.

A measurement of the 2 neutrino double beta decay rate of Te-130 in the CUORICINO experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kogler, Laura K. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2011-11-30

CUORICINO was a cryogenic bolometer experiment designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay and other rare processes, including double beta decay with two neutrinos (2vββ). The experiment was located at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso and ran for a period of about 5 years, from 2003 to 2008. The detector consisted of an array of 62 TeO₂ crystals arranged in a tower and operated at a temperature of 10 mK. Events depositing energy in the detectors, such as radioactive decays or impinging particles, produced thermal pulses in the crystals which were read out using sensitive thermistors. The experiment included 4 enriched crystals, 2 enriched with ¹³⁰Te and 2 with ¹²⁸Te, in order to aid in the measurement of the 2vββ rate. The enriched crystals contained a total of 350 g ¹³⁰Te. The 128-enriched (130-depleted) crystals were used as background monitors, so that the shared backgrounds could be subtracted from the energy spectrum of the 130- enriched crystals. Residual backgrounds in the subtracted spectrum were fit using spectra generated by Monte-Carlo simulations of natural radioactive contaminants located in and on the crystals. The 2vββ half-life was measured to be T^2v_1/2 = [9.81± 0.96(stat)± 0.49(syst)] x10²⁰ y.

The effective neutrino mass of neutrinoless double-beta decays: how possible to fall into a well

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xing, Zhi-zhong [University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of High Energy Physics and School of Physical Sciences, Beijing (China); Peking University, Center of High Energy Physics, Beijing (China); Zhao, Zhen-hua [Liaoning Normal University, Department of Physics, Dalian (China)

2017-03-15

The neutrinoless double-beta (0ν2β) decay is currently the only feasible process in particle and nuclear physics to probe whether massive neutrinos are the Majorana fermions. If they are of a Majorana nature and have a normal mass ordering, the effective neutrino mass term left angle m right angle {sub ee} of a 0ν2β decay may suffer significant cancellations among its three components and thus sink into a decline, resulting in a ''well'' in the three-dimensional graph of vertical stroke left angle m right angle {sub ee} vertical stroke against the smallest neutrino mass m{sub 1} and the relevant Majorana phase ρ. We present a new and complete analytical understanding of the fine issues inside such a well, and identify a novel threshold of vertical stroke left angle m right angle {sub ee} vertical stroke in terms of the neutrino masses and flavor mixing angles: vertical stroke left angle m right angle {sub ee} vertical stroke {sub *} = m{sub 3}sin{sup 2}θ{sub 13} in connection with tanθ{sub 12} = √(m{sub 1}/m{sub 2}) and ρ = π. This threshold point, which links the local minimum and maximum of vertical stroke left angle m right angle {sub ee} vertical stroke, can be used to signify observability or sensitivity of the future 0ν2β-decay experiments. Given current neutrino oscillation data, the possibility of vertical stroke left angle m right angle {sub ee} vertical stroke < vertical stroke left angle m right angle {sub ee} vertical stroke {sub *} is found to be very small. (orig.)

Warm Dark Matter Sterile Neutrinos in Electron Capture and Beta Decay Spectra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Moreno

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We briefly review the motivation to search for sterile neutrinos in the keV mass scale, as dark matter candidates, and the prospects to find them in beta decay or electron capture spectra, with a global perspective. We describe the fundamentals of the neutrino flavor-mass eigenstate mismatch that opens the possibility of detecting sterile neutrinos in such ordinary nuclear processes. Results are shown and discussed for the effect of heavy neutrino emission in electron capture in Holmium 163 and in two isotopes of Lead, 202 and 205, as well as in the beta decay of Tritium. We study the deexcitation spectrum in the considered cases of electron capture and the charged lepton spectrum in the case of Tritium beta decay. For each of these cases, we define ratios of integrated transition rates over different regions of the spectrum under study and give new results that may guide and facilitate the analysis of possible future measurements, paying particular attention to forbidden transitions in Lead isotopes.

Pulse-shape discrimination techniques for the COBRA double beta-decay experiment at LNGS

Science.gov (United States)

Zatschler, S.; COBRA Collaboration

2017-09-01

In modern elementary particle physics several questions arise from the fact that neutrino oscillation experiments have found neutrinos to be massive. Among them is the so far unknown nature of neutrinos: either they act as so-called Majorana particles, where one cannot distinguish between particle and antiparticle, or they are Dirac particles like all the other fermions in the Standard Model. The study of neutrinoless double beta-decay (0νββ-decay), where the lepton number conservation is violated by two units, could answer the question regarding the underlying nature of neutrinos and might also shed light on the mechanism responsible for the mass generation. So far there is no experimental evidence for the existence of 0νββ-decay, hence, existing experiments have to be improved and novel techniques should be explored. One of the next-generation experiments dedicated to the search for this ultra-rare decay is the COBRA experiment. This article gives an overview of techniques to identify and reject background based on pulse-shape discrimination.

Search for two-neutrino double-β decay of 96Zr to excited states of 96Mo

Science.gov (United States)

Finch, S. W.; Tornow, W.

2015-10-01

Background: Double-β decay is a rare second-order nuclear decay. The importance of this decay stems from the possibility of neutrinoless double-β decay and its applications to neutrino physics. Purpose: A search was conducted for the 2 ν β β decay of 96Zr to excited final states of the daughter nucleus, 96Mo. Measurements of this decay are important to test nuclear matrix element calculations, which are necessary to extract the neutrino mass from a measurement of the neutrinoless double-β decay half-life. Method: Two coaxial high-purity germanium detectors were used in coincidence to detect γ rays produced by the daughter nucleus as it de-excited to the ground state. The experiment was carried out at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility and produced 685.7 d of data with a 17.91 g enriched sample. Results: No counts were seen above background. For the decay to the first excited 0+ state, a limit of T1 /2>3.1 ×1020 yr was produced. Limits to higher excited states are also reported. Conclusion: The new limits on double-β decay are an improvement over previous experiments by a factor of 2 to 5 for the various excited states. The nuclear matrix element for the double-β decay to the first excited 0+ state is found to be <0.13 .

The 76Ge(n,p)76Ga reaction and its relevance to searches for the neutrino-less double-beta decay of 76Ge

Science.gov (United States)

Tornow, W.; Bhike, Megha; Fallin, B.; Krishichayan, Fnu

2015-10-01

The 76Ge(n,p)76Ga reaction and the subsequent β decay of 76Ga to 76Ge has been used to excite the 3951.9 keV state of 76Ge, which decays by emission of a 2040.7 keV γ ray. Using HPGe detectors, the associated pulse-height signal may be undistinguishable from the potential signal produced in neutrino-less double-beta decay of 76Ge with its Q-value of 2039.0 keV. In the neutron energy range between 10 and 20 MeV the production cross section of the 2040.7 keV γ ray is approximately 0.1 mb. In the same experiment γ rays of energy 2037.9 keV resulting from the 76Ge(n, γ)77Ge reaction were clearly observed. Adding the 76Ge(n,n' γ)76Ge reaction, which also produces the 2040.7 keV γ ray with a cross section value of the order of 0.1 mb clearly shows that great care has to be taken to eliminate neutron-induced backgrounds in searches for neutrino-less double-beta decay of 76Ge. This work was supported by the U.S. DOE under Grant NO. DE-FG02-97ER41033.

The double beta decay spectra of 82Se, 100Mo, and 150Nd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, M.A.; Moe, M.K.; Vient, M.A.; Elliott, S.R.

1992-01-01

The double beta decay electron energy spectra of 82 Se, 100 Mo, and 150 Nd have been measured with a time projection chamber, and departures from the expected two-neutrino spectral shapes have been observed. Efforts to reduce possible background contamination have been made, and tests are now being done in an effort to determine whether the anomalous signals are real effects, or simply experimental artifacts

Suppression of the two-neutrino double β decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Civitarese, O.; Faessler, A.; Tomoda, T.

1988-01-01

Two-neutrino ββ decay rates of 76 Ge, 82 Se, 128,130 Te are calculated in the quasi-particle random phase approximation using a realistic effective NN interaction. The decays are strongly suppressed, in agreement with the experimental data, when a reasonable amount of particle-particle interaction is taken into account. (orig.)

Neutrino mass, the right-handed interaction and the double beta decay, 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doi, Masaru; Kotani, Tsuneyuki; Nishiura, Hiroyuki; Okuda, Kazuko; Takasugi, Eiichi.

1981-01-01

Based on the formulae for the double β decay obtained in the previous paper, the general properties of 0 + → J + transitions are discussed and the analysis of the experimental data is presented. It is found that, for the two neutrino mode, the 0 + → 0 + transition in the two nucleon (2n)-mechanism dominates over the 0 + → 2 + transition as well as the contribution from the N*-mechanism. For the neutrinoless mode, only the 0 + → 0 + transition in the 2n-mechanism is allowed if there is no right-handed interaction. When the right-handed interaction gives a sizable contribution, the role of the 0 + → 2 + transition becomes as important as the 0 + → 0 + transition in this mode. It is concluded that the experimental data on the ratio of the 128 Te to 130 Te half-lives by Hennecke et al. suggest that neutrinos are Majorana particles, if we take the Vergados estimation of the nuclear matrix elements. Moreover, we find that the weighted average of neutrino masses is around 34 eV if there is no right-handed interaction. (author)

Two-neutrino double-beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerard, O.

1992-01-01

Two previous independent reports of 2νββ-decay by the ITEP-YPI collaboration, T 2ν 1/2 = (9 ± 1) x 10 20 yr (1σ), were confirmed using a 0.25 Kg Ge(Li) detector isotopically enriched to 86% in 76 Ge. The detector was operated in the PNL-USC ultralow background facility in the Homestake gold mine for 168 days. Following a single correction to the data, a spectrum resembling that of the earlier PNL-USC experiment, with about the same intensity per 76 Ge atom, per year, was observed with a measured half life of T 2ν 1/2 = (9.2 +0.7 -0.2 ) x 10 21 y (90% C.L.), by observing the 590.76 and 539.53 keV gamma rays emitted in the 0 + 1 → 2 + → 0 + de-excitation cascade. A review of the most relevant nuclear structure calculations is given, and their predictions are compared to the measurements from the present two experiments

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay

OpenAIRE

Tornow, Werner

2014-01-01

After the pioneering work of the Heidelberg-Moscow (HDM) and International Germanium Experiment (IGEX) groups, the second round of neutrinoless double-$\\beta$ decay searches currently underway has or will improve the life-time limits of double-$\\beta$ decay candidates by a factor of two to three, reaching in the near future the $T_{1/2} = 3 \\times 10^{25}$ yr level. This talk will focus on the large-scale experiments GERDA, EXO-200, and KamLAND-Zen, which have reported already lower half-life...

Double beta decay in gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vergados, J.D.

2002-01-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a very important process both from the particle and nuclear physics point of view. From the elementary particle point of view it pops up in almost every model, giving rise among others to the following mechanisms: a) The traditional contributions like the light neutrino mass mechanism as well as the j L - j R leptonic interference (λ and η terms). b) The exotic R-parity violating supersymmetric (SUSY) contributions. From the nuclear physics point of view it is challenging, because: 1) The nuclei, which can undergo double beta decay, have complicated nuclear structure. 2) The energetically allowed transitions are suppressed (exhaust a small part of all the strength). 3) Since in some mechanisms the intermediate particles are very heavy one must cope with the short distance behavior of the transition operators. 4) The intermediate momenta involved are quite high and one has to consider momentum dependent terms of the nucleon current. Taking the above effects into account from the experimental limits on the interesting nuclei A=76, 82, 96, 100, 116, 128, 130, 136 and 150, we have extracted new limits on the various lepton violating parameters. In particular we get a stringent limit on the R-parity violating parameter λ' 111 -4 . (author)

New results for double-beta decay of 100Mo to excited final states of 100Ru using the TUNL-ITEP apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kidd, M.F.; Esterline, J.H.; Tornow, W.; Barabash, A.S.; Umatov, V.I.

2009-01-01

The coincidence detection efficiency of the TUNL-ITEP apparatus designed for measuring half-life times of two-neutrino double-beta (2νββ) decay transitions to excited final states in daughter nuclei has been measured with a factor of 2.4 improved accuracy. In addition, the previous measuring time of 455 days for the study of the 100 Mo 2νββ decay to the first excited 0 1 + state in 100 Ru has been increased by 450 days, and a new result (combined with the previous measurement obtained with the same apparatus) for this transition is presented: T 1/2 =[5.5 -0.8 +1.2 (stat)±0.3(syst)]x10 20 yr. Measured 2νββ decay half-life times to excited states can be used to test the reliability of nuclear matrix element calculations needed for determining the effective neutrino mass from zero-neutrino double-beta decay data. We also present new limits for transitions to higher excited states in 100 Ru which, if improved, may be of interest for more exotic conjectures, like a bosonic component to neutrino statistics.

The Majorana project: sup 7 sup 6 Ge 0 nu beta beta-decay neutrino mass measurement

CERN Document Server

Aalseth, C E

2002-01-01

Interest in, and the relevance of, next-generation 0 nu beta beta-decay experiments is increasing. Even with nonzero neutrino mass strongly suggested by SNO, Super Kamiokande, and similar experiments sensitive to delta m sup 2 , 0 nu beta beta-decay experiments are still the only way to establish the Dirac or Majorana nature of neutrinos by measuring effective electron neutrino mass, . Various theorists have recently argued in favor of a neutrino mass between 0.01 and 1 eV. The Majorana Project aims to probe this effective neutrino mass range, reaching a sensitivity of 0.02-0.07 eV. The experiment relies entirely on proven technology and has been devised based upon the materials, technology, and data analysis demonstrated to produce the lowest background per kilogram of fiducial germanium. The project plan includes 500 kg of germanium detector material enriched to 85% in sup 7 sup 6 Ge, specialized pulse-acquisition electronics and detector segmentation for background rejection, and underground electroformed ...

Neutrinoless double beta decay and the solar neutrino problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petcov, S.T.; Smirnov, A.Yu.

1993-10-01

The MSW or vacuum oscillation solution of the solar neutrino problem can be reconciled with possible existence of the (ββ) oν decay with a half-line corresponding to an effective Majorana mass of the electron neutrino modul m ee approx. (0.1 - 1.0) eV. The phenomenological consequences of such a possibility are analyzed and the implications for the mechanisms of neutrino mass generation are considered. (author). 31 refs, 2 figs

Double beta decays studied by β-γ spectroscopy with a drift chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okada, K.; Ejiri, H.; Shibata, T.

1986-01-01

A large scale ultra low background β-γ spectrometer ELEGANTS-V for studying double beta decays(ββ) of /sup 100/Mo and/or /sup 150/Nd is designed and is now under construction. It consists of drift chambers for identification of tracks and vertex of two β-rays, thin NaI(T1) or plastic scintillators for β-rays energy and NaI(T1) counters for γ- and cosmic-rays. Specifications of the spectrometer; energy resolution, detection efficiency, possible background counting rate and available ββ sources, have been evaluated. The spectrometer has extremely high sensitivities of the neutrinoless ββ decays (0νββ), two neutrino ββ decays (2νββ) and neutrinoless ββ decays followed one boson (Majoron). It may detect 0νββ decays with half lives up to T/sub 1/2/ = 1.2- 1.7 . 10/sup 23/ year. This limit corresponds to one part of million for the Majoran neutrino mass in units of the electron mass and for the right-handed weak current in units of the left handed one

Future perspectives of double beta decay and dark matter search - GENIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.; Hellmig, J.; Hirsch, M.

1998-01-01

The recent results from the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment have demonstrated the large potential of double beta decay to search for new physics beyond the standard model. To increase by a major step the present sensitivity for double beta decay and dark matter search, much bigger source strengths and much lower backgrounds are needed than used in experiments under operation at present or under construction. We describe here a project which would operate one tonne of 'naked' enriched germanium-detectors in liquid nitrogen as shielding in an underground set-up (GENIUS). It improves the sensitivity of neutrino masses to 0.01 eV. A 10 tonne version would probe neutrino masses even down to 10 -3 eV. The first version would allow us to test the atmospheric neutrino problem, the second at least part of the solar neutrino problem. Both versions would allow, in addition, significant contributions to testing several classes of GUT models. These are especially tests of R-parity breaking and conserving supersymmetry models - including sneutrino masses - leptoquark masses and mechanism and right-handed W-boson masses comparable with LHC. The second issue of the experiment is the search for dark matter in the universe. The full MSSM parameter space for the prediction of neutralinos as dark matter particles could be covered already in a first step of the full experiment using only 100 kg of 76 Ge or even of natural Ge making the experiment competitive with LHC in the search for supersymmetry. (author)

Neutrinoless double beta decay in an SU(3)L x U(1)N model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pleitez, V.; Tonasse, M.D.

1993-01-01

A model for the electroweak interactions with SU (3) L x U(1) N gauge symmetry is considered. It is shown that, it is the conservation of F = L + B which forbids massive neutrinos and the neutrinoless double beta decay, (β β) On u. Explicit and spontaneous breaking of F imply that the neutrinos have an arbitrary mass and (β β) On u proceeds also with some contributions that do not depend explicitly on the neutrino mass. (author)

Theory of neutrinoless double beta decay

CERN Document Server

Vergados, J.D.; Simkovic, F.

2012-01-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay, which is a very old and yet elusive process, is reviewed. Its observation will signal that lepton number is not conserved and the neutrinos are Majorana particles. More importantly it is our best hope for determining the absolute neutrino mass scale at the level of a few tens of meV. To achieve the last goal certain hurdles have to be overcome involving particle, nuclear and experimental physics. Nuclear physics is important for extracting the useful information from the data. One must accurately evaluate the relevant nuclear matrix elements, a formidable task. To this end, we review the sophisticated nuclear structure approaches recently been developed, which give confidence that the needed nuclear matrix elements can be reliably calculated. From an experimental point of view it is challenging, since the life times are long and one has to fight against formidable backgrounds. If a signal is found, it will be a tremendous accomplishment. Then, of course, the real task is going ...

The double beta decay spectrum of 100Mo as measured with a TPC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, S.R.; Moe, M.K.; Nelson, M.A.; Vient, M.A.

1991-01-01

A time projection chamber with 8.3 grams of enriched 100 MoO 3 as the central electrode has been operating approximately five months in an underground laboratory. A preliminary analysis of the two-electron sum energy spectrum, the spectrum of those same electrons taken singly, and the opening angle distribution yields a half life of 1.16 -0.08 +0.34 x10 19 y at the 68% confidence level for two-neutrino double beta decay of 100 Mo. (author)

Beta-gamma spectroscopy for double beta decays and Lepton number conservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ejiri, H.; Takahashi, N.; Shibata, T.; Nagai, Y.; Okada, K.; Kamikubota, N.; Watanabe, T.

1984-01-01

In this paper neutrino-less double β decays (Oν ββ) of /sup 76/Ge were studied by means of the newly developed ELEGANTS (Electron gamma-ray neutrino spectrometer). It consists of a 171 cc pure Ge detector surrounded bu a big 4π-NaI detector, and active and inactive filters. Measurement of both the electron signal from the Ge detector and γ-ray signals from the 4π-NaI detector made it possible to select the true double decay events from background events due to the other radio-active isotopes and cosmic rays. The ELEGANTS showed the highest sensitivity for detecting the neutrino-less double β decay. The preliminary data obtained so far give a lower limit of the half life T/sub 1/2/≥2.2 10/sup 22/y for the O/sup +/→O/sup +/ Oν ββ decay and T/sub 1/2/ ≥1.5.10/sup 22/y for the O/sup +/→2/sup +/ Oν ββ decay of /sup 76/Ge

Double Beta Decay with Ge-detectors - and the future of Double Beta and Dark Matter Search (GENIUS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

1999-01-01

Nuclear double beta decay provides an extraordinarily broad potential to search for beyond Standard Model physics, probing already now the TeV scale, on which new physics should manifest itself. These possibilities are reviewed here. First, the results of present generation experiments are presented. The most sensitive one of them - the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment in the Gran Sasso, using enriched 76 Ge - probes the electron neutrino mass now in the sub eV region and will reach a limit of ∼ 0.1 eV in a few years. Basing to a large extent on the theoretical work of the Heidelberg Double Beta Group in the last two years, results are obtained also for SUSY models (R-parity breaking, sneutrino mass), leptoquarks (leptoquark-Higgs coupling), compositeness, right-handed W boson mass and others. These results are comfortably competitive to corresponding results from high-energy accelerators like TEVATRON, HERA, etc. Second, future perspectives of ββ research are discussed. A new Heidelberg experimental proposal (GENIUS) is presented which would allow to increase the sensitivity for Majorana neutrino masses from the present level of at best 0.1 eV down to 0.01 or even 0.001 eV. Its physical potential would be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many beyond standard models. Its sensitivity for neutrino oscillation parameters would be larger than of all present terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments and of those planned for the future. It would further, already in a first step, cover almost the full MSSM parameter space for prediction of neutralinos as cold dark matter, making the experiment competitive to LHC in the search for supersymmetry

An experimental investigation of double beta decay of 100Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dougherty, B.L.

1988-01-01

New limits on half-lives for several double beta decay modes of 100 Mo were obtained with a novel experimental system which included thin source films interleaved with a coaxial array of windowless silicon detectors. Segmentation and timing information allowed backgrounds originating in the films to be studied in some detail. Dummy films containing 96 Mo were used to assess remaining backgrounds. With 0.1 mole years of 100 Mo data collected, the lower half-life limits at 90% confidence were 2.7 /times/ 10 18 years for decay via the two-neutrino mode, 5.2 /times/10 19 years for decay with the emission of a Majoron, and 1.6 /times/ 10 20 years and 2.2 /times/ 10 21 years for neutrinoless 0 + → 2 + and 0 + → 0 + transitions, respectively. 50 refs., 38 figs., 11 tabs

An assessment of anti-neutrino mass determination via electrostatic measurements of tritium beta-decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Bas, P.A.

1984-01-01

Data on the mass of the anti-neutrino determined via electrostatic measurements of tritium beta-decay are assessed. Relativistic calculations concerning the finite mass of the electron anti-neutrino and the recoil of the nucleus, are given for the theoretical end-point spectrum of tritium beta-decay. The specifications are given for an electrostatic Spherical Retarding Beta-Spectrometer, and an electrostatic Cylindrical Mirror Analyser, both used in the tritium beta-decay experiment. The electrostatic measurements lead to a value of less than 50 ev (90% C.L.) for the electron anti-neutrino mass. These results are discussed in terms of the resolution of the electrostatic equipment and the Monte Carlo simulations of the data collection. (UK)

Predictions for the Majorana CP violation phases in the neutrino mixing matrix and neutrinoless double beta decay

Science.gov (United States)

Girardi, I.; Petcov, S. T.; Titov, A. V.

2016-10-01

We obtain predictions for the Majorana phases α21 / 2 and α31 / 2 of the 3 × 3 unitary neutrino mixing matrix U = Ue† Uν, Ue and Uν being the 3 × 3 unitary matrices resulting from the diagonalisation of the charged lepton and neutrino Majorana mass matrices, respectively. We focus on forms of Ue and Uν permitting to express α21 / 2 and α31 / 2 in terms of the Dirac phase δ and the three neutrino mixing angles of the standard parametrisation of U, and the angles and the two Majorana-like phases ξ21 / 2 and ξ31 / 2 present, in general, in Uν. The concrete forms of Uν considered are fixed by, or associated with, symmetries (tri-bimaximal, bimaximal, etc.), so that the angles in Uν are fixed. For each of these forms and forms of Ue that allow to reproduce the measured values of the three neutrino mixing angles θ12, θ23 and θ13, we derive predictions for phase differences (α21 / 2 -ξ21 / 2), (α31 / 2 -ξ31 / 2), etc., which are completely determined by the values of the mixing angles. We show that the requirement of generalised CP invariance of the neutrino Majorana mass term implies ξ21 = 0 or π and ξ31 = 0 or π. For these values of ξ21 and ξ31 and the best fit values of θ12, θ23 and θ13, we present predictions for the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta decay for both neutrino mass spectra with normal and inverted ordering.

Study of the background of the neutrinoless double {beta} decay with the detector NEMO 2: contribution arising from the radon diffusion and internal pollution of the source {sup 214}Bi have been estimated; Etude du bruit de fond de la double-desintegration {beta} sans emission de neutrino dans le detecteur NEMO 2: contribution du radon ambiant et mesure de la pollution interne de la source en {sup 214}Bi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauger, F.

1995-02-01

The NEMO experiment is designed to understand the nature of the neutrino by studying the double beta decay of Mo-100 which is related to the Majorana neutrino effective mass. In this kind of experiment a good understanding of the different sources of background is crucial as only few events are expected per year at the required level of sensitivity. In this thesis we present the main theoretical and experimental aspects of the measurement of the neutrinoless double beta decay of Mo-100 with the prototype detector NEMO2. The goal of this study is to obtain a realistic interpretation of the few events detected at high energy in the two-electron channel as a background to neutrinoless double beta decay. In particular, the contribution arising from Bi-214 has been investigated. These events have been selected and analysed by means of the beta-alpha decays of Bi-214 into Pb-210. The events are characterized by a delayed track in the wire chamber and the corresponding signal is rather clean. The study has demonstrated the diffusion of Rn-222 into the detector and its contribution to Bi-214 pollution has been estimated. A measurement of the Bi-214 internal contamination of the source has been made as well as an estimation of the Bi-214 deposit due to Rn-222. As a result of this study it appears that, under the conditions of the NEMO2 experiment, the Bi and Rn contributions are of the same order of magnitude as the background induced at high energy by two-neutrino double beta decay. In conclusion, the backgrounds of the neutrinoless double beta decay of Mo-100 are well understood in the NEMO2 experiment leading to an extrapolation for the NEMO3 experiment. (authors).

Double beta decay - physics beyond the standard model now, and in future (Genius)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

1998-08-01

Nuclear double beta decay provides an extraordinarily broad potential to search for beyond standard model physics, probing already now the TeV scale, on which new physics should manifest itself. These possibilities are reviewed here. First, the results of present generation experiments are presented. The most sensitive one of them - the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment in the Gran Sasso - probes the electron mass now in the sub eV region and will reach a limit of {proportional_to}0.1 eV in a few years. Basing to a large extent on the theoretical work of the Heidelberg double beta group in the last two years, results are obtained also for SUSY models (R-parity breaking, sneutrino mass), leptoquarks (leptoquark-Higgs coupling), compositeness, right-handed W boson mass and others. These results are comfortably competitive to corresponding results from high-energy accelerators like TEVATRON, HERA, etc. Second, future perspectives of {beta}{beta} research are discussed. A new Heidelberg experimental proposal (GENIUS) is presented which would allow to increase the sensitivity for Majorana neutrino masses from the present level of at best 0.1 eV down to 0.01 or even 0.001 eV. Its physical potential would be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many beyond standard models. Its sensitivity for neutrino oscillation parameters would be larger than of all present terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments and of those planned for the future. (orig.)

Addendum to: ''The SNO solar neutrino data, neutrinoless double beta-decay and neutrino mass spectrum'' [Phys. Lett. B 544 (2002) 239

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascoli, S.; Petcov, S.T.

2004-01-01

We update our earlier study [Phys. Lett. B 544 (2002) 239], which was inspired by the 2002 SNO data, on the implications of the results of the solar neutrino experiments for the predictions of the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta-decay, vertical bar vertical bar. We obtain predictions for vertical bar vertical bar using the values of the neutrino oscillation parameters, obtained in the analyzes of the presently available solar neutrino data, including the just published data from the salt phase of the SNO experiment, the atmospheric neutrino and CHOOZ data and the first data from the KamLAND experiment. The main conclusion reached in the previous study [Phys. Lett. B 544 (2002) 239] of the existence of significant lower bounds on vertical bar vertical bar in the cases of neutrino mass spectrum of inverted hierarchical (IH) and quasi-degenerate (QD) type is strongly reinforced by fact that combined solar neutrino data (i) exclude the possibility of cos2θ o =0 at more than 5 s.d., (ii) determine as a best fit value cos2θ o =0.40, and (iii) imply at 95% C.L. that cos2θ o ∼>0.22, θ o being the solar neutrino mixing angle. For the IH and QD spectra we get using, e.g., the 90% C.L. allowed ranges of values of the oscillation parameters, vertical bar vertical bar ∼>0.010 eV and vertical bar vertical bar ∼>0.043 eV, respectively. We also comment on the possibility to get information on the neutrino mass spectrum and on the CP-violation in the lepton sector due to Majorana CP-violating phases

The CUORE neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banks, T.I.

2014-01-01

CUORE is an upcoming experiment designed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) decay in 130 Te. Observation of the process would be a major finding because it would unambiguously establish that neutrinos are Majorana particles (i.e., their own antiparticles) as well as provide information about the absolute neutrino mass scale. The CUORE detector will consist of 988 identical TeO 2 crystal bolometers (containing 206 kg of 130 Te in total) arranged into 19 towers and cooled to about 10 mK at the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy, which provides the low-background environment necessary for rare event searches of this kind. A predecessor experiment, Cuoricino, ran from 2003-2008 at LNGS and served as a learning ground for CUORE, which will be 20 times larger and exhibit much lower backgrounds. The CUORE detector assembly line has produced its first tower, designated CUORE-0, which is expected to come online in the former Cuoricino cryostat in October 2012 and take data for about 2 years while 19 CUORE towers are assembled. CUORE data taking is expected for 2015-2019. (author)

Neutrinoless double beta decay and lepton flavor violation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cirigliano, V.; Kurylov, A.; Vogel, P.; Ramsey-Musolf, M.J.

2004-01-01

We point out that extensions of the standard model with low scale (∼TeV) lepton number violation (LNV) generally lead to a pattern of lepton flavor violation (LFV) experimentally distinguishable from the one implied by models with grand unified theory scale LNV. As a consequence, muon LFV processes provide a powerful diagnostic tool to determine whether or not the effective neutrino mass can be deduced from the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay. We discuss the role of μ→eγ and μ→e conversion in nuclei, which will be studied with high sensitivity in forthcoming experiments

New limit for the half-life of double beta decay of {sup 94}Zr to the first excited state of {sup 94}Mo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dokania, N.; Nanal, V.; Gupta, G.; Pillay, R.G.; Ghosh, C. [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Department of Nuclear and Atomic Physics, Mumbai (India); Pal, S. [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pelletron Linac Facility, Mumbai (India); Rath, P.K. [University of Lucknow, Department of Physics, Lucknow (India); Tretyak, V.I. [Institute for Nuclear Research, Kyiv (Ukraine); Garai, A.; Krishnamoorthy, H. [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India-based Neutrino Observatory, Mumbai (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai (India); Raina, P.K. [Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Rupnagar (India); Bhushan, K.G. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Technical Physics Division, Mumbai (India)

2017-04-15

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a phenomenon of fundamental interest in particle physics. The decay rates of double beta decay transitions to the excited states can provide input for Nuclear Transition Matrix Element calculations for the relevant two neutrino double beta decay process. It can be useful as supplementary information for the calculation of Nuclear Transition Matrix Element for the neutrinoless double beta decay process. In the present work, double beta decay of {sup 94}Zr to the 2{sup +}{sub 1} excited state of {sup 94}Mo at 871.1 keV is studied using a low background ∝ 230 cm{sup 3} HPGe detector. No evidence of this decay was found with a 232 g.y exposure of natural zirconium. The lower half-life limit obtained for the double beta decay of {sup 94}Zr to the 2{sup +}{sub 1} excited state of {sup 94}Mo is T{sub 1/2}(0ν + 2ν) > 3.4 x 10{sup 19} y at 90% C.L., an improvement by a factor of ∝ 4 over the existing experimental limit at 90% C.L. The sensitivity is estimated to be T{sub 1/2} (0ν + 2ν) > 2.0 x 10{sup 19} y at 90% C.L. using the Feldman-Cousins method. (orig.)

Tables of double beta decay data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tretyak, V.I. [AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Kiev (Ukraine)]|[Strasbourg-1 Univ., 67 (France). Centre de Recherches Nucleaires; Zdesenko, Y.G. [AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Kiev (Ukraine)

1995-12-31

A compilation of experimental data on double beta decay is presented. The tables contain the most stringent known experimental limits or positive results of 2{beta} transitions of 69 natural nuclides to ground and excited states of daughter nuclei for different channels (2{beta}{sup -}; 2{beta}{sup +}; {epsilon}{beta}{sup +}; 2{epsilon}) and modes (0{nu}; 2{nu}; 0{nu}M) of decay. (authors). 189 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs.

Sensitivity of NEXT-100 to neutrinoless double beta decay

CERN Document Server

Martín-Albo, J.; Ferrario, P.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Álvarez, V.; Azevedo, C.D.R.; Borges, F.I.G.; Cárcel, S.; Cebrián, S.; Cervera, A.; Conde, C.A.N.; Díaz, J.; Diesburg, M.; Esteve, R.; Fernandes, L.M.P.; Ferreira, A.L.; Freitas, E.D.C.; Gehman, V.M.; Goldschmidt, A.; González-Díaz, D.; Gutiérrez, R.M.; Henriques, C.A.O.; Hernando Morata, J.A.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N.; Lorca, D.; Losada, M.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; Miller, T.; Monrabal, F.; Monserrate, M.; Monteiro, C.M.B.; Mora, F.J.; Moutinho, L.M.; Novella, P.; Nygren, D.; Para, A.; Perez, J.; Perez Aparicio, J.L.; Querol, M.; Renner, J.; Ripoll, L.; Rodríguez, J.; Santos, F.P.; dos Santos, J.M.F.; Serra, L.; Shuman, D.; Simón, A.; Sofka, C.; Sorel, M.; Stiegler, T.; Toledo, J.F.; Torrent, J.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Veloso, J.F.C.A.; Villar, J.A.; Webb, R.; White, J.T.; Yahlali, N.; Yepes-Ramírez, H.; Hauptman, J.

2016-01-01

NEXT-100 is an electroluminescent high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber that will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of Xe-136. The detector possesses two features of great value in neutrinoless double beta decay searches: very good energy resolution (better than 1% FWHM at the Q value of Xe-136) and track reconstruction for the discrimination of signal and background events. This combination results in excellent sensitivity, as discussed in this paper. Detailed Monte Carlo detector simulations and material-screening measurements predict a background rate for NEXT-100 of at most 0.0004 counts/(keV kg yr). Accordingly, the detector will reach a sensitivity to the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of 6.E25 years after running for 3 effective years.

Double beta decay searches of 134Xe, 126Xe and 124Xe with large scale Xe detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barros, N; Thurn, J; Zuber, K

2014-01-01

The sensitivity for double beta decay studies of 134 Xe and 124 Xe is investigated assuming a potential large scale Xe experiment developed for dark matter searches depleted in 136 Xe. The opportunity for an observation of the 2νββ - decay of 134 Xe is explored for various scenarios. A positive observation should be possible for all calculated nuclear matrix elements. The detection of 2ν ECEC of 124 Xe can be probed in all scenarios covering the theoretical predicted half-life uncertainties and a potential search for 126 Xe is discussed. The sensitivity to β + EC decay of 124 Xe is discussed and a positive observation might be possible, while β + β + decay still remains unobservable. The performed studies take into account solar pp–neutrino interactions, 85 Kr beta decay and remaining 136 Xe double beta decay as background components in the depleted detector. (paper)

Molecular effects in the neutrino mass determination from beta-decay of the tritium molecule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fackler, O.; Jeziorski, B.; Kolos, W.; Szalewicz, K.; Monkhorst, H.J.; Mugge, M.

1986-03-01

Molecular final state energies and transition probabilities have been computed for beta-decay of the tritium molecule. The results are of sufficient accuracy to make a determination of the electron neutrino rest mass with an error not exceeding a few tenths of an electron volt. Effects of approximate models of tritium beta-decay on the neutrino mass determination are discussed. 14 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Two neutrino double-beta decay of 100Mo to the first excited 0+ state in 100Ru

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barabash, A.S.; Avignone, F.T. III; Guerard, C.K.; Umatov, V.I.

1992-06-01

Double-beta decay from the ground state of 100 Mo to the O + excited state at 1,130.29 keV in 100 Ru has been observed. A sample of 956q of Mo metal powder isotopically enriched to 98.468% of 100 Mo was counted in a Marinelli geometry with a well shielded, ultralow-background germanium detector. The cascade gamma-rays at 539.53 and 590.76 keV were observed. The resulting decay half-life is 1.1 -0.2 +0.3 x 10 21 y at 68% CL

The Majorana Demonstrator: A search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of germanium-76

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, S. R.; Abgrall, N.; Aguayo, E.; Avignone, F. T., III; Barabash, A. S.; Bertrand, F. E.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, M.; Caldwell, A. S.; Chan, Y.-D.; Christofferson, C. D.; Combs, D. C.; Detwiler, J. A.; Doe, P. J.; Efremenko, Yu.; Egorov, V.; Ejiri, H.; Esterline, J.; Fast, J. E.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, F. M.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Goett, J.; Green, M. P.; Gruszko, J.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Gusev, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Hegai, A.; Henning, R.; Hoppe, E. W.; Howard, S.; Howe, M. A.; Keeter, K. J.; Kidd, M. F.; Kochetov, O.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; LaFerriere, B. D.; Leon, J.; Leviner, L. E.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, S.; Martin, R. D.; Mertens, S.; Mizouni, L.; Nomachi, M.; Orrell, J. L.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Overman, N. R.; Phillips, D. G., II; Poon, A. W. P.; Pushkin, K.; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, A. G.; Shanks, B.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, K. J.; Snyder, N.; Soin, A.; Strain, J.; Suriano, A. M.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Varner, R. L.; Vasilyev, S.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; White, B. R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Xu, W.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A. R.; Yu, C.-H.; Yumatov, V.

2013-12-01

The Majorana collaboration is searching for neutrinoless double beta decay using 76Ge, which has been shown to have a number of advantages in terms of sensitivities and backgrounds. The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would show that lepton number is violated and that neutrinos are Majorana particles and would simultaneously provide information on neutrino mass. Attaining sensitivities for neutrino masses in the inverted hierarchy region, 15 - 50 meV, will require large, tonne-scale detectors with extremely low backgrounds, at the level of ˜1 count/t-y or lower in the region of the signal. The Majorana collaboration, with funding support from DOE Office of Nuclear Physics and NSF Particle Astrophysics, is constructing the Demonstrator, an array consisting of 40 kg of p-type point-contact high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors, of which ˜30 kg will be enriched to 87% in 76Ge. The Demonstrator is being constructed in a clean room laboratory facility at the 4850' level (4300 m.w.e.) of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. It utilizes a compact graded shield approach with the inner portion consisting of ultra-clean Cu that is being electroformed and machined underground. The primary aim of the Demonstrator is to show the feasibility of a future tonne-scale measurement in terms of backgrounds and scalability.

Neutrinoless double beta decay

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2012-10-06

Oct 6, 2012 ... Anyhow, the 'multi-isotope' ansatz is needed to compensate for matrix element ... The neccessary half-life requirement to touch this ... site energy depositions (like double beta decay) and multiple site interactions (most of.

Double beta decay: experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiorini, Ettore

2006-01-01

The results obtained so far and those of the running experiments on neutrinoless double beta decay are reviewed. The plans for second generation experiments, the techniques to be adopted and the expected sensitivities are compared and discussed

LUCIFER: Scintillating bolometers for the search of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vignati, M. [Sapienza Universita di Roma and INFN Sezione di Roma, Roma, I-00185 (Italy)

2012-08-15

The nature of neutrino mass is one of the frontier problems of particle physics. Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (0{nu}DBD) is a powerful tool to measure the neutrino mass and to test possible extensions of the Standard Model. Bolometers are excellent detectors to search for this rare decay, thanks to their good energy resolution and to the low background conditions in which they can operate. The current challenge consists in the reduction of the background, represented by environmental {gamma}'s and {alpha}'s, in view of a zero background experiment. We present the LUCIFER R and D, funded by an European grant, in which the background can be reduced by an order of magnitude with respect to the present generation experiments. The technique is based on the simultaneous bolometric measurement of the heat and of the scintillation light produced by a particle, that allows to discriminate between {beta} and {alpha} particles. The {gamma} background is reduced by choosing 0{nu}DBD candidate isotopes with transition energy above the environmental {gamma}'s spectrum. The prospect of this R and D are discussed.

Facilities for studying the double beta decay processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zdesenko, Yu.G.

1980-01-01

Modern state, tendencies and perspectiVes of the development of experimental installations to study double β-decay are treated. The main peculiarities of direct recognition and full experiments on the study of double β-decay are considered. A simple ratio is obtained from statistical considerations which connects the life time limits of the nuclei with the facility parameters to conduct direct recognition experiments. Possibilities of different detectors are evaluated on the basis of the ratio. Requirements for the modern technique for complete investigation of double β-decay are formulated and two designs of facilities meeting the requirements are considered. It is shown that the facility with proportional chambers is more perspective. On the basis of the analysis of the facility development to study double β-decay, conclusion is made that the final and unambiguous proof of the existence of double β-decay process can be obtained only directly in the experiments with immediate recording of the decay acts. Possibilities of the existing and developed facilities to conduct recognition (direct) experiments are such, that with their help life time limits as to neutronless double β-decay at the level of 10 21 -10 22 years can be established. Counters on the basis of the condensed noble gases, semiconductor detectors made of TeCd, scintillators of big volume are the most perspective detectors. To conduct complete experiments it is necessary to develop a facility with sensitivity sufficient for the detection of two-neutrino double β-activeness when Tsub(1/2)=10sup(21) years [ru

Measuring nuclear reaction cross sections to extract information on neutrinoless double beta decay

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallaro, M.; Cappuzzello, F.; Agodi, C.; Acosta, L.; Auerbach, N.; Bellone, J.; Bijker, R.; Bonanno, D.; Bongiovanni, D.; Borello-Lewin, T.; Boztosun, I.; Branchina, V.; Bussa, M. P.; Calabrese, S.; Calabretta, L.; Calanna, A.; Calvo, D.; Carbone, D.; Chávez Lomelí, E. R.; Coban, A.; Colonna, M.; D'Agostino, G.; De Geronimo, G.; Delaunay, F.; Deshmukh, N.; de Faria, P. N.; Ferraresi, C.; Ferreira, J. L.; Finocchiaro, P.; Fisichella, M.; Foti, A.; Gallo, G.; Garcia, U.; Giraudo, G.; Greco, V.; Hacisalihoglu, A.; Kotila, J.; Iazzi, F.; Introzzi, R.; Lanzalone, G.; Lavagno, A.; La Via, F.; Lay, J. A.; Lenske, H.; Linares, R.; Litrico, G.; Longhitano, F.; Lo Presti, D.; Lubian, J.; Medina, N.; Mendes, D. R.; Muoio, A.; Oliveira, J. R. B.; Pakou, A.; Pandola, L.; Petrascu, H.; Pinna, F.; Reito, S.; Rifuggiato, D.; Rodrigues, M. R. D.; Russo, A. D.; Russo, G.; Santagati, G.; Santopinto, E.; Sgouros, O.; Solakci, S. O.; Souliotis, G.; Soukeras, V.; Spatafora, A.; Torresi, D.; Tudisco, S.; Vsevolodovna, R. I. M.; Wheadon, R. J.; Yildirin, A.; Zagatto, V. A. B.

2018-02-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0vββ) is considered the best potential resource to access the absolute neutrino mass scale. Moreover, if observed, it will signal that neutrinos are their own anti-particles (Majorana particles). Presently, this physics case is one of the most important research “beyond Standard Model” and might guide the way towards a Grand Unified Theory of fundamental interactions. Since the 0vββ decay process involves nuclei, its analysis necessarily implies nuclear structure issues. In the NURE project, supported by a Starting Grant of the European Research Council (ERC), nuclear reactions of double charge-exchange (DCE) are used as a tool to extract information on the 0vββ Nuclear Matrix Elements. In DCE reactions and ββ decay indeed the initial and final nuclear states are the same and the transition operators have similar structure. Thus the measurement of the DCE absolute cross-sections can give crucial information on ββ matrix elements. In a wider view, the NUMEN international collaboration plans a major upgrade of the INFN-LNS facilities in the next years in order to increase the experimental production of nuclei of at least two orders of magnitude, thus making feasible a systematic study of all the cases of interest as candidates for 0vββ.

Neutrinoless double-beta decay in left-right symmetric models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picciotto, C.E.; Zahir, M.S.

1982-06-01

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is calculated via doubly charged Higgs, which occur naturally in left-right symmetric models. We find that the comparison with known half-lives yields values of phenomenological parameters which are compatible with earlier analyses of neutral current data. In particular, we obtain a right-handed gauge-boson mass lower bound of the order of 240 GeV. Using this result and expressions for neutrino masses derived in a parity non-conserving left-right symmetric model, we obtain msub(νsub(e)) < 1.5 eV, msub(νsub(μ)) < 0.05 MeV and msub(νsub(tau)) < 18 MeV

Investigation of double beta decay of {sup 100}Mo to excited states of {sup 100}Ru

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, R. [IPHC, UPL, CNRS/IN2P3, F-67037 Strasbourg (France); Augier, C. [LAL, Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); Barabash, A.S. [ITEP, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, 117218 Moscow (Russian Federation); Basharina-Freshville, A. [University College London, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Blondel, S. [LAL, Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); Blot, S. [University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Bongrand, M. [LAL, Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); Brudanin, V. [JINR, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Busto, J. [CPPM, Université de Marseille, CNRS/IN2P3, F-13288 Marseille (France); Caffrey, A.J. [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States); Čermák, P. [IEAP, Czech Technical University in Prague, CZ-12800 Prague (Czech Republic); Cerna, C. [CENBG, Université Bordeaux, CNRS/IN2P3, F-33175 Gradignan (France); Chapon, A. [LPC Caen, ENSICAEN, Université de Caen, CNRS/IN2P3, F-14050 Caen (France); Chauveau, E. [University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Dragounová, L. [National Radiation Protection Institute, CZ-14000 Prague (Czech Republic); Duchesneau, D. [LAPP, Université de Savoie, CNRS/IN2P3, F-74941 Annecy-le-Vieux (France); Durand, D. [LPC Caen, ENSICAEN, Université de Caen, CNRS/IN2P3, F-14050 Caen (France); Egorov, V. [JINR, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Eurin, G. [LAL, Univ Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); University College London, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Evans, J.J. [University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); and others

2014-05-15

Double beta decay of {sup 100}Mo to the excited states of daughter nuclei has been studied using a 600 cm{sup 3} low-background HPGe detector and an external source consisting of 2588 g of 97.5% enriched metallic {sup 100}Mo, which was formerly inside the NEMO-3 detector and used for the NEMO-3 measurements of {sup 100}Mo. The half-life for the two-neutrino double beta decay of {sup 100}Mo to the excited 0{sub 1}{sup +} state in {sup 100}Ru is measured to be T{sub 1/2}=[7.5±0.6(stat)±0.6(syst)]⋅10{sup 20} yr. For other (0ν+2ν) transitions to the 2{sub 1}{sup +}, 2{sub 2}{sup +}, 0{sub 2}{sup +}, 2{sub 3}{sup +} and 0{sub 3}{sup +} levels in {sup 100}Ru, limits are obtained at the level of ∼(0.25–1.1)⋅10{sup 22} yr.

Development of segmented germanium detectors for neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jing

2009-01-01

The results from neutrino oscillation experiments indicate that at least two neutrinos have mass. However, the value of the masses and whether neutrinos and anti-neutrinos are identical, i.e., Majorana particles, remain unknown. Neutrinoless double beta decay experiments can help to improve our understanding in both cases and are the only method currently possible to tackle the second question. The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, which will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76 Ge, is currently under construction in Hall A of the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. In order to achieve an extremely low background level, segmented germanium detectors are considered to be operated directly in liquid argon which serves simultaneously as cooling and shielding medium. Several test cryostats were built at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik in Muenchen to operate segmented germanium detectors both in vacuum and submerged in cryogenic liquid. The performance and the background discrimination power of segmented germanium detectors were studied in detail. It was proven for the first time that segmented germanium detectors can be operated stably over long periods submerged in a cryogenic liquid. It was confirmed that the segmentation scheme employed does well in the identification of photon induced background and demonstrated for the first time that also neutron interactions can be identified. The C++ Monte Carlo framework, MaGe (Majorana-GERDA), is a joint development of the Majorana and GERDA collaborations. It is based on GEANT4, but tailored especially to simulate the response of ultra-low background detectors to ionizing radiation. The predictions of the simulation were veri ed to be accurate for a wide range of conditions. Some shortcomings were found and corrected. Pulse shape analysis is complementary to segmentation in identifying background events. Its efficiency can only be correctly determined using reliable pulse shape

Development of segmented germanium detectors for neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jing

2009-06-09

The results from neutrino oscillation experiments indicate that at least two neutrinos have mass. However, the value of the masses and whether neutrinos and anti-neutrinos are identical, i.e., Majorana particles, remain unknown. Neutrinoless double beta decay experiments can help to improve our understanding in both cases and are the only method currently possible to tackle the second question. The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, which will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of {sup 76}Ge, is currently under construction in Hall A of the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), Italy. In order to achieve an extremely low background level, segmented germanium detectors are considered to be operated directly in liquid argon which serves simultaneously as cooling and shielding medium. Several test cryostats were built at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik in Muenchen to operate segmented germanium detectors both in vacuum and submerged in cryogenic liquid. The performance and the background discrimination power of segmented germanium detectors were studied in detail. It was proven for the first time that segmented germanium detectors can be operated stably over long periods submerged in a cryogenic liquid. It was confirmed that the segmentation scheme employed does well in the identification of photon induced background and demonstrated for the first time that also neutron interactions can be identified. The C++ Monte Carlo framework, MaGe (Majorana-GERDA), is a joint development of the Majorana and GERDA collaborations. It is based on GEANT4, but tailored especially to simulate the response of ultra-low background detectors to ionizing radiation. The predictions of the simulation were veri ed to be accurate for a wide range of conditions. Some shortcomings were found and corrected. Pulse shape analysis is complementary to segmentation in identifying background events. Its efficiency can only be correctly determined using reliable pulse

Two-neutrino double-β decay of 150Nd to excited final states in 150Sm

Science.gov (United States)

Kidd, M. F.; Esterline, J. H.; Finch, S. W.; Tornow, W.

2014-11-01

Background: Double-β decay is a rare nuclear process in which two neutrons in the nucleus are converted to two protons with the emission of two electrons and two electron antineutrinos. Purpose: We measured the half-life of the two-neutrino double-β decay of 150Nd to excited final states of 150Sm by detecting the deexcitation γ rays of the daughter nucleus. Method: This study yields the first detection of the coincidence γ rays from the 0 1+ excited state of 150Sm. These γ rays have energies of 333.97 and 406.52 keV and are emitted in coincidence through a 01+→21+→0gs+ transition. Results: The enriched Nd2O3 sample consisted of 40.13 g 150Nd and was observed for 642.8 days at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility, producing 21.6 net events in the region of interest. This count rate gives a half-life of T1 /2=[1 .07-0.25+0.45(stat ) ±0.07 (syst ) ] ×1020 yr. The effective nuclear matrix element was found to be 0.0465 -0.0054+0.0098. Finally, lower limits were obtained for decays to higher excited final states. Conclusions: Our half-life measurement agrees within uncertainties with another recent measurement in which no coincidence was employed. Our nuclear matrix element calculation may have an impact on a recent neutrinoless double-β decay nuclear matrix element calculation which implies that the decay to the first excited state in 150Sm is favored over that to the ground state.

Neutrino mass bounds from neutrinoless double beta-decays and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-21

Jan 21, 2016 ... CMD model. In addition, we explore the interacting neutrino dark-energy model, where the ... This decay has a small energy release (E0 ≃ 18.6 keV) and a convenient lifetime (T1/2 = 12.3 yr). As the ...... Research Programme funded by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. (Grant No.

Double beta decay - physics beyond the standard model now, and in future (Genius)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

1998-01-01

Nuclear double beta decay provides an extraordinarily broad potential to search for beyond standard model physics, probing already now the TeV scale, on which new physics should manifest itself. These possibilities are reviewed here. First, the results of present generation experiments are presented. The most sensitive one of them - the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment in the Gran Sasso - probes the electron mass now in the sub eV region and will reach a limit of ∝0.1 eV in a few years. Basing to a large extent on the theoretical work of the Heidelberg double beta group in the last two years, results are obtained also for SUSY models (R-parity breaking, sneutrino mass), leptoquarks (leptoquark-Higgs coupling), compositeness, right-handed W boson mass and others. These results are comfortably competitive to corresponding results from high-energy accelerators like TEVATRON, HERA, etc. Second, future perspectives of ββ research are discussed. A new Heidelberg experimental proposal (GENIUS) is presented which would allow to increase the sensitivity for Majorana neutrino masses from the present level of at best 0.1 eV down to 0.01 or even 0.001 eV. Its physical potential would be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many beyond standard models. Its sensitivity for neutrino oscillation parameters would be larger than of all present terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments and of those planned for the future. (orig.)

Background constrains of the SuperNEMO experiment for neutrinoless double beta-decay searches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Povinec, Pavel P.

2017-02-11

The SuperNEMO experiment is a new generation of experiments dedicated to the search for neutrinoless double beta-decay, which if observed, would confirm the existence of physics beyond the Standard Model. It is based on the tracking and calorimetry techniques, which allow the reconstruction of the final state topology, including timing and kinematics of the double beta-decay transition events, offering a powerful tool for background rejection. While the basic detection strategy of the SuperNEMO detector remains the same as of the NEMO-3 detector, a number of improvements were accomplished for each of detector main components. Upgrades of the detector technologies and development of low-level counting techniques ensure radiopurity control of construction parts of the SuperNEMO detector. A reference material made of glass pellets has been developed to assure quality management and quality control of radiopurity measurements. The first module of the SuperNEMO detector (Demonstrator) is currently under construction in the Modane underground laboratory. No background event is expected in the neutrinoless double beta-decay region in 2.5 years of its operation using 7 kg of {sup 82}Se. The half-life sensitivity of the Demonstrator is expected to be >6.5·10{sup 24} y, corresponding to an effective Majorana neutrino mass sensitivity of |0.2−0.4| eV (90% C.L.). The full SuperNEMO experiment comprising of 20 modules with 100 kg of {sup 82}Se source should reach an effective Majorana neutrino mass sensitivity of |0.04−0.1| eV, and a half-life limit 1·10{sup 26} y. - Highlights: • SuperNEMO detector for 2β0ν-decay of {sup 82}Se should reach half-life limit of 10{sup 26} y. • Radiopurity of the SuperNEMO internal detector parts was checked down to 0.1 mBq/kg. • Reference material of glass pellets was developed for underground γ-spectrometry.

MAJORANA Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay DUSEL R and D. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkerson, John F.

2009-01-01

The Majorana research and development is addressing key issues and risks related to the collaboration's goal of undertaking a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) in 76 Ge using an array of hyper-pure Ge-diodes (HPGe). The observation of this decay would provide critical insight into our understanding of neutrinos, yielding definitive evidence that neutrinos are Majorana particles and providing information on the absolute mass of neutrinos. Achieving sensitivities to 0νββ decay half-lives on the order of 10 26 years requires ultra-low backgrounds in the 2039 keV region where a 0νββ decay peak would be observed. The goal of our R and D program has been to demonstrate the feasibility of all components of Majorana and to provide an integrated evaluation framework, allowing for optimization of these components in terms of background, background suppression, and signal detection efficiency and acceptance. This report covers work carried out by Majorana collaboration members at the University of Washington as part of the overall Majorana collaboration activities. Specifically the Majorana group at the University of Washington was involved in moving forward on demonstrating technology for clean large-scale cryostats and mounting the HPGe crystals in low-mass holders. The UW activities included assistance in the procurement and assembly of an electroforming system for large size cryostats, and design and fabrication of prototype crystal mounting hardware.

Beta Decay in the Field of an Electromagnetic Wave and Experiments on Measuring the Neutrino Mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorofeev, O.F.; Lobanov, A.E.

2005-01-01

Investigations of the effect of an electromagnetic wave field on the beta-decay process are used to analyze the tritium-decay experimental data on the neutrino mass. It is shown that the electromagnetic wave can distort the beta spectrum, shifting the end point to the higher energy region. This phenomenon is purely classical and it is associated with the electron acceleration in the radiation field. Since strong magnetic fields exist in setups for precise measurement of the neutrino mass, the indicated field can appear owing to the synchrotron radiation mechanism. The phenomenon under consideration can explain the experimentally observed anomalies in the spectrum of the decay electrons; in particular, the effect of the 'negative square of the neutrino mass'

Double beta radioactivity and physics of the neutrino. Study of the background noise at 3 MeV in the search of 100Mo beta beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piquemal, F.

1994-05-01

Double beta decay without neutrino emission provides a test of the mass and nature of neutrinos (Majorana or Dirac). Experimental proof would be the observation of a peak at the transition energy in the spectrum of the two emitted electrons. The expected half-life of the process is extremely long (about 10 25 years for 100 Mo). So, being thus, it is very important to get a good knowledge of the origins and contributions of background noise in the region where the signal could occur. The main origins of the background noise in the region where the signal could occur. The main origins of the background noise are found to be e + - e - pairs induced by heavy energy gamma rays. These gamma rays follow the thermal neutron capture by the components of the detector. Another factor in the production of background noise is natural radio-activity. For example, the presence of Radon in the laboratory has been observed to produce deposits of 214 Bi on the sides of the detector. Data taken with the NEMO 2 prototype and an enriched molybdenum source foil indicates that the background limit reached is of the order of 1 event per year in the 3 MeV region. Results of this work have proven the necessity to have a magnetic field in NEMO 3 in order to reject e + - e - pairs. (author)

Determination of the direction to a source of antineutrinos via inverse beta decay in Double Chooz

Science.gov (United States)

Nikitenko, Ya.

2016-11-01

To determine the direction to a source of neutrinos (and antineutrinos) is an important problem for the physics of supernovae and of the Earth. The direction to a source of antineutrinos can be estimated through the reaction of inverse beta decay. We show that the reactor neutrino experiment Double Chooz has unique capabilities to study antineutrino signal from point-like sources. Contemporary experimental data on antineutrino directionality is given. A rigorous mathematical approach for neutrino direction studies has been developed. Exact expressions for the precision of the simple mean estimator of neutrinos' direction for normal and exponential distributions for a finite sample and for the limiting case of many events have been obtained.

Search for $\\beta$-transitions with the lowest decay energy for a determination of the neutrino mass

CERN Multimedia

From a variety of $\\beta$-transitions only those with decay energies of a few keV and smaller are considered suitable for a determination of the neutrino mass on a sub-eV level. The decay energy of a transition can be very small, if, e.g., in an allowed $\\beta$-decay or electron-capture transition, a nuclear excited state of the daughter nuclide is populated whose energy is very close to the mass difference of the transition nuclides. Investigation of these transitions can also be useful for the assessment of a validity of the current $\\beta$-decay theory in the region of vanishingly small decay energies. The authors of this proposal have found several such $\\beta$-transitions whose decay energies are expected to be extremely small. In order to assess the suitability of these $\\beta$-transitions for the determination of the neutrino mass, measurements of the mass differences of the transition nuclides must be carried out with a sub-keV uncertainty. Presently, only high-precision Penning-trap mass spectrometry...

Search for double beta decay processes of {sup 124}Xe with XENON100 and XENON1T

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fieguth, Alexander [IKP, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster (Germany)

2016-07-01

Driven by the search for dark matter particles the XENON dark matter project recently installed its next stage multi-ton experiment XENON1T at the LNGS, which will probe the spin-indpendent-WIMP-Nucleon cross section down to 2.10{sup -47} cm{sup 2}. Besides its main purpose different particle physics topics can be addressed by the taken data. One example are the double beta decay processes of natural isotope {sup 124}Xe. This isotope is expected to decay via two-neutrino double electron capture (2νECEC) and due to its high Q-value of 2864 keV additionally through 2νβ{sup +}β{sup +}. Since these processes have not been detected so far, there is only a lower limit the respective half-life (e.g. > 4.7.10{sup 21} yr for 2νECEC). A detection of the 2νECEC is possible using XENON1T data by looking for its clear signature of secondary X-rays or Auger electrons and at least new lower half-life limits for all other decay channels can be obtained. While these processes are expected from standard model physics, a detection of a decay without neutrinos (e.g 0νECEC) would hint towards beyond the standard model physics and could derive conclusions on the neutrino mass. Until XENON1T is taking data, the search for all processes can be tested in the recorded data of its predecessor XENON100.

The Majorana Demonstrator: Progress towards showing the feasibility of a tonne-scale 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Finnerty, P.; Aguayo, E.; Amman, M.; Avignone, F. T., Iii; Barabash, A. S.; Barton, P. J.; Beene, J. R.; Bertrand, F. E.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, M.; Chan, Y.-D.; Christofferson, C. D.; Collar, J. I.; Combs, D. C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, J. A.; Doe, P. J.; Efremenko, Yu; Egorov, V.; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Esterline, J.; Fast, J. E.; Fields, N.; Fraenkle, F. M.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Gehman, V. M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M. P.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, R.; Hoppe, E. W.; Horton, M.; Howard, S.; Howe, M. A.; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K. J.; Kidd, M. F.; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, O.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; LaFerriere, B. D.; Leon, J.; Leviner, L. E.; Loach, J. C.; Luke, P. N.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, M. G.; Martin, R. D.; Merriman, J. H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, L.; Nomachi, M.; Orrell, J. L.; Overman, N. R.; Perumpilly, G.; Phillips, D. G., Ii; Poon, A. W. P.; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, A. G.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, K. J.; Steele, D.; Strain, J.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Yakushev, E.; Yaver, H.; Young, A. R.; Yu, C.-H.; Yumatov, V.; Majorana Collaboration

2014-03-01

The Majorana Demonstrator will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0vββ) of the 76Ge isotope with a mixed array of enriched and natural germanium detectors. The observation of this rare decay would indicate the neutrino is its own anti-particle, demonstrate that lepton number is not conserved, and provide information on the absolute mass-scale of the neutrino. The Demonstrator is being assembled at the 4850 foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The array will be contained in a low-background environment and surrounded by passive and active shielding. The goals for the Demonstrator are: demonstrating a background rate less than 3 t-1 y-1 in the 4 keV region of interest (ROI) surrounding the 2039 keV 76Ge endpoint energy; establishing the technology required to build a tonne-scale germanium based double-beta decay experiment; testing the recent claim of observation of 0vββ [1]; and performing a direct search for light WIMPs (3-10 GeV/c2).

Minimally allowed neutrinoless double beta decay rates within an anarchical framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, James

2009-01-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ0ν) is the only realistic probe of the Majorana nature of the neutrino. In the standard picture, its rate is proportional to m ee , the e-e element of the Majorana neutrino mass matrix in the flavor basis. I explore minimally allowed m ee values within the framework of mass matrix anarchy where neutrino parameters are defined statistically at low energies. Distributions of mixing angles are well defined by the Haar integration measure, but masses are dependent on arbitrary weighting functions and boundary conditions. I survey the integration measure parameter space and find that for sufficiently convergent weightings, m ee is constrained between (0.01-0.4) eV at 90% confidence. Constraints from neutrino mixing data lower these bounds. Singular integration measures allow for arbitrarily small m ee values with the remaining elements ill-defined, but this condition constrains the flavor structure of the model's ultraviolet completion. ββ0ν bounds below m ee ∼5x10 -3 eV should indicate symmetry in the lepton sector, new light degrees of freedom, or the Dirac nature of the neutrino.

Development of {sup 100}Mo-containing scintillating bolometers for a high-sensitivity neutrinoless double-beta decay search

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armengaud, E.; Gros, M.; Herve, S.; Magnier, P.; Navick, X.F.; Nones, C.; Paul, B.; Penichot, Y.; Zolotarova, A.S. [Universite Paris-Saclay, IRFU, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Augier, C.; Billard, J.; Cazes, A.; Charlieux, F.; Jesus, M. de; Gascon, J.; Juillard, A.; Queguiner, E.; Sanglard, V.; Vagneron, L. [Univ Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, CNRS/IN2P3, IPN-Lyon, Villeurbanne (France); Barabash, A.S.; Konovalov, S.I.; Umatov, V.I. [National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Beeman, J.W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States); Bekker, T.B. [V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Bellini, F.; Ferroni, F. [Sapienza Universita di Roma, Dipartimento di Fisica, Rome (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Benoit, A.; Camus, P. [CNRS-Neel, Grenoble (France); Berge, L.; Chapellier, M.; Dumoulin, L.; Humbert, V.; Le Sueur, H.; Marcillac, P. de; Marnieros, S.; Marrache-Kikuchi, C.; Novati, V.; Olivieri, E.; Plantevin, O. [CSNSM, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, Orsay (France); Bergmann, T.; Kleifges, M.; Tcherniakhovski, D.; Weber, M. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut fuer Prozessdatenverarbeitung und Elektronik, Karlsruhe (Germany); Boiko, R.S.; Danevich, F.A.; Kobychev, V.V.; Nikolaichuk, M.O.; Tretyak, V.I. [Institute for Nuclear Research, Kyiv (Ukraine); Broniatowski, A. [CSNSM, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, Orsay (France); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut fuer Experimentelle Teilchenphysik, Karlsruhe (Germany); Brudanin, V.; Rozov, S.; Yakushev, E. [JINR, Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, Dubna, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Capelli, S.; Gironi, L.; Pavan, M.; Pessina, G. [Universita di Milano Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica, Milan (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Cardani, L.; Casali, N.; Dafinei, I.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M. [INFN, Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Chernyak, D.M. [Institute for Nuclear Research, Kyiv (Ukraine); The University of Tokyo, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Kashiwa, Chiba (Japan); Combarieu, M. de; Pari, P. [Universite Paris-Saclay, IRAMIS, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Coron, N.; Redon, T. [Universite Paris-Sud, IAS, CNRS, Orsay (France); Devoyon, L.; Koskas, F.; Strazzer, O. [Universite Paris-Saclay, Orphee, CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Di Domizio, S. [Universita di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genoa (Italy); INFN Sezione di Genova, Genoa (Italy); Eitel, K.; Siebenborn, B. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut fuer Kernphysik, Karlsruhe (Germany); Enss, C.; Fleischmann, A.; Gastaldo, L. [Heidelberg University, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg (Germany); Foerster, N.; Kozlov, V. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut fuer Experimentelle Teilchenphysik, Karlsruhe (Germany); Giuliani, A. [CSNSM, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, Orsay (France); Universita dell' Insubria, DISAT, Como (Italy); Grigorieva, V.D.; Ivannikova, N.V.; Ivanov, I.M.; Makarov, E.P.; Shlegel, V.N.; Vasiliev, Ya.V. [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Hehn, L. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States); Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut fuer Kernphysik, Karlsruhe (Germany); Jin, Y. [Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures, CNRS, Marcoussis (France); Kraus, H. [University of Oxford, Department of Physics, Oxford (United Kingdom); Kudryavtsev, V.A. [University of Sheffield, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sheffield (United Kingdom); Laubenstein, M.; Nagorny, S.; Pattavina, L.; Pirro, S. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, AQ (Italy); Loidl, M.; Rodrigues, M. [CEA-Saclay, CEA, LIST, Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel (LNE-LNHB), Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Mancuso, M. [CSNSM, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, Orsay (France); Universita dell' Insubria, DISAT, Como (Italy); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Munich (Germany); Pagnanini, L.; Schaeffner, K. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, AQ (Italy); INFN, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L' Aquila (Italy); Piperno, G. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Rome (Italy); Poda, D.V. [CSNSM, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, Orsay (France); Institute for Nuclear Research, Kyiv (Ukraine); Rusconi, C. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi, AQ (Italy); University of South Carolina, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Columbia, SC (United States); Scorza, S. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institut fuer Experimentelle Teilchenphysik, Karlsruhe (Germany); SNOLAB, Lively, ON (Canada); Velazquez, M. [Universite de Bordeaux, ICMCB, CNRS, Pessac (France)

2017-11-15

This paper reports on the development of a technology involving {sup 100}Mo-enriched scintillating bolometers, compatible with the goals of CUPID, a proposed next-generation bolometric experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Large mass (∝ 1 kg), high optical quality, radiopure {sup 100}Mo-containing zinc and lithium molybdate crystals have been produced and used to develop high performance single detector modules based on 0.2-0.4 kg scintillating bolometers. In particular, the energy resolution of the lithium molybdate detectors near the Q-value of the double-beta transition of {sup 100}Mo (3034 keV) is 4-6 keV FWHM. The rejection of the α-induced dominant background above 2.6 MeV is better than 8σ. Less than 10 μBq/kg activity of {sup 232}Th({sup 228}Th) and {sup 226}Ra in the crystals is ensured by boule recrystallization. The potential of {sup 100}Mo-enriched scintillating bolometers to perform high sensitivity double-beta decay searches has been demonstrated with only 10 kg x d exposure: the two neutrino double-beta decay half-life of {sup 100}Mo has been measured with the up-to-date highest accuracy as T{sub 1/2} = [6.90 ± 0.15(stat.) ± 0.37(syst.)] x 10{sup 18} years. Both crystallization and detector technologies favor lithium molybdate, which has been selected for the ongoing construction of the CUPID-0/Mo demonstrator, containing several kg of {sup 100}Mo. (orig.)

LUCIFER: a scintillating bolometer array for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardani, Laura

2011-01-01

In spite of the high precision achieved in the field of neutrino oscillations, there are some fundamental questions that can not be addressed by a study of ths phenomenon. We do not know in fact the absolute mass of neutrino and weather it is a Dirac or a Majorana particle. The LUCIFER experiment, financed by the ERC-AdG, will play an important role in this field. This project aims to push beyond the actual technological limits the possibility of observation of the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (0νDBD). The detection of this extremely rare decay would indeed demonstrate that neutrino is a Majorana particle and, at the same time, would allow to set its absolute mass scale. LUCIFER will study the 0νDBD do 82 Se through ZnSe scintillating bolometers. Thanks to the simultaneous red-out of the heat and light produced by an interaction in the crystal, the background rate in the region of interest will be lower than 10 -3 counts/kg/keV/years. In the following, the expected performance of LUCIFER are discussed.

Analysis method for the search for neutrinoless double beta decay in the NEMO3 experiment: study of the background and first results; Methode d'analyse pour la recherche de la double desintegration {beta} sans emission de neutrinos dans l'experience NEMO3. Etude du bruit de fond et premiers resultats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etienvre, A I

2003-04-15

The NEMO3 detector, installed in the Frejus Underground Laboratory, is dedicated to the study of neutrinoless double beta decay: the observation of this process would sign the massive and Majorana nature of neutrino. The experiment consists in very thin central source foils (the total mass is equal to 10 kg), a tracking detector made of drift cells operating in Geiger mode, a calorimeter made of plastic scintillators associated to photomultipliers, a coil producing a 30 gauss magnetic field and two shields, dedicated to the reduction of the {gamma}-ray and neutron fluxes. In the first part, I describe the implications of several mechanisms, related to trilinear R-parity violation, on double beta decay. The second part is dedicated to a detailed study of the tracking detector of the experiment: after a description of the different working tests, I present the determination of the characteristics of the tracking reconstruction (transverse and longitudinal resolution, by Geiger cell and precision on vertex determination, charge recognition). The last part corresponds to the analysis of the data taken by the experiment. On the one hand, an upper limit on the Tl{sup 208} activity of the sources has been determined: it is lower than 68 mBq/kg, at 90% of confidence level. On the other hand, I have developed and tested on these data a method in order to analyse the neutrinoless double beta decay signal; this method is based on a maximum of likelihood using all the available information. Using this method, I could determine a first and very preliminary upper limit on the effective mass of the neutrino. (author)

Search for neutrinoless double beta decay of Ge-76 with the GERmanium Detector Array '' GERDA ''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugnera, R.

2009-01-01

The study of neutrinoless double beta decay (DBD) is the most powerful approach to the fundamental question if the neutrino is a Majorana particle, i.e. its own anti-particle. The observation of neutrinoless DBD would not only establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino but also represent a determination of its effective mass if the nuclear matrix element is given. So far, the most sensitive results have been obtained with Ge-76, and the group of Klapdor-Kleingrothaus has made a claim of discovery. Future experiments have to reduce radioactive backgrounds to increase the sensitivity. '' GERDA '' is a new double beta-decay experiment which is currently under construction in the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory, Italy. It is implementing a new shielding concept by operating bare Ge diodes - enriched in Ge-76 - in high purity liquid argon supplemented by a water shield. The aim of '' GERDA '' is to verify or refute the recent claim of discovery, and, in a second phase, to achieve a two orders of magnitude lower background index than recent experiments, increasing the sensitive mass and reaching exposure of 100 kg yr. It be will discuss design, physics reach, and status of construction of '' GERDA '', and present results from various R efforts including long term stability of bare Ge diodes in cryogenic liquids, material screening, cryostat performance, detector segmentation, cryogenic precision electronics, safety aspects, and Monte Carlo simulations. (author)

Search of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with the GERDA Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Becerici-Schmidt, N.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Belyaev, S. T.; Benato, G.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Borowicz, D.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Budjáš, D.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; D'Andrea, V.; Demidova, E. V.; Domula, A.; Doroshkevich, E.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Fedorova, O.; Freund, K.; Frodyma, N.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gooch, C.; Gotti, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Hampel, W.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Heusser, G.; Hoffmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Ioannucci, L.; Janicksó Csáthy, J.; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Klimenko, A.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lebedev, V. I.; Lehnert, B.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Marissens, G.; Medinaceli, E.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Nemchenok, I.; Nisi, S.; Palioselitis, D.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pessina, G.; Pullia, A.; Reissfelder, M.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Salathe, M.; Schmitt, C.; Schneider, B.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Schönert, S.; Seitz, H.; Selivalenko, O.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Stepaniuk, M.; Strecker, H.; Ur, C. A.; Vanhoefer, L.; Vasenko, A. A.; Veresnikova, A.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Walter, M.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wiesinger, C.; Wilsenach, H.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zavarise, P.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

2016-04-01

The GERDA (GERmanium Detector Array) is an experiment for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay (0 νββ) in 76Ge, located at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN (Italy). In the first phase of the experiment, a 90% confidence level (C.L.) sensitivity of 2.4 ṡ1025 yr on the 0 νββ decay half-life was achieved with a 21.6 kgṡyr exposure and an unprecedented background index in the region of interest of 10-2 counts/(keVṡkgṡyr). No excess of signal events was found, and an experimental lower limit on the half-life of 2.1 ṡ 1025 yr (90% C.L.) was established. Correspondingly, the limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass is mee < 0.2- 0.4 eV, depending on the considered nuclear matrix element. The previous claim for evidence of a 0 νββ decay signal is strongly disfavored, and the field of research is open again.

Double beta decay: introduction, motivations and last results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, P.

1986-01-01

The double β decay process is the direct desexcitation from a nucleus (Z,A) to a nucleus (Z+2, A). Since long time ago, study of this process has been recognized as a very sensitive test of the lepton number non-conservation and therefore the double β decay process is strongly connected to the neutrino properties. This review starts with the main definitions and main motivations for such studies. Then the different experiments actually running and the most recent experimental results are exposed [fr

Neutrinoless double beta decay search for 130Te: cuoricino status and cuore prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sangiorgio, S.; Artusa, D.R.; And others

2006-01-01

CUORE is a ∼ I-ton experiment to search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of 130 Te using 988 TeO 2 bolometers. It aims at reaching a sensitivity of the order of few tens of MeV on the effective neutrino mass. CUORICINO, a single CUORE tower running since 2003 in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS), plays an important role as a standing alone experiment and for developing the future CUORE setup. Present results already achieved and studies that are underway are presented and discussed

Simulated progress in double-beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miley, H.S.; Arthur, R.J.; Avignone, F.T.

1993-09-01

A Monte Carlo code has been developed to accurately simulate double-beta decay measurements. Coincident gamma rays, beta spectra, and angular correlations have been added to adequately simulate a complete 100 Mo nuclear decay and provide corrections to experimentally determined detector efficiencies. This code has been used to strip certain low-background spectra obtained in the Homestake gold mine in Lead, SD, for the purpose of extremely sensitive materials assay for the construction of new, large, enriched germanium detectors. Assays as low as 9 μBq/g of 210 Pb in lead shielding were obtained

Analysis method for the search for neutrinoless double beta decay in the NEMO3 experiment: study of the background and first results; Methode d'analyse pour la recherche de la double desintegration {beta} sans emission de neutrinos dans l'experience NEMO3. Etude du bruit de fond et premiers resultats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etienvre, A.I

2003-04-15

The NEMO3 detector, installed in the Frejus Underground Laboratory, is dedicated to the study of neutrinoless double beta decay: the observation of this process would sign the massive and Majorana nature of neutrino. The experiment consists in very thin central source foils (the total mass is equal to 10 kg), a tracking detector made of drift cells operating in Geiger mode, a calorimeter made of plastic scintillators associated to photomultipliers, a coil producing a 30 gauss magnetic field and two shields, dedicated to the reduction of the {gamma}-ray and neutron fluxes. In the first part, I describe the implications of several mechanisms, related to trilinear R-parity violation, on double beta decay. The second part is dedicated to a detailed study of the tracking detector of the experiment: after a description of the different working tests, I present the determination of the characteristics of the tracking reconstruction (transverse and longitudinal resolution, by Geiger cell and precision on vertex determination, charge recognition). The last part corresponds to the analysis of the data taken by the experiment. On the one hand, an upper limit on the Tl{sup 208} activity of the sources has been determined: it is lower than 68 mBq/kg, at 90% of confidence level. On the other hand, I have developed and tested on these data a method in order to analyse the neutrinoless double beta decay signal; this method is based on a maximum of likelihood using all the available information. Using this method, I could determine a first and very preliminary upper limit on the effective mass of the neutrino. (author)

Neutrinos in Nuclear Physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKeown, Bob [bmck@jlab.org

2015-06-01

Since the discovery of nuclear beta decay, nuclear physicists have studied the weak interaction and the nature of neutrinos. Many recent and current experiments have been focused on the elucidation of neutrino oscillations and neutrino mass. The quest for the absolute value of neutrino mass continues with higher precision studies of the tritium beta decay spectrum near the endpoint. Neutrino oscillations are studied through measurements of reactor neutrinos as a function of baseline and energy. And experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay seek to discover violation of lepton number and establish the Majorana nature of neutrino masses.

Neutrinoless double-beta decay search with CUORE and CUORE-0 experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moggi N.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE is an upcoming experiment designed to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decays. Observation of the process would unambiguously establish that neutrinos are Majorana particles and provide information on their absolute mass scale hierarchy. CUORE is now under construction and will consist of an array of 988 TeO2 crystal bolometers operated at 10 mK, but the first tower (CUORE-0 is already taking data. The experimental techniques used will be presented as well as the preliminary CUORE-0 results. The current status of the full-mass experiment and its expected sensitivity will then be discussed.

Localizability of tachyonic particles and neutrinoless double beta decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jentschura, U.D. [Missouri University of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, Rolla, MO (United States); Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Heidelberg (Germany); Wundt, B.J. [Missouri University of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, Rolla, MO (United States)

2012-02-15

The quantum field theory of superluminal (tachyonic) particles is plagued by a number of problems, which include the Lorentz non-invariance of the vacuum state, the ambiguous separation of the field operator into creation and annihilation operators under Lorentz transformations, and the necessity of a complex reinterpretation principle for quantum processes. Another unsolved question concerns the treatment of subluminal components of a tachyonic wave packet in the field-theoretical formalism, and the calculation of the time-ordered propagator. After a brief discussion on related problems, we conclude that rather painful choices have to be made in order to incorporate tachyonic spin- (1)/(2) particles into field theory. We argue that the field theory needs to be formulated such as to allow for localizable tachyonic particles, even if that means that a slight unitarity violation is introduced into the S matrix, and we write down field operators with unrestricted momenta. We find that once these choices have been made, the propagator for the neutrino field can be given in a compact form, and the left-handedness of the neutrino as well as the right-handedness of the antineutrino follow naturally. Consequences for neutrinoless double beta decay and superluminal propagation of neutrinos are briefly discussed. (orig.)

Localizability of tachyonic particles and neutrinoless double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jentschura, U.D.; Wundt, B.J.

2012-01-01

The quantum field theory of superluminal (tachyonic) particles is plagued by a number of problems, which include the Lorentz non-invariance of the vacuum state, the ambiguous separation of the field operator into creation and annihilation operators under Lorentz transformations, and the necessity of a complex reinterpretation principle for quantum processes. Another unsolved question concerns the treatment of subluminal components of a tachyonic wave packet in the field-theoretical formalism, and the calculation of the time-ordered propagator. After a brief discussion on related problems, we conclude that rather painful choices have to be made in order to incorporate tachyonic spin- (1)/(2) particles into field theory. We argue that the field theory needs to be formulated such as to allow for localizable tachyonic particles, even if that means that a slight unitarity violation is introduced into the S matrix, and we write down field operators with unrestricted momenta. We find that once these choices have been made, the propagator for the neutrino field can be given in a compact form, and the left-handedness of the neutrino as well as the right-handedness of the antineutrino follow naturally. Consequences for neutrinoless double beta decay and superluminal propagation of neutrinos are briefly discussed. (orig.)

The large enriched germanium experiment for neutrinoless double beta decay (LEGEND)

Science.gov (United States)

Abgrall, N.; Abramov, A.; Abrosimov, N.; Abt, I.; Agostini, M.; Agartioglu, M.; Ajjaq, A.; Alvis, S. I.; Avignone, F. T.; Bai, X.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Barabash, A. S.; Barton, P. J.; Baudis, L.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Bolozdynya, A.; Borowicz, D.; Boston, A.; Boston, H.; Boyd, S. T. P.; Breier, R.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Busch, M.; Buuck, M.; Caldwell, A.; Caldwell, T. S.; Camellato, T.; Carpenter, M.; Cattadori, C.; Cederkäll, J.; Chan, Y.-D.; Chen, S.; Chernogorov, A.; Christofferson, C. D.; Chu, P.-H.; Cooper, R. J.; Cuesta, C.; Demidova, E. V.; Deng, Z.; Deniz, M.; Detwiler, J. A.; Di Marco, N.; Domula, A.; Du, Q.; Efremenko, Yu.; Egorov, V.; Elliott, S. R.; Fields, D.; Fischer, F.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gilliss, T.; Giordano, M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Gold, M.; Golubev, P.; Gooch, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Green, M. P.; Gruszko, J.; Guinn, I. S.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Gurentsov, V.; Gurov, Y.; Gusev, K.; Hakenmüeller, J.; Harkness-Brennan, L.; Harvey, Z. R.; Haufe, C. R.; Hauertmann, L.; Heglund, D.; Hehn, L.; Heinz, A.; Hiller, R.; Hinton, J.; Hodak, R.; Hofmann, W.; Howard, S.; Howe, M. A.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Janssens, R.; Ješkovský, M.; Jochum, J.; Johansson, H. T.; Judson, D.; Junker, M.; Kaizer, J.; Kang, K.; Kazalov, V.; Kermadic, Y.; Kiessling, F.; Kirsch, A.; Kish, A.; Klimenko, A.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kontul, I.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kraetzschmar, T.; Kröninger, K.; Kumar, A.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Lang, K.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Li, Y. L.; Li, Y.-Y.; Li, H. B.; Lin, S. T.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Liu, S. K.; Liu, X.; Liu, J.; Loomba, D.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Ma, H.; Majorovits, B.; Mamedov, F.; Martin, R. D.; Massarczyk, R.; Matthews, J. A. J.; McFadden, N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mei, H.; Meijer, S. J.; Mengoni, D.; Mertens, S.; Miller, W.; Miloradovic, M.; Mingazheva, R.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Myslik, J.; Nemchenok, I.; Nilsson, T.; Nolan, P.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Othman, G.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Papp, L.; Pelczar, K.; Peterson, D.; Pettus, W.; Poon, A. W. P.; Povinec, P. P.; Pullia, A.; Quintana, X. C.; Radford, D. C.; Rager, J.; Ransom, C.; Recchia, F.; Reine, A. L.; Riboldi, S.; Rielage, K.; Rozov, S.; Rouf, N. W.; Rukhadze, E.; Rumyantseva, N.; Saakyan, R.; Sala, E.; Salamida, F.; Sandukovsky, V.; Savard, G.; Schönert, S.; Schütz, A.-K.; Schulz, O.; Schuster, M.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Selivanenko, O.; Sevda, B.; Shanks, B.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simkovic, F.; Singh, L.; Singh, V.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Smolek, K.; Smolnikov, A.; Sonay, A.; Spavorova, M.; Stekl, I.; Stukov, D.; Tedeschi, D.; Thompson, J.; Van Wechel, T.; Varner, R. L.; Vasenko, A. A.; Vasilyev, S.; Veresnikova, A.; Vetter, K.; von Sturm, K.; Vorren, K.; Wagner, M.; Wang, G.-J.; Waters, D.; Wei, W.-Z.; Wester, T.; White, B. R.; Wiesinger, C.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Willers, M.; Wiseman, C.; Wojcik, M.; Wong, H. T.; Wyenberg, J.; Xu, W.; Yakushev, E.; Yang, G.; Yu, C.-H.; Yue, Q.; Yumatov, V.; Zeman, J.; Zeng, Z.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhu, B.; Zinatulina, D.; Zschocke, A.; Zsigmond, A. J.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

2017-10-01

The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) would show that lepton number is violated, reveal that neu-trinos are Majorana particles, and provide information on neutrino mass. A discovery-capable experiment covering the inverted ordering region, with effective Majorana neutrino masses of 15 - 50 meV, will require a tonne-scale experiment with excellent energy resolution and extremely low backgrounds, at the level of ˜0.1 count /(FWHM.t.yr) in the region of the signal. The current generation 76Ge experiments GERDA and the Majorana Demonstrator, utilizing high purity Germanium detectors with an intrinsic energy resolution of 0.12%, have achieved the lowest backgrounds by over an order of magnitude in the 0νββ signal region of all 0νββ experiments. Building on this success, the LEGEND collaboration has been formed to pursue a tonne-scale 76Ge experiment. The collaboration aims to develop a phased 0νββ experimental program with discovery potential at a half-life approaching or at 1028 years, using existing resources as appropriate to expedite physics results.

Double Beta Decay - Physics Beyond the Standard Model Now, and in Future (GENIUS)

Science.gov (United States)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H. V.

Nuclear double beta decay provides an extraordinarily broad potential to search for beyond Standard Model physics, probing already now the TeV scale, on which new physics should manifest itself. These possibilities are reviewed here. First, the results of present generation experiments are presented. The most sensitive one of them - the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment in the Gran Sasso - probes the electron mass now in the sub eV region and will reach a limit of ˜ 0.1 eV in a few years. Basing to a large extent on the theoretical work of the Heidelberg Double Beta Group in the last two years, results are obtained also for SUSY models (R-parity breaking, sneutrino mass), leptoquarks (leptoquark-Higgs coupling), com-positeness, right-handed W boson mass and others. These results are comfortably competitive to corresponding results from high-energy accelerators like TEVA-TRON, HERA, etc. Second, future perspectives of ʲʲ research are discussed. A new Heidelberg experimental proposal (GENIUS) is presented which would allow to increase the sensitivity for Majorana neutrino masses from the present level of at best 0.1 eV down to 0.01 or even 0.001 eV. Its physical potential would be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many beyond standard models. Its sensitivity for neutrino oscillation parameters would be larger than of all present terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments and of those planned for the future. It would further, already in a first step, cover almost the full MSSM parameter space for prediction of neutralinos as cold dark matter, making the experiment competitive to LHC in the search for supersymmetry.

Probing new physics in the neutrinoless double beta decay using electron angular correlation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, A. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Borisov, A.V.; Zhuridov, D.V. [Moscow State Univ. (Russian Federation). Faculty of Physics

2007-06-15

The angular correlation of the electrons emitted in the neutrinoless double beta decay (0{nu}2{beta}) is presented using a general Lorentz invariant effective Lagrangian for the leptonic and hadronic charged weak currents. We show that the coefficient K in the angular correlation d{gamma}/dcos {theta} {proportional_to}(1-K cos {theta}) is essentially independent of the nuclear matrix element models and present its numerical values for the five nuclei of interest ({sup 76}Ge, {sup 82}Se, {sup 100}Mo, {sup 130}Te, and {sup 136}Xe), assuming that the 0{nu}2{beta}-decays in these nuclei are induced solely by a light Majorana neutrino, {nu}{sub M}. This coefficient varies between K=0.82 (for the {sup 76}Ge nucleus) and K=0.88 (for the {sup 82}Se and {sup 100}Mo nuclei), calculated taking into account the effects from the nucleon recoil, the S and P-waves for the outgoing electrons and the electron mass. Deviation of K from its values derived here would indicate the presence of New Physics (NP) in addition to a light Majorana neutrino, and we work out the angular coefficients in several {nu}{sub M}+NP scenarios for the {sup 76}Ge nucleus. As an illustration of the correlations among the 0{nu}2{beta} observables (half-life T{sub 1/2}, the coefficient K, and the effective Majorana neutrino mass vertical stroke left angle m right angle vertical stroke) and the parameters of the underlying NP model, we analyze the left-right symmetric models, taking into account current phenomenological bounds on the right-handed W{sub R}-boson mass and the left-right mixing parameter {zeta}. (orig.)

Results on neutrinoless double beta decay search in GERDA. Background modeling and limit setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becerici Schmidt, Neslihan

2014-01-01

The search for the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) process is primarily motivated by its potential of revealing the possible Majorana nature of the neutrino, in which the neutrino is identical to its antiparticle. It has also the potential to yield information on the intrinsic properties of neutrinos, if the underlying mechanism is the exchange of a light Majorana neutrino. The Gerda experiment is searching for 0νββ decay of 76 Ge by operating high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors enriched in the isotope 76 Ge (∝ 87%), directly in ultra-pure liquid argon (LAr). The first phase of physics data taking (Phase I) was completed in 2013 and has yielded 21.6 kg.yr of data. A background index of B∼10 -2 cts/(keV.kg.yr) at Q ββ =2039 keV has been achieved. A comprehensive background model of the Phase I energy spectrum is presented as the major topic of this dissertation. Decomposition of the background energy spectrum into the individual contributions from different processes provides many interesting physics results. The specific activity of 39 Ar has been determined. The obtained result, A=(1.15±0.11) Bq/kg, is in good agreement with the values reported in literature. The contribution from 42 K decays in LAr to the background spectrum has yielded a 42 K( 42 Ar) specific activity of A=(106.2 -19.2 +12.7 ) μBq/kg, for which only upper limits exist in literature. The analysis of high energy events induced by α decays in the 226 Ra chain indicated a total 226 Ra activity of (3.0±0.9) μBq and a total initial 210 Po activity of (0.18±0.01) mBq on the p + surfaces of the enriched semi-coaxial HPGe detectors. The half life of the two-neutrino double beta (2νββ) decay of 76 Ge has been determined as T 1/2 2ν =(1.926±0.094).10 21 yr, which is in good agreement with the result that was obtained with lower exposure and has been published by the Gerda collaboration. According to the model, the background in Q ββ ±5 keV window is resulting from close

Pionic Contribution to Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

CERN Document Server

Vergados, J D; Toki, H

2010-01-01

It is well known that neutrinoless double decay is going to play a crucial role in settling the neutrino properties, which cannot be extracted from the neutrino oscillation data. It is, in particular, expected to settle the absolute scale of neutrino mass and determine whether the neutrinos are Majorana particles, i.e. they coincide with their own antiparticles. In order to extract the average neutrino mass from the data one must be able to estimate the contribution all possible high mass intermediate particles. The latter, which occur in practically all extensions of the standard model, can, in principle, be differentiated from the usual mass term, if data from various targets are available. One, however, must first be able reliably calculate the corresponding nuclear matrix elements. Such calculations are extremely difficult since the effective transition operators are very short ranged. For such operators processes like pionic contributions, which are usually negligible, turn out to be dominant. We study s...

Results of a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay using the COBRA demonstrator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quante, Thomas; Goessling, Claus; Kroeninger, Kevin [TU Dortmund, Exp. Physik IV, Dortmund (Germany)

2016-07-01

COBRA is an experiment aiming to search for neutrinoless double-beta-decay (0νββ-decay) using CdZnTe semiconductor detectors. The main focus is on {sup 116}Cd, with a Q-value of 2813.5 keV well above the highest dominant naturally occurring gamma lines. By measuring the half-life of the 0νββ-decay, it is possible to clarify the nature of the neutrino as either Dirac or Majorana particle and furthermore to determine its effective Majorana mass. The COBRA collaboration operates a demonstrator to search for these decays at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The exposure of 234.7 kg d considered in this analysis was collected between September 2011 and February 2015. The analysis focuses on the decay of the nuclides {sup 114}Cd, {sup 128}Te, {sup 70}Zn, {sup 130}Te and {sup 116}Cd. A Bayesian analysis is performed to estimate the signal strength of 0νββ-decay.

Double-beta decay: Physics beyond the standard model now and in the future (GENIUS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

1998-01-01

Nuclear double beta decay has an extraordinarily broad potential in searches for physics beyond the Standard Model, probing already now the TeV scale, at which new physics is expected to manifest itself. These possibilities are reviewed here. First, the result of present-generation experiments are discussed. The most sensitive one of these, the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory, probes the electron mass now in the sub-eV region and will reach a limit of some 0.1 eV in a few years. On the basis of a large amount of theoretical work done by the Heidelberg Double Beta Group in the last two years, results are obtained also for SUSY models (R-parity breaking and neutrino mass), for leptoquarks (leptoquark-Higgs boson coupling), for compositeness, for right-handed W-boson mass, and for some other problems. These results are comfortably competitive with corresponding results from high-energy accelerators like Tevatron, HERA, etc. Future prospects for ββ research are discussed. A new Heidelberg experimental proposal (GENIUS) is presented, which would make it possible to increase the sensitivity for the Majorana neutrino masses from the present level of at best 0.1 eV down to 0.01 or even 0.001 eV. Its physical potential would be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many models beyond standard. Its sensitivity for neutrino-oscillation parameters would be higher than that of all present terrestrial neutrino-oscillation experiments and that of those planned for the future. It would further, even at a first step, cover almost the full MSSM parameter space for prediction of neutralinos as cold dark matter, making the experimental competitive with LHC in searches for supersymmetry

Tables of double beta decay data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tretyak, V.I.

1995-01-01

A compilation of experimental data on double beta decay is presented. The tables contain the most stringent known experimental limits or positive results of 2β transitions of 69 natural nuclides to ground and excited states of daughter nuclei for different channels (2β - ; 2β + ; εβ + ; 2ε) and modes (0ν; 2ν; 0νM) of decay. (authors). 189 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs

Analysis method for the search for neutrinoless double beta decay in the NEMO3 experiment: study of the background and first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etienvre, A.I.

2003-04-01

The NEMO3 detector, installed in the Frejus Underground Laboratory, is dedicated to the study of neutrinoless double beta decay: the observation of this process would sign the massive and Majorana nature of neutrino. The experiment consists in very thin central source foils (the total mass is equal to 10 kg), a tracking detector made of drift cells operating in Geiger mode, a calorimeter made of plastic scintillators associated to photomultipliers, a coil producing a 30 gauss magnetic field and two shields, dedicated to the reduction of the γ-ray and neutron fluxes. In the first part, I describe the implications of several mechanisms, related to trilinear R-parity violation, on double beta decay. The second part is dedicated to a detailed study of the tracking detector of the experiment: after a description of the different working tests, I present the determination of the characteristics of the tracking reconstruction (transverse and longitudinal resolution, by Geiger cell and precision on vertex determination, charge recognition). The last part corresponds to the analysis of the data taken by the experiment. On the one hand, an upper limit on the Tl 208 activity of the sources has been determined: it is lower than 68 mBq/kg, at 90% of confidence level. On the other hand, I have developed and tested on these data a method in order to analyse the neutrinoless double beta decay signal; this method is based on a maximum of likelihood using all the available information. Using this method, I could determine a first and very preliminary upper limit on the effective mass of the neutrino. (author)

Results on neutrinoless double beta decay search in GERDA. Background modeling and limit setting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becerici Schmidt, Neslihan

2014-07-22

The search for the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) process is primarily motivated by its potential of revealing the possible Majorana nature of the neutrino, in which the neutrino is identical to its antiparticle. It has also the potential to yield information on the intrinsic properties of neutrinos, if the underlying mechanism is the exchange of a light Majorana neutrino. The Gerda experiment is searching for 0νββ decay of {sup 76}Ge by operating high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors enriched in the isotope {sup 76}Ge (∝ 87%), directly in ultra-pure liquid argon (LAr). The first phase of physics data taking (Phase I) was completed in 2013 and has yielded 21.6 kg.yr of data. A background index of B∼10{sup -2} cts/(keV.kg.yr) at Q{sub ββ}=2039 keV has been achieved. A comprehensive background model of the Phase I energy spectrum is presented as the major topic of this dissertation. Decomposition of the background energy spectrum into the individual contributions from different processes provides many interesting physics results. The specific activity of {sup 39}Ar has been determined. The obtained result, A=(1.15±0.11) Bq/kg, is in good agreement with the values reported in literature. The contribution from {sup 42}K decays in LAr to the background spectrum has yielded a {sup 42}K({sup 42}Ar) specific activity of A=(106.2{sub -19.2}{sup +12.7}) μBq/kg, for which only upper limits exist in literature. The analysis of high energy events induced by α decays in the {sup 226}Ra chain indicated a total {sup 226}Ra activity of (3.0±0.9) μBq and a total initial {sup 210}Po activity of (0.18±0.01) mBq on the p{sup +} surfaces of the enriched semi-coaxial HPGe detectors. The half life of the two-neutrino double beta (2νββ) decay of {sup 76}Ge has been determined as T{sub 1/2}{sup 2ν}=(1.926±0.094).10{sup 21} yr, which is in good agreement with the result that was obtained with lower exposure and has been published by the Gerda collaboration

Internal Energy Loss of the Electrons Ejected in Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drukarev, E. G.; Amusia, M. Ya.; Chernysheva, L. V.

2017-01-01

The excitations of the electron shell in neutrinoless double beta decay shifts the limiting energy available for ejected electrons. We present the general equations for this shift and make computations for the decays of two nuclei—germanium and xenon. (author)

Measurement of the two neutrino double beta decay half-life of Zr-96 with the NEMO-3 detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argyriades, J. [LAL, Universite Paris-Sud 11, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); Arnold, R. [IPHC, Universite de Strasbourg, CNRS/IN2P3, F-67037 Strasbourg (France); Augier, C. [LAL, Universite Paris-Sud 11, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); Baker, J. [INL, Idaho National Laboratory, 83415 Idaho Falls (United States); Barabash, A.S. [ITEP, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, 117259 Moscow (Russian Federation); Basharina-Freshville, A. [University College London, WC1E 6BT London (United Kingdom); Bongrand, M. [LAL, Universite Paris-Sud 11, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France); Broudin-Bay, G. [Universite Bordeaux, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33175 Gradignan (France); CNRS/IN2P3, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, UMR5797, F-33175 Gradignan (France); Brudanin, V. [JINR, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Caffrey, A.J. [INL, Idaho National Laboratory, 83415 Idaho Falls (United States); Chapon, A. [LPC, ENSICAEN, Universite de Caen, CNRS/IN2P3, F-14032 Caen (France); Chauveau, E. [Universite Bordeaux, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33175 Gradignan (France); CNRS/IN2P3, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, UMR5797, F-33175 Gradignan (France); Daraktchieva, Z. [University College London, WC1E 6BT London (United Kingdom); Durand, D. [LPC, ENSICAEN, Universite de Caen, CNRS/IN2P3, F-14032 Caen (France); Egorov, V. [JINR, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Fatemi-Ghomi, N. [University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester (United Kingdom); Flack, R. [University College London, WC1E 6BT London (United Kingdom); Guillon, B. [LPC, ENSICAEN, Universite de Caen, CNRS/IN2P3, F-14032 Caen (France); Hubert, Ph. [Universite Bordeaux, CENBG, UMR 5797, F-33175 Gradignan (France); CNRS/IN2P3, Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, UMR5797, F-33175 Gradignan (France); Jullian, S. [LAL, Universite Paris-Sud 11, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91405 Orsay (France)

2010-12-08

Using 9.4 g of {sup 96}Zr isotope and 1221 days of data from the NEMO-3 detector corresponding to 0.031 kg y, the obtained 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay half-life measurement is T{sub 1/2}{sup 2{nu}=}[2.35{+-}0.14(stat){+-}0.16(syst)]x10{sup 19} yr. Different characteristics of the final state electrons have been studied, such as the energy sum, individual electron energy, and angular distribution. The 2{nu} nuclear matrix element is extracted using the measured 2{nu}{beta}{beta} half-life and is M{sup 2{nu}=}0.049{+-}0.002. Constraints on 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay have also been set.

Measurement of the 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay of {sup 100}Mo to the excited 0{sub 1}{sup +} state in the NEMO3 experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vala, L

2003-09-01

The NEMO3 detector was designed for the study of double beta decay and in particular to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay process (0{nu}{beta}{beta}). The intended sensitivity in terms of a half-life limit for the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay is of the order of 10{sup 25} y which corresponds to an effective neutrino mass m{sub {nu}} on the level of (0.3 - 0.1) eV. The 0{nu}{beta}{beta} process is today the most promising test of the Majorana nature of the neutrino. The detector was constructed in the Modane Underground Laboratory (LSM) in France by an international collaboration including France, Russia, the Czech Republic, the USA, the UK, Finland, and Japan. The experiment has been taking data since May 2002. The quantity of {sup 100}Mo in the detector (7 kg) allows an efficient measurement of the two-neutrino double beta decay (2{nu}{beta}{beta}) of {sup 100}Mo to the excited 0{sub 1}{sup +} state (eeN{gamma} channel). Monte-Carlo simulations of the effect and of all the relative sources of background have been produced in order to define a set of appropriate selection criteria. Both Monte-Carlo simulations and special runs with sources of {sup 208}Tl and {sup 214}Bi showed that the only significant background in the eeN{gamma} channel comes from radon that penetrated inside the wire chamber of NEMO3. The experimental data acquired from May 2002 to May 2003 have been analysed in order to determine the signal from the 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay of {sup 100}Mo to the excited 0{sub 1}{sup +} state and the corresponding background level. The physical result, which was obtained at the level of four standard deviations, is given in the form of an interval of half-life values at 95% confidence level: [5.84*10{sup 20}, 2.26*10{sup 21}] y for method A and [5.83*10{sup 20}, 1.71*10{sup 21}] y for method B. (author)

Searching for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay of 130Te with CUORE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. R. Artusa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ decay is a hypothesized lepton-number-violating process that offers the only known means of asserting the possible Majorana nature of neutrino mass. The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE is an upcoming experiment designed to search for 0νββ decay of 130Te using an array of 988 TeO2 crystal bolometers operated at 10 mK. The detector will contain 206 kg of 130Te and have an average energy resolution of 5 keV; the projected 0νββ decay half-life sensitivity after five years of livetime is 1.6 × 1026 y at 1σ (9.5 × 1025 y at the 90% confidence level, which corresponds to an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass in the range 40–100 meV (50–130 meV. In this paper, we review the experimental techniques used in CUORE as well as its current status and anticipated physics reach.

Status of double beta decay experiments using isotopes other than 136Xe

Science.gov (United States)

Pandola, L.

2014-09-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a lepton-number violating process predicted by many extensions of the standard model. It is actively searched for in several candidate isotopes within many experimental projects. The status of the experimental initiatives which are looking for the neutrinoless double beta decay in isotopes other than 136Xe is reviewed, with special emphasis given to the projects that passed the R&D phase. The results recently released by the experiment GERDA are also summarized and discussed. The GERDA data give no positive indication of neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge and disfavor in a model-independent way the long-standing observation claim on the same isotope. The lower limit reported by GERDA for the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge is T1/20ν > 2.1 ṡ1025 yr (90% C.L.), or T1/20ν > 3.0 ṡ1025 yr, when combined with the results of other 76Ge predecessor experiments.

Beta rays and neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, S.F.

1992-01-01

It was over 30 years between the first observation of the enigmatic process of beta decay and the first postulation of the neutrino. It took a further 26 years until the first neutrino was detected and yet another 27 until the electroweak theory was confirmed by the discovery of W and Z particles. This article traces some of the puzzles and paradoxes associated with the history of the neutrino. (author)

Double beta radioactivity and physics of the neutrino. Study of the background noise at 3 MeV in the search of {sup 100}Mo beta beta decay; Double radioactivite beta et physique du neutrino. Etude du bruit de fond a 3 MeV dans la recherche de la desintegration beta beta du {sup 100}Mo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piquemal, F

1994-05-01

Double beta decay without neutrino emission provides a test of the mass and nature of neutrinos (Majorana or Dirac). Experimental proof would be the observation of a peak at the transition energy in the spectrum of the two emitted electrons. The expected half-life of the process is extremely long (about 10{sup 25} years for {sup 100}Mo). So, being thus, it is very important to get a good knowledge of the origins and contributions of background noise in the region where the signal could occur. The main origins of the background noise in the region where the signal could occur. The main origins of the background noise are found to be e{sup +} - e{sup -} pairs induced by heavy energy gamma rays. These gamma rays follow the thermal neutron capture by the components of the detector. Another factor in the production of background noise is natural radio-activity. For example, the presence of Radon in the laboratory has been observed to produce deposits of {sup 214}Bi on the sides of the detector. Data taken with the NEMO 2 prototype and an enriched molybdenum source foil indicates that the background limit reached is of the order of 1 event per year in the 3 MeV region. Results of this work have proven the necessity to have a magnetic field in NEMO 3 in order to reject e{sup +} - e{sup -}pairs. (author).

Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC

CERN Multimedia

\\textbf{Double beta decay without neutrino emission (0$\\upsilon$2$\\beta$)}, is the only process that may indicate wether neutrinos and antineutrinos are different or the same particle. It may happen for a dozen of nuclides. In this case neutrino would be the only known completely neutral fermion. However, the decay is expected to be extremely rare, much rarer that the already very rare (2$\\upsilon$2$\\beta$). In the latter two neutrinos and two electron are emitted, while only two electrons are emitted in the (0$\\upsilon$2$\\beta$) decay. Consequently, the sum of the electron energies have a well defined and known value in the latter case, while in the former has a continuous spectrum. The main experimental parameters are then the background index, BI, which is the number of counts due to background per unit energy interval (keV), unit isotope mass (kg) and unit live time (yr) in the known region of interest and the energy resolution (∆$\\textit{E}$ Full With Half Maximum). Indeed the total background for a gi...

Neutrino Physics without Neutrinos: Recent results from the NEMO-3 experiment and plans for SuperNEMO

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

The observation of neutrino oscillations has proved that neutrinos have mass. This discovery has renewed and strengthened the interest in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments which provide the only practical way to determine whether neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. The recently completed NEMO-3 experiment, located in the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane in the Frejus Tunnel, was an experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decays using a powerful technique for detecting a two-electron final state by employing an apparatus combining tracking, calorimetry, and the time-of-flight measurements. We will present latest results from NEMO-3 and will discuss the status of SuperNEMO, the next generation experiment that will exploit the same experimental technique to extend the sensitivity of the current search.

Q values of the 76Ge and 100Mo double-beta decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahaman, S.; Elomaa, V.-V.; Eronen, T.; Hakala, J.; Jokinen, A.; Julin, J.; Kankainen, A.; Saastamoinen, A.; Suhonen, J.; Weber, C.; Aystoe, J.

2008-01-01

Penning trap measurements using mixed beams of 76 Ge- 76 Se and 100 Mo- 100 Ru have been utilized to determine the double-beta decay Q-values of 76 Ge and 100 Mo with uncertainties less than 200 eV. The value for 76 Ge, 2039.04(16) keV is in agreement with the published SMILETRAP value, 2039.006(50) keV. The new value for 100 Mo, 3034.40(17) keV is 30 times more precise than the previous literature value, sufficient for the ongoing neutrinoless double-beta decay searches in 100 Mo. Moreover, the precise Q-value is used to calculate the phase-space integrals and the experimental nuclear matrix element of double-beta decay

Geochemical evidence of the double β decay of 100Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidaka, Hiroshi; Ly, Chi V.; Suzuki, Katsuhiko

2004-01-01

Enrichment of the 100 Ru isotope, resulting from the double beta (ββ) decay of 100 Mo, has been found in old molybdenites from Australia. Using Re-Os ages determined here together with the amount of excess 100 Ru determined via isotope dilution mass spectrometry, consistent half-lives were obtained from two different molybdenite samples of varying ages (2.90 billion and 1.05 billion years old) with an average half-life of (2.1±0.3)x10 18 years. This half-life is highly consistent with the theoretical model for a two-neutrino ββ decay

A scintillating bolometer array for double beta decay studies: The LUCIFER experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gironi, L., E-mail: luca.gironi@mib.infn.it [Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy); INFN – Sezione di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy)

2016-07-11

The main goal of the LUCIFER experiment is to study the neutrinoless double beta decay, a rare process allowed if neutrinos are Majorana particles. Although aiming at a discovery, in the case of insufficient sensitivity the LUCIFER technique will be the demonstrator for a higher mass experiment able to probe the entire inverted hierarchy region of the neutrino mass. In order to achieve this challenging result, high resolution detectors with active background discrimination capability are required. This very interesting possibility can be largely fulfilled by scintillating bolometers thanks to the simultaneous read-out of heat and light emitted by the interactions in the detector or by pulse shape analysis. - Highlights: • The LUCIFER technique will be the demonstrator for a higher mass experiment. • Scintillating bolometers allow high energy resolution and background discrimination. • The first choice for the LUCIFER tower are ZnSe crystals. • The LUCIFER setup will consist of an array of 30 individual single module detectors. • An array of ZnMoO4 crystals allowed the bolometric observation of the 2vDBD of {sup 100}Mo.

Searching Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with GERDA Phase II

Science.gov (United States)

Agostini, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; Comellato, T.; D’Andrea, V.; Demidova, E. V.; di Marco, N.; Domula, A.; Doroshkevich, E.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Giordano, M.; Gooch, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Hahne, C.; Hakenmüller, J.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Hiller, R.; Hofmann, W.; Holl, P.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Ioannucci, L.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; Kermaidic, Y.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Kish, A.; Klimenko, A.; Kneißl, R.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Marissens, G.; Miloradovic, M.; Mingazheva, R.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Nemchenok, I.; Nisi, S.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pullia, A.; Ransom, C.; Reissfelder, M.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Sala, E.; Salamida, F.; Schmitt, C.; Schneider, B.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schweisshelm, B.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Schönert, S.; Schütz, A.-K.; Seitz, H.; Selivanenko, O.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Vanhoefer, L.; Vasenko, A. A.; Veresnikova, A.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wiesinger, C.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zschocke, A.; Zsigmond, A. J.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

An observation of neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay would allow to shed light onto the nature of neutrinos. GERDA (GERmanium Detector Array) aims to discover this process in a background-free search using 76Ge. The experiment is located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy. Bare, isotopically enriched, high purity germanium detectors are operated in liquid argon. GERDA follows a staged approach. In Phase II 35.6 kg of enriched germanium detectors are operated since December 2015. The application of active background rejection methods, such as a liquid argon scintillation light read-out and pulse shape discrimination of germanium detector signals, allows to reduce the background index to the intended level of 10‑3 cts/(keVṡkgṡyr). No evidence for the 0νββ decay has been found in 23.2 kgṡyr of Phase II data, and together with data from Phase I the up-to-date most stringent half-life limit for this process in 76Ge has been established, at a median sensitivity of 5.8ṡ1025yr the 90% C.L. lower limit is 8.0ṡ1025yr.

Decays of supernova neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindner, Manfred; Ohlsson, Tommy; Winter, Walter

2002-01-01

Supernova neutrinos could be well-suited for probing neutrino decay, since decay may be observed even for very small decay rates or coupling constants. We will introduce an effective operator framework for the combined description of neutrino decay and neutrino oscillations for supernova neutrinos, which can especially take into account two properties: one is the radially symmetric neutrino flux, allowing a decay product to be re-directed towards the observer even if the parent neutrino had a different original direction of propagation. The other is decoherence because of the long baselines for coherently produced neutrinos. We will demonstrate how to use this effective theory to calculate the time-dependent fluxes at the detector. In addition, we will show the implications of a Majoron-like decay model. As a result, we will demonstrate that for certain parameter values one may observe some effects which could also mimic signals similar to the ones expected from supernova models, making it in general harder to separate neutrino and supernova properties

Double beta decay: recent developments and projections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avignone, F.T. III; Brodzinski, R.L.; Brown, D.P.; Evans, J.C. Jr.; Hensley, W.K.; Reeves, J.H.; Wogman, N.A.

1983-08-01

A report of recent events in both theoretical and experimental aspects of double beta decay is given. General theoretical considerations, recent developments in nuclear structure theory, geochronological determinations of half lives and ratios as well as laboratory experiments are discussed with emphasis on the past three years. Some projections are given. 28 references

Search for two-neutrino double electron capture on 124Xe with the XMASS-I detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Abe

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Double electron capture is a rare nuclear decay process in which two orbital electrons are captured simultaneously in the same nucleus. Measurement of its two-neutrino mode would provide a new reference for the calculation of nuclear matrix elements whereas observation of its neutrinoless mode would demonstrate lepton number violation. A search for two-neutrino double electron capture on 124Xe is performed using 165.9 days of data collected with the XMASS-I liquid xenon detector. No significant excess above background was observed and we set a lower limit on the half-life as 4.7×1021 years at 90% confidence level. The obtained limit has ruled out parts of some theoretical expectations. We obtain a lower limit on the 126Xe two-neutrino double electron capture half-life of 4.3×1021 years at 90% confidence level as well.

Search for a bosonic component in the neutrino wave function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tornow, W. [Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) and Duke University Department of Physics, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708-0308 (United States)

2010-11-01

Recently, Dolgov and Smirnov speculated that neutrinos may not obey the principle named after their inventor, the Pauli Principle. The neutrino wave function may contain a bosonic component. In principle, two-neutrino double-beta (2{nu}2{beta}) decay data could be used to check on the conjecture that neutrinos violate the Pauli Principle. Recent 2{nu}2{beta} data on {sup 100}Mo to both the ground state and excited states in {sup 100}Ru will be used to illustrate the procedure.

Scalar-mediated double beta decay and LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, L.; Helo, J.C.; Hirsch, M.; Kovalenko, S.G.

2016-01-01

The decay rate of neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay could be dominated by Lepton Number Violating (LNV) short-range diagrams involving only heavy scalar intermediate particles, known as “topology-II” diagrams. Examples are diagrams with diquarks, leptoquarks or charged scalars. Here, we compare the LNV discovery potentials of the LHC and 0νββ-decay experiments, resorting to three example models, which cover the range of the optimistic-pessimistic cases for 0νββ decay. We use the LHC constraints from dijet as well as leptoquark searches and find that already with 20/fb the LHC will test interesting parts of the parameter space of these models, not excluded by the current limits on 0νββ-decay.

Scalar-mediated double beta decay and LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez, L. [Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Centro-Científico-Tecnológico de Valparaíso,Casilla 110-V, Valparaíso (Chile); Helo, J.C. [Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Centro-Científico-Tecnológico de Valparaíso,Casilla 110-V, Valparaíso (Chile); Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena,Avenida Cisternas 1200, La Serena (Chile); Hirsch, M. [AHEP Group, Instituto de Física Corpuscular - C.S.I.C./Universitat de València,Edificio de Institutos de Paterna, Apartado 22085, E-46071 València (Spain); Kovalenko, S.G. [Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Centro-Científico-Tecnológico de Valparaíso,Casilla 110-V, Valparaíso (Chile)

2016-12-23

The decay rate of neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay could be dominated by Lepton Number Violating (LNV) short-range diagrams involving only heavy scalar intermediate particles, known as “topology-II” diagrams. Examples are diagrams with diquarks, leptoquarks or charged scalars. Here, we compare the LNV discovery potentials of the LHC and 0νββ-decay experiments, resorting to three example models, which cover the range of the optimistic-pessimistic cases for 0νββ decay. We use the LHC constraints from dijet as well as leptoquark searches and find that already with 20/fb the LHC will test interesting parts of the parameter space of these models, not excluded by the current limits on 0νββ-decay.

Schematic model studies of double beta decay processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Civitarese, O.

1996-01-01

Some features of the nuclear matrix elements, for double beta decay transitions to a final ground state and to a final excited one and two-quadrupole phonon states, are presented and discussed in the framework of a schematic model. The competition between spin-flip and non-spin-flip transitions on the relevant nuclear matrix elements, the effects due to proton-neutron pairing correlations and the effects due to the inclusion of exchange terms in the QRPA matrix are discussed. (Author)

Direct neutrino mass measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weinheimer, Christian, E-mail: weinheimer@uni-muenster.de [Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet, Institut fuer Kernphysik (Germany)

2013-03-15

Direct neutrino mass experiments are complementary to searches for neutrinoless double {beta}-decay and to analyses of cosmological data. The previous tritium beta decay experiments at Mainz and at Troitsk have achieved upper limits on the neutrino mass of about 2 eV/c{sup 2} . The KATRIN experiment under construction will improve the neutrino mass sensitivity down to 200 meV/c{sup 2} by increasing strongly the statistics and-at the same time-reducing the systematic uncertainties. Huge improvements have been made to operate the system extremely stably and at very low background rate. The latter comprises new methods to reject secondary electrons from the walls as well as to avoid and to eject electrons stored in traps. As an alternative to tritium {beta}-decay experiments cryo-bolometers investigating the endpoint region of {sup 187}Re {beta}-decay or the electron capture of {sup 163}Ho are being developed. This article briefly reviews the current status of the direct neutrino mass measurements.

Double beta decay of Uranium-238: Proton reactions of 238U in 5--12 MeV range. Final report, April 15, 1987--March 31, 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turkevich, A.; Economou, T.E.

1993-01-01

This report is in two parts. The first part reports on the experimental work determining the half-life for double beta decay of 238 U to 238 PU to be (2.0 ± 0.6) x 10 21 years. This is the first evidence for a third mode of decay of this heaviest naturally occurring nucleus. This rate is about 10 6 times slower than spontaneous fission, which itself is about 10 6 times slower than alpha decay. The implication of this double beta decay to neutrino masses depends on uncertain theoretical calculations of the rate for such a heavy nucleus. The second part reports on yields of principal fission products from 5.6, 7.3, 9.4, and 11.5 MeV proton interactions with 238 U. The yields at 11.5 MeV are similar to those from 14 MeV neutron fission of 238 U. At the same time, the production cross sections of 238 Np at the same energies are determined. This nuclide is produced as often as fission at the lowest energy but only 3.8% as often at the highest energy

Two old ways to measure the electron-neutrino mass

CERN Document Server

De Rújula, A

2013-01-01

Three decades ago, the measurement of the electron neutrino mass in atomic electron capture (EC) experiments was scrutinized in its two variants: single EC and neutrino-less double EC. For certain isotopes an atomic resonance enormously enhances the expected decay rates. The favoured technique, based on calorimeters as opposed to spectrometers, has the advantage of greatly simplifying the theoretical analysis of the data. After an initial surge of measurements, the EC approach did not seem to be competitive. But very recently, there has been great progress on micro-calorimeters and the measurement of atomic mass differences. Meanwhile, the beta-decay neutrino-mass limits have improved by a factor of 15, and the difficulty of the experiments by the cube of that figure. Can the "calorimetric" EC theory cope with this increased challenge? I answer this question affirmatively. In so doing I briefly review the subject and extensively address some persistent misunderstandings of the underlying quantum physics.

Literature in Focus Beta Beams: Neutrino Beams

CERN Document Server

2009-01-01

By Mats Lindroos (CERN) and Mauro Mezzetto (INFN Padova, Italy) Imperial Press, 2009 The beta-beam concept for the generation of electron neutrino beams was first proposed by Piero Zucchelli in 2002. The idea created quite a stir, challenging the idea that intense neutrino beams only could be produced from the decay of pions or muons in classical neutrino beams facilities or in future neutrino factories. The concept initially struggled to make an impact but the hard work by many machine physicists, phenomenologists and theoreticians over the last five years has won the beta-beam a well-earned position as one of the frontrunners for a possible future world laboratory for high intensity neutrino oscillation physics. This is the first complete monograph on the beta-beam concept. The book describes both technical aspects and experimental aspects of the beta-beam, providing students and scientists with an insight into the possibilities o...

Neutrino mass, a status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, R.G.H.

1993-01-01

Experimental approaches to neutrino mass include kinematic mass measurements, neutrino oscillation searches at rectors and accelerators, solar neutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and single and double beta decay. The solar neutrino results yield fairly strong and consistent indications that neutrino oscillations are occurring. Other evidence for new physics is less consistent and convincing

PandaX-III neutrinoless double beta decay experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shaobo; PandaX-III Collaboration

2017-09-01

The PandaX-III experiment uses high pressure Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of Xe-136 with high energy resolution and sensitivity at the China Jin-Ping underground Laboratory II (CJPL-II). Fine-pitch Microbulk Micromegas will be used for charge amplification and readout in order to reconstruct both the energy and track of the neutrinoless double-beta decay event. In the first phase of the experiment, the detector, which contains 200 kg of 90% Xe-136 enriched gas operated at 10 bar, will be immersed in a large water tank to ensure 5 m of water shielding. For the second phase, a ton-scale experiment with multiple TPCs will be constructed to improve the detection probability and sensitivity. A 20-kg scale prototype TPC with 7 Micromegas modules has been built to optimize the design of Micromegas readout module, study the energy calibration of TPC and develop algorithm of 3D track reconstruction.

Is neutrino produced in standard weak interactions a Dirac or Majorana particle?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beshtoev, Kh.M.

2010-01-01

This work considers the following problem: what type (Dirac or Majorana) of neutrinos is produced in standard weak interactions? It is concluded that only Dirac neutrinos but not Majorana neutrinos can be produced in these interactions. Then neutrino interacts with W ± and Z bosons but neutrinoless double beta decay is absent. It means that this neutrino will be produced in another type of interaction. Namely, Majorana neutrino will be produced in the interaction which differentiates spin projections but cannot differentiate neutrino (particle) from antineutrino (antiparticle). Then neutrino will interact with W ± bosons and neutrinoless double beta decay will arise. But interaction with Z boson will be absent. Such an interaction has not been discovered yet. Therefore, experiments with very high precision are important to detect the neutrinoless double decays if they are realized in the Nature

Double beta decay: Comparison of theory to experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haxton, W.C.

1992-01-01

I review ββ decay in the standard model and as a test of Majorana neutrino masses and right-handed couplings. A summary is given of some of the nuclear physics issues involved in evaluating 2 ν and 0ν matrix elements. Dirac and pseudoDirac limits are discussed to illustrate how quantities constrained on 0ν ββ decay depend on the parameters of the mass matrix. Implications of 0ν ββ decay for models with 17 keV neutrinos, for models with massive Majorana neutrinos, and for Majorons are discussed. It is argued that a recent remeasurement of the total ββ decay rate of 126 Te is important in constraining (nonstandard) Majoron models

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Matrix Elements in Light Nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pastore, S.; Carlson, J.; Cirigliano, V.; Dekens, W.; Mereghetti, E.; Wiringa, R. B.

2018-01-17

We present the first ab initio calculations of neutrinoless double-β decay matrix elements in A=6-12 nuclei using variational Monte Carlo wave functions obtained from the Argonne v₁₈ two-nucleon potential and Illinois-7 three-nucleon interaction. We study both light Majorana neutrino exchange and potentials arising from a large class of multi-TeV mechanisms of lepton-number violation. Our results provide benchmarks to be used in testing many-body methods that can be extended to the heavy nuclei of experimental interest. In light nuclei we also study the impact of two-body short-range correlations and the use of different forms for the transition operators, such as those corresponding to different orders in chiral effective theory.

The Majorana Double Beta Decay Experiment: Present Status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguayo, Estanislao; Avignone, Frank T.; Back, Henning O.; Barabash, Alexander S.; Beene, Jim; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, Matthew; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Christofferson, C. D.; Collar, J. I.; Combs, Dustin C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, Jason A.; Doe, Peter J.; Efremenko, Yuri; Egorov, Viatcheslav; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Esterline, James H.; Fast, James E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, Florian; Gehman, Victor M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M. P.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, Reyco; Hime, Andrew; Hoppe, Eric W.; Horton, Mark; Howard, Stanley; Howe, M. A.; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K.; Keller, C.; Kidd, M. F.; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, Oleg; Konovalov, S.; Kouzes, Richard T.; Laferriere, Brian D.; LaRoque, B. H.; Leon, Jonathan D.; Leviner, L.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, S.; Marino, Michael G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, Dong-Ming; Merriman, Jason H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, Leila; Nomachi, Masaharu; Orrell, John L.; Overman, Nicole R.; Phillips II, D. G.; Poon, Alan; Perumpilly, Gopakumar; Prior, Gersende; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, Keith; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, Alexis G.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, Kyle J.; Steele, David; Strain, J.; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, Kai; Vorren, Kris R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Yumatov, Vladimir; Zhang, C.

2013-06-01

The Majorana collaboration is actively pursuing research and development aimed at a tonne-scale 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment, an R&D effort that will field approximately 40 kg of germanium detectors with mixed enrichment levels. This article provides a status update on the construction of the Demonstrator

Majorana neutrinos in a warped 5D standard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huber, S.J.; Shafi, Q.

2002-05-01

We consider neutrino oscillations and neutrinoless double beta decay in a five dimensional standard model with warped geometry. Although the see-saw mechanism in its simplest form cannot be implemented because of the warped geometry, the bulk standard model neutrinos can acquire the desired (Majorana) masses from dimension five interactions. We discuss how large mixings can arise, why the large mixing angle MSW solution for solar neutrinos is favored, and provide estimates for the mixing angle U e3 . Implications for neutrinoless double beta decay are also discussed. (orig.)

Beta Beams for Precision Measurements of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters

CERN Document Server

Wildner, E; Hansen, C; De Melo Mendonca, T; Stora, T; Damjanovic, S; Payet, J; Chancé, A; Zorin, V; Izotov, I; Rasin, S; Sidorov, A; Skalyga, V; De Angelis, G; Prete, G; Cinausero, M; Kravchuk, V; Gramegna, F; Marchi, T; Collazuol, G; Mezzetto, M; Delbar, T; Loiselet, M; Keutgen, T; Mitrofanov, S; Burt, G; Dexter, A; Lamy, T; Latrasse, L; Marie-Jeanne, M; Sortais, P; Thuillier, T; Debray, F; Trophime, C; Hass, M; Hirsh, T; Berkovits, D; Stahl, A; Vardaci, E; Di Nitto, A; Brondi, A; La Rana, G; Moro, R; De Rosa, G; Palladino, V

2012-01-01

Neutrino oscillations have implications for the Standard Model of particle physics. The CERN Beta Beam has outstanding capabilities to contribute to precision measurements of the parameters governing neutrino oscillations. The FP7 collaboration EUROnu (2008-2012) is a design study that will review three facilities (Super-Beams, Beta Beams and Neutrino Factories) and perform a cost assessment that, coupled with the physics performance, will give means to the European research authorities to make decisions on future European neutrino oscillation facilities. ”Beta Beams” produce collimated pure electron (anti)neutrinos by accelerating beta active ions to high energies and having them decay in a storage ring. Using existing machines and infrastructure is an advantage for the cost evaluation; however, this choice is also constraining the Beta Beams. Recent work to make the Beta Beam facility a solid option will be described: production of Beta Beam isotopes, the 60 GHz pulsed ECR source development, integratio...

Project for detecting the double beta decay of 136Xe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyajima, M.; Sasaki, S.; Tawara, H.

1992-01-01

For detecting the nuclear double beta decay of 136 Xe, a liquid-xenon positive-ion collector and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer are under development for detecting the decay product 136 Ba. Two sets of lasers are used with the mass spectrometer. An Nd-YAG laser is used for sampling 136 Ba from the surface of the positive-ion collector electrode, and a dye laser pumped by an Nd-YAG laser is used for the selective ionization of 136 Ba. The principle of measurements as well as the experimental apparatus and procedures are described in detail, together with our future plans. (orig.)

New developments in the calculation of double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engel, J.

1990-01-01

I review recent work on computing double beta decay rates. After a discussion of shell model and Quasiparticle Random Phase calculations, I argue for a model based on the notion of generalized seniority that combines the advantages of both earlier approaches. (orig.)

Double beta decay searches with thermal detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pirro, Stefano

2006-01-01

Double beta decay searches have become more and more important in the last few years. The 'second generation' experiments will allow to explore the inverse hierarchy region but, due to the uncertainties in the nuclear matrix elements, none of them will be able to cover completely the allowed region. Thus the need to investigate different DBD emitters becomes more important. The bolometric technique is only one able to study different nuclei with the proper energy resolution, key point for the future experiments. The possibility to reject the natural background arising from fast neutrons and alpha particles was recently directly proved with thermal bolometers, using the double read out (heat and scintillation). This new technique offers the possibility to reach background levels two orders of magnitude smaller with respect to the ones of the next planned experiments, aiming the possibility to investigate direct hierarchy region. (author)

Searches for massive neutrino emission in 14C beta and 55Fe electron-capture decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wietfeldt, F.E.

1994-05-01

In 1985 Simpson reported evidence for the emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino in a small fraction of tritium beta decays. An experimental controversy ensued in which a number of both positive and negative results were reported. The beta spectrum of 14 C was collected in a unique 14 C-doped planar germanium detector and a distortion was observed that initially confirmed Simpson's result. Further tests linked this distortion to a splitting of the collected charge between the central detector and the surrounding guard ring in a fraction of the events. A second 14 C measurement showed no evidence for emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino. In a related experiment, a high statistics electron-capture internal-bremsstrahlung photon spectrum of 55 Fe was collected with a coaxial germanium detector. A local search for departures from a smooth shape near the endpoint was performed, using a second-derivative technique. An upper limit of 0.65% (95% C.L.) for the mixing Of a neutrino in the mass range 5--25 keV was established. The upper limit on the mixing of a 17 keV mass neutrino was 0.14% (95% C.L.)

Frontiers in neutrino physics - Transparencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhmedov, E.; Balantekin, B.; Conrad, J.; Engel, J.; Fogli, G.; Giunti, C.; Espinoza, C.; Lasserre, T.; Lazauskas, R.; Lhuiller, D.; Lindner, M.; Martinez-Pinedo, G.; Martini, M.; McLaughlin, G.; Mirizzi, A.; Pehlivan, Y.; Petcov, S.; Qian, Y.; Serenelli, A.; Stancu, I.; Surman, R.; Vaananen, D.; Vissani, F.; Vogel, P.

2012-01-01

This document gathers the slides of the presentations. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the last advances in neutrino physics. The presentations dealt with: -) the measurement of the neutrino velocity, -) neutrino oscillations, -) anomaly in solar models and neutrinos, -) double beta decay, -) self refraction of neutrinos, -) cosmic neutrinos, -) antineutrino spectra from reactors, and -) some aspects of neutrino physics with radioactive ion beams. (A.C.)

Radiopurity control in the NEXT-100 double beta decay experiment: procedures and initial measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Álvarez, V; Cárcel, S; Cervera, A; Díaz, J; Ferrario, P; Bandac, I; Bettini, A; Castel, J; Cebrián, S; Dafni, T; Borges, F I G M; Conde, C A N; Dias, T H V T; Fernandes, L M P; Freitas, E D C; Egorov, M; Gehman, V M; Esteve, R; Evtoukhovitch, P; Ferreira, A L

2013-01-01

The ''Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon Time-Projection Chamber'' (NEXT) is intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay of 136 Xe, which requires a severe suppression of potential backgrounds. An extensive screening and material selection process is underway for NEXT since the control of the radiopurity levels of the materials to be used in the experimental set-up is a must for rare event searches. First measurements based on Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry and gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors at the Laboratorio Subterr and apos;aneo de Canfranc (Spain) are described here. Activity results for natural radioactive chains and other common radionuclides are summarized, being the values obtained for some materials like copper and stainless steel very competitive. The implications of these results for the NEXT experiment are also discussed.

NDM06: 2. symposium on neutrinos and dark matter in nuclear physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akerib, D; Arnold, R; Balantekin, A; Barabash, A; Barnabe, H; Baroni, S; Baussan, E; Bellini, F; Bobisut, F; Bongrand, M; Brofferio, Ch; Capolupo, A; Enrico, Carrara; Caurier, E; Cermak, P; Chardin, G; Civitarese, O; Couchot, F; Kerret, H de; Heros, C de los; Detwiler, J; Dracos, M; Drexlin, G; Efremenko, Y; Ejiri, H; Falchini, E; Fatemi-Ghomi, N; Finger, M Ch; Finger Miroslav, Ch; Fiorillo, G; Fiorini, E; Fracasso, S; Frekers, D; Fushimi, K I; Gascon, J; Genest, M H; Georgadze, A; Giuliani, A; Goeger-Neff, M; Gomez-Cadenas, J J; Greenfield, M; H de Jesus, J; Hallin, A; Hannestad, St; Hirai, Sh; Hoessl, J; Ianni, A; Ieva, M B; Ishihara, N; Jullian, S; Kaim, S; Kajino, T; Kayser, B; Kochetov, O; Kopylov, A; Kortelainen, M; Kroeninger, K; Lachenmaier, T; Lalanne, D; Lanfranchi, J C; Lazauskas, R; Lemrani, A R; Li, J; Mansoulie, B; Marquet, Ch; Martinez, J; Mirizzi, A; Morfin Jorge, G; Motz, H; Murphy, A; Navas, S; Niedermeier, L; Nishiura, H; Nomachi, M; Nones, C.; Ogawa, H; Ogawa, I; Ohsumi, H; Palladino, V; Paniccia, M; Perotto, L; Petcov, S; Pfister, S; Piquemal, F; Poves, A; Praet, Ch; Raffelt, G; Ramberg, E; Rashba, T; Regnault, N; Ricol, J St; Rodejohann, W; Rodin, V; Ruz, J; Sander, Ch; Sarazin, X; Scholberg, K; Sigl, G; Simkovic, F; Sousa, A; Stanev, T; Strolger, L; Suekane, F; Thomas, J; Titov, N; Toivanen, J; Torrente-Lujan, E; Tytler, D; Vala, L; Vignaud, D; Vitiello, G; Vogel, P; Volkov, G; Volpe, C; Wong, H; Yilmazer, A

2006-07-01

This second symposium on neutrinos and dark matter is aimed at discussing research frontiers and perspectives on currently developing subjects. It has been organized around 6 topics: 1) double beta decays, theory and experiments (particularly: GERDA, MOON, SuperNEMO, CUORE, CANDLES, EXO, and DCBA), 2) neutrinos and nuclear physics, 3) single beta decays and nu-responses, 4) neutrino astrophysics, 5) solar neutrino review, and 6) neutrino oscillations. This document is made up of the slides of the presentations.

NDM06: 2. symposium on neutrinos and dark matter in nuclear physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akerib, D.; Arnold, R.; Balantekin, A.; Barabash, A.; Barnabe, H.; Baroni, S.; Baussan, E.; Bellini, F.; Bobisut, F.; Bongrand, M.; Brofferio, Ch.; Capolupo, A.; Carrara Enrico; Caurier, E.; Cermak, P.; Chardin, G.; Civitarese, O.; Couchot, F.; Kerret, H. de; Heros, C. de los; Detwiler, J.; Dracos, M.; Drexlin, G.; Efremenko, Y.; Ejiri, H.; Falchini, E.; Fatemi-Ghomi, N.; Finger, M.Ch.; Finger Miroslav, Ch.; Fiorillo, G.; Fiorini, E.; Fracasso, S.; Frekers, D.; Fushimi, K.I.; Gascon, J.; Genest, M.H.; Georgadze, A.; Giuliani, A.; Goeger-Neff, M.; Gomez-Cadenas, J.J.; Greenfield, M.; H de Jesus, J.; Hallin, A.; Hannestad, St.; Hirai, Sh.; Hoessl, J.; Ianni, A.; Ieva, M.B.; Ishihara, N.; Jullian, S.; Kaim, S.; Kajino, T.; Kayser, B.; Kochetov, O.; Kopylov, A.; Kortelainen, M.; Kroeninger, K.; Lachenmaier, T.; Lalanne, D.; Lanfranchi, J.C.; Lazauskas, R.; Lemrani, A.R.; Li, J.; Mansoulie, B.; Marquet, Ch.; Martinez, J.; Mirizzi, A.; Morfin Jorge, G.; Motz, H.; Murphy, A.; Navas, S.; Niedermeier, L.; Nishiura, H.; Nomachi, M.; Nones, C.; Ogawa, H.; Ogawa, I.; Ohsumi, H.; Palladino, V.; Paniccia, M.; Perotto, L.; Petcov, S.; Pfister, S.; Piquemal, F.; Poves, A.; Praet, Ch.; Raffelt, G.; Ramberg, E.; Rashba, T.; Regnault, N.; Ricol, J.St.; Rodejohann, W.; Rodin, V.; Ruz, J.; Sander, Ch.; Sarazin, X.; Scholberg, K.; Sigl, G.; Simkovic, F.; Sousa, A.; Stanev, T.; Strolger, L.; Suekane, F.; Thomas, J.; Titov, N.; Toivanen, J.; Torrente-Lujan, E.; Tytler, D.; Vala, L.; Vignaud, D.; Vitiello, G.; Vogel, P.; Volkov, G.; Volpe, C.; Wong, H.; Yilmazer, A.

2006-01-01

This second symposium on neutrinos and dark matter is aimed at discussing research frontiers and perspectives on currently developing subjects. It has been organized around 6 topics: 1) double beta decays, theory and experiments (particularly: GERDA, MOON, SuperNEMO, CUORE, CANDLES, EXO, and DCBA), 2) neutrinos and nuclear physics, 3) single beta decays and nu-responses, 4) neutrino astrophysics, 5) solar neutrino review, and 6) neutrino oscillations. This document is made up of the slides of the presentations

Simulations of Bunch Merging in a Beta Beam Decay Ring

CERN Document Server

Heinrich, Daniel Christopher; Chance, Antoine

2011-01-01

To further study neutrino oscillation properties a Beta Beam facility has been proposed. Beta decaying ions with high kinetic energy are stored in a storage ring ("Decay Ring") with straight sections to create pure focused (anti) electron neutrino beams. However to reach high sensitivity to neutrino oscillation parameters in the experiment the bunched beam intensity and duty cycle in the DR have to be optimized. The first CERN-based scenario, using 6He and 18Ne as neutrino sources, has been studied using a bunch merging RF scheme. Two RF cavities at different frequencies are used to capture newly injected bunches and then merge them into the stored bunches. It was shown that this scheme could satisfy the requirements on intensity and duty cycle set by the experiment. This merging scheme has now been revised with new simulation software providing new results for 6He and 18Ne. Furthermore bunch merging has been studied for the second CERN-based scenario using 8Li and 8B.

The {beta}-decay Paul trap: A radiofrequency-quadrupole ion trap for precision {beta}-decay studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scielzo, N.D., E-mail: scielzo1@llnl.gov [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Li, G. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2T8 (Canada); Sternberg, M.G.; Savard, G. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Bertone, P.F. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Buchinger, F. [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2T8 (Canada); Caldwell, S. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Clark, J.A. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Crawford, J. [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2T8 (Canada); Deibel, C.M. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States); Fallis, J. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2 (Canada); Greene, J.P. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); and others

2012-07-21

The {beta}-decay Paul trap is a linear radiofrequency-quadrupole ion trap that has been developed for precision {beta}-decay studies. The design of the trap electrodes allows a variety of radiation detectors to surround the cloud of trapped ions. The momentum of the low-energy recoiling daughter nuclei following {beta} decay is negligibly perturbed by scattering and is available for study. This advantageous property of traps allows the kinematics of particles that are difficult or even impossible to directly detect to be precisely reconstructed using conservation of energy and momentum. An ion-trap system offers several advantages over atom traps, such as higher trapping efficiencies and element-independent capabilities. The first precision experiment using this system is a measurement of {beta}-decay angular correlations in the decay of {sup 8}Li performed by inferring the momentum of the neutrino from the kinematic shifts imparted to the breakup {alpha} particles. Many other {beta}-decay studies that would benefit from a determination of the nuclear recoil can be performed with this system.

Neutrino 2004: Collection of Presentations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The scientific program covers the latest developments in neutrino physics, astrophysics and related topics through a set of invited talks and 2 poster sessions. The following issues are addressed: - solar neutrinos, - atmospheric neutrinos, - short and long baseline experiments, - neutrino oscillations, - double beta decay, - direct neutrino mass limits, - theory for neutrino masses, neutrino telescopes and ultra-high energy neutrinos, - dark matter searches, - neutrino in astrophysics and cosmology, and - future projects beams and experiments

Neutrino 2004: Collection of Presentations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

The scientific program covers the latest developments in neutrino physics, astrophysics and related topics through a set of invited talks and 2 poster sessions. The following issues are addressed: - solar neutrinos, - atmospheric neutrinos, - short and long baseline experiments, - neutrino oscillations, - double beta decay, - direct neutrino mass limits, - theory for neutrino masses, neutrino telescopes and ultra-high energy neutrinos, - dark matter searches, - neutrino in astrophysics and cosmology, and - future projects beams and experiments.

The Majorana Double Beta Decay Experiment:. Present Status

Science.gov (United States)

Aguayo, E.; Avignone, F. T.; Back, H. O.; Barabash, A. S.; Beene, J. R.; Bergevin, M.; Bertrand, F. E.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, M.; Chan, Y.-D.; Christofferson, C. D.; Collar, J. I.; Combs, D. C.; Cooper, R. J.; Detwiler, J. A.; Doe, P. J.; Efremenko, Yu.; Egorov, V.; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Esterline, J.; Fast, J. E.; Fields, N.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, F. M.; Gehman, V. M.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M. P.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Gusey, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Henning, R.; Hime, A.; Hoppe, E. W.; Horton, M.; Howard, S.; Howe, M. A.; Johnson, R. A.; Keeter, K. J.; Keller, C.; Kidd, M. F.; Knecht, A.; Kochetov, O.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; Laferriere, B. D.; Laroque, B. H.; Leon, J.; Leviner, L. E.; Loach, J. C.; Macmullin, S.; Marino, M. G.; Martin, R. D.; Mei, D.-M.; Merriman, J. H.; Miller, M. L.; Mizouni, L.; Nomachi, M.; Orrell, J. L.; Overman, N. R.; Phillips, D. G.; Poon, A. W. P.; Perumpilly, G.; Prior, G.; Radford, D. C.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, A. G.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, K. J.; Steele, D.; Strain, J.; Thomas, K.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Vanyushin, I.; Varner, R. L.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A. R.; Yu, C.-H.; Yumatov, V. I.; Zhang, C.

2013-11-01

The Majorana collaboration is actively pursuing research and development aimed at a tonne-scale 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) experiment. The current, primary focus is the construction of the Majorana Demonstrator experiment, an R&D effort that will field approximately 40 kg of germanium detectors with mixed enrichment levels. This article provides a status update on the construction of the Demonstrator.

On the importance of low-energy beta-beams for supernova neutrino physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jachowicz, N.; McLaughlin, G.C.

2005-01-01

Beta beams, which are neutrino beams produced by the beta decay of nuclei that have been accelerated to high gamma factor, were original proposed for high energy applications, such as the measurement of the third neutrino mixing angle θ 13 . Volpe suggested that a beta beam run at lower gamma factor, would be useful for neutrino measurements in the tens of MeV range. We suggest to exploit the flexibility these beta beam facilities offer, combined with the fact that beta-beam neutrino energies overlap with supernova-neutrino energies, to construct 'synthetic' spectra that approximate an incoming supernova-neutrino energy-distribution. Using these constructed spectra we are able to reproduce total and differential folded supernova-neutrino cross-sections very accurately. We illustrate this technique using Deuterium, 16 O, and 208 Pb. This technique provides an easy and straightforward way to apply the results of a beta-beam neutrino-nucleus measurement to the corresponding supernova-neutrino detector, virtually eliminating potential uncertainties due to nuclear-structure calculations. (author)

Neutrino mass from Cosmology

CERN Document Server

Lesgourgues, Julien

2012-01-01

Neutrinos can play an important role in the evolution of the Universe, modifying some of the cosmological observables. In this contribution we summarize the main aspects of cosmological relic neutrinos and we describe how the precision of present cosmological data can be used to learn about neutrino properties, in particular their mass, providing complementary information to beta decay and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. We show how the analysis of current cosmological observations, such as the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background or the distribution of large-scale structure, provides an upper bound on the sum of neutrino masses of order 1 eV or less, with very good perspectives from future cosmological measurements which are expected to be sensitive to neutrino masses well into the sub-eV range.

Hamiltonian Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods for the CUORE Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Eleanor; Cuore Collaboration

2017-09-01

The CUORE experiment is a large-scale bolometric detector seeking to observe the never-before-seen process of neutrinoless double beta decay. Predictions for CUORE's sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay allow for an understanding of the half-life ranges that the detector can probe, and also to evaluate the relative importance of different detector parameters. Currently, CUORE uses a Bayesian analysis based in BAT, which uses Metropolis-Hastings Markov Chain Monte Carlo, for its sensitivity studies. My work evaluates the viability and potential improvements of switching the Bayesian analysis to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, realized through the program Stan and its Morpho interface. I demonstrate that the BAT study can be successfully recreated in Stan, and perform a detailed comparison between the results and computation times of the two methods.

Two neutrino double-β decay of 94 ≤ A ≤ 150 nuclei for the 0{sup +} → 2{sup +} transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Yash Kaur; Chandra, R. [Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Department of Applied Physics, Lucknow (India); Raina, P.K. [Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Ropar, Rupnagar (India); Rath, P.K. [University of Lucknow, Department of Physics, Lucknow (India)

2017-12-15

Within the PHFB approach, the 0{sup +} → 2{sup +} transition of two neutrino double-β decay of {sup 94,96}Zr, {sup 100}Mo, {sup 104}Ru, {sup 110}Pd, {sup 128,130}Te and {sup 150}Nd isotopes is studied employing wave functions generated with four different parametrizations of the pairing plus multipole type of two-nucleon interaction and the summation method. In comparison to the 0{sup +} → 0{sup +} transition, the nuclear transition matrix elements M{sub 2ν} (2{sup +}) are quite sensitive to the deformation of the yrast 2{sup +} state. Consideration of the available theoretical and experimental results suggests that the observation of the 0{sup +} → 2{sup +} transition of 2νβ{sup -}β{sup -} decay may be possible in {sup 96}Zr, {sup 100}Mo, {sup 130}Te and {sup 150}Nd isotopes. The effect of deformation on the M{sub 2ν} (2{sup +}) is also studied. (orig.)

Workshop on low energy neutrino physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

The main topics of the workshop are: the determination of the neutrino mixing angle theta-13, the experiments concerning the monitoring of reactors based on the measurement of neutrino spectra, solar neutrinos, supernovae neutrinos, geo-neutrinos, neutrino properties, neutrinoless double beta decay and future low energy neutrino detectors. This document gathers together the program of the workshop, the slides of the presentations, some abstracts and some posters

Surface Alpha Interactions in P-Type Point-Contact HPGe Detectors: Maximizing Sensitivity of 76Ge Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Searches

Science.gov (United States)

Gruszko, Julieta

Though the existence of neutrino oscillations proves that neutrinos must have non-zero mass, Beyond-the-Standard-Model physics is needed to explain the origins of that mass. One intriguing possibility is that neutrinos are Majorana particles, i.e., they are their own anti-particles. Such a mechanism could naturally explain the observed smallness of the neutrino masses, and would have consequences that go far beyond neutrino physics, with implications for Grand Unification and leptogenesis. If neutrinos are Majorana particles, they could undergo neutrinoless double-beta decay (0nBB), a hypothesized rare decay in which two antineutrinos annihilate one another. This process, if it exists, would be exceedingly rare, with a half-life over 1E25 years. Therefore, searching for it requires experiments with extremely low background rates. One promising technique in the search for 0nBB is the use of P-type point-contact (P-PC) high-purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors enriched in 76Ge, operated in large low-background arrays. This approach is used, with some key differences, by the MAJORANA and GERDA Collaborations. A problematic background in such large granular detector arrays is posed by alpha particles incident on the surfaces of the detectors, often caused by 222Rn contamination of parts or of the detectors themselves. In the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, events have been observed that are consistent with energy-degraded alphas originating near the passivated surface of the detectors, leading to a potential background contribution in the region-of-interest for neutrinoless double-beta decay. However, it is also observed that when energy deposition occurs very close to the passivated surface, high charge trapping occurs along with subsequent slow charge re-release. This leads to both a reduced prompt signal and a measurable change in slope of the tail of a recorded pulse. Here we discuss the characteristics of these events and the development of a filter that can identify the

Gerda: A new 76Ge Double Beta Decay Experiment at Gran Sasso

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simgen, Hardy

2005-01-01

In the new 76 Ge double beta decay experiment Gerda [I. Abt et al., arXiv hep-ex/0404039; Gerda proposal, to be submitted to the Gran Sasso scientific committee] bare diodes of enriched 76 Ge will be operated in highly pure liquid nitrogen or argon. The goal is to reduce the background around Q ββ =2039 keV below 10 -3 counts/(kg-bar keV-bar y). With presently available diodes from the Igex and HdMs experiments the current evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay [H.-V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, et al., Mod. Phys. Lett. A16 (2001) 2409ff] can unambigously be checked within one year of measurement

Neutrino mass?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kayser, B.

1992-01-01

After arguing that we should be looking for evidence of neutrino mass, we illustrate the possible consequences of neutrino mass and mixing. We then turn to the question of whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles, and to the process which may answer this question: neutrinoless double beta decay. Next, we review the proposed Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein solution to the solar neutrino problem, and discuss models which can generate neutrino electromagnetic moments large enough to play a role in the sun. Finally, we consider how the possible 17 keV neutrino, if real, would fit in with everything we know about neutrinos. (orig.)

Neutrino mass and mixing, and non-accelerator experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, R.G.H.

1992-01-01

We review the current status of experimental knowledge about neutrinos derived from kinematic mass measurements, neutrino oscillation searches at reactors and accelerators, solar neutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and single and double beta decay. The solar neutrino results yield fairly strong and consistent indication that neutrino oscillations are occurring. Other evidence for new physics is less consistent and convincing

The experimental status of neutrino masses and mixings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, R.G.H.

1992-01-01

We review the current status of experimental knowledge about neutrinos derived from kinematic mass measurements, neutrino oscillation searches at reactors and accelerators, solar neutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and single and double beta decay. The solar neutrino results yield fairly strong and consistent indications that neutrino oscillations are occurring. Other evidence for new physics is less consistent and convincing

Results on neutrinoless double beta decay from GERDA phase I

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2013-01-01

After motivating searches of double beta decay and lepton number violation details about the construction, operation and analysis of GERDA will be given. Results of the recently completed phase I of data taking will then be presented and interpreted. Finally an outlook on future plans will be given.

Exploration of the neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe nucleus by the 'KamLAND-Zen' experiment. Results of the first phase and future prospect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Satoru; Shirai, Junpei

2013-01-01

Exploration of the double beta decay without neutrino production (0 ν ββ decay) has come to be considered as one of the clues to the new physics beyond the standard model in the recent years. Searching for this phenomenon is the only possible method to verify if the neutrino itself be the equal particle of the antineutrino (Majorana particle) or not. If this decay process is found, it is the discovery of the nonconservative process of the total lepton number which goes beyond the standard theory. At the same time, it confirms that the neutrinos are the Majorana particles. In addition, from the decay half-lives, the absolute value of neutrino mass and hierarchy as well as the new knowledge of the CP violation in the lepton sector are expected to be obtained. Further progress is expected toward the development of the research of the particle creation mechanism at the beginning of the universe. Strong competitions are now being developed throughout the world to become the first to discover the phenomenon to go beyond the standard theory. In this text, the underground facility of KamLAND-Zen experiment with remodeled KamLAND detector with large amount of 136 Xe isotope is introduced and the results of the data obtained and analyzed by June 2012 are reported. Future prospect is described finally. (S. Funahashi)

Measurement of Radon-Induced Backgrounds in the NEXT Double Beta Decay Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Novella, P.; et al.

2018-04-02

The measurement of the internal 222Rn activity in the NEXT-White detector during the so-called Run-II period with 136Xe-depleted xenon is discussed in detail, together with its implications for double beta decay searches in NEXT. The activity is measured through the alpha production rate induced in the fiducial volume by 222Rn and its alpha-emitting progeny. The specific activity is measured to be $(37.5\\pm 2.3~\\mathrm{(stat.)}\\pm 5.9~\\mathrm{(syst.)})$~mBq/m$^3$. Radon-induced electrons have also been characterized from the decay of the 214Bi daughter ions plating out on the cathode of the time projection chamber. From our studies, we conclude that radon-induced backgrounds are sufficiently low to enable a successful NEXT-100 physics program, as the projected rate contribution should not exceed 0.2~counts/yr in the neutrinoless double beta decay sample.

Beta Beams: an accelerator based facility to explore Neutrino oscillation physics

CERN Document Server

Wildner, E; Hansen, C; De Melo Mendonca, T; Stora, T; Payet, J; Chance, A; Zorin, V; Izotov, I; Rasin, S; Sidorov, A; Skalyga, V; De Angelis, G; Prete, G; Cinausero, M; Kravchuk, VL; Gramegna, F; Marchi, T; Collazuol, G; De Rosa, G; Delbar, T; Loiselet, M; Keutgen, T; Mitrofanov, S; Lamy, T; Latrasse, L; Marie-Jeanne, M; Sortais, P; Thuillier, T; Debray, F; Trophime, C; Hass, M; Hirsh, T; Berkovits, D; Stahl, A

2011-01-01

The discovery that the neutrino changes flavor as it travels through space has implications for the Standard Model of particle physics (SM)[1]. To know the contribution of neutrinos to the SM, needs precise measurements of the parameters governing the neutrino oscillations. This will require a high intensity beam-based neutrino oscillation facility. The EURONu Design Study will review three currently accepted methods of realizing this facility (the so-called Super-Beams, Beta Beams and Neutrino Factories) and perform a cost assessment that, coupled with the physics performance, will give means to the European research authorities to make a decision on the layout and construction of the future European neutrino oscillation facility. ”Beta Beams” produce collimated pure electron neutrino and antineutrino beams by accelerating beta active ions to high energies and letting them decay in a race-track shaped storage ring. EURONu Beta Beams are based on CERNs infrastructure and the fact that some of the already ...

Effective Majorana neutrino decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duarte, Lucia [Instituto de Fisica, Facultad de Ingenieria,Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo (Uruguay); Romero, Ismael; Peressutti, Javier; Sampayo, Oscar A. [Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Departamento de Fisica, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicas de Mar del Plata (IFIMAR) CONICET, UNMDP, Mar del Plata (Argentina)

2016-08-15

We study the decay of heavy sterile Majorana neutrinos according to the interactions obtained from an effective general theory. We describe the two- and three-body decays for a wide range of neutrino masses. The results obtained and presented in this work could be useful for the study of the production and detection of these particles in a variety of high energy physics experiments and astrophysical observations. We show in different figures the dominant branching ratios and the total decay width. (orig.)

A combined treatment of neutrino decay and neutrino oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindner, Manfred; Ohlsson, Tommy; Winter, Walter

2001-01-01

Neutrino decay in vacuum has often been considered as an alternative to neutrino oscillations. Because nonzero neutrino masses imply the possibility of both neutrino decay and neutrino oscillations, we present a model-independent formal treatment of these combined scenarios. For that, we show for the example of Majoron decay that in many cases decay products are observable and may even oscillate. Furthermore, we construct a minimal scenario in which we study the physical implications of neutrino oscillations with intermediate decays

Neutrino parameters with magical beta-beam at INO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agarwalla, Sanjib Kumar; Choubey, Sandhya; Raychaudhuri, Amitava [Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad (India)], E-mail: sanjib@hri.res.in

2008-11-01

We have studied the physics reach of an experiment where neutrinos produced in a beta-beam facility at CERN are observed in a large magnetized iron calorimeter (ICAL) at the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO). The idea of beta-beam is based on the production of a pure, intense, collimated beam of electron neutrinos or their antiparticles via the beta decay of accelerated radioactive ions circulating in a storage ring. Interestingly, the CERN-INO distance of 7152 km happens to be tantalizingly close to the so-called 'magic' baseline where the sensitivity to the neutrino mass ordering (sign of {delta}m{sup 2}{sub 31} {identical_to} m{sup 2}{sub 3} - m{sup 2}{sub 1}) and more importantly, {theta}{sub 13}, goes up significantly, while the sensitivity to the unknown CP phase is absent. This permits such an experiment involving the golden P{sub e{mu}} channel to make precise measurements of the mixing angle {theta}{sub 13} and neutrino mass hierarchy avoiding the issues of intrinsic degeneracies and correlations which plague other baselines.

Isotensor Axial Polarizability and Lattice QCD Input for Nuclear Double- \beta Decay Phenomenology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shanahan, Phiala E.; Tiburzi, Brian C.; Wagman, Michael L.; Winter, Frank; Chang, Emmanuel; Davoudi, Zohreh; Detmold, William; Orginos, Kostas; Savage, Martin J.

2017-08-01

The potential importance of short-distance nuclear effects in double-$\\beta$ decay is assessed using a lattice QCD calculation of the $nn\\rightarrow pp$ transition and effective field theory methods. At the unphysical quark masses used in the numerical computation, these effects, encoded in the isotensor axial polarisability, are found to be of similar magnitude to the nuclear modification of the single axial current, which phenomenologically is the quenching of the axial charge used in nuclear many-body calculations. This finding suggests that nuclear models for neutrinoful and neutrinoless double-$\\beta$ decays should incorporate this previously neglected contribution if they are to provide reliable guidance for next-generation neutrinoless double-$\\beta$ decay searches. The prospects of constraining the isotensor axial polarisabilities of nuclei using lattice QCD input into nuclear many-body calculations are discussed.

Radon and material radiopurity assessment for the NEXT double beta decay experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cebrián, S.; Dafni, T.; González-Díaz, D.; Herrera, D. C.; Irastorza, I. G.; Luzón, G.; Ortiz de Solórzano, A.; Villar, J. A. [Laboratorio de Física Nuclear y Astropartículas, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/ Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza (Spain); Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc, Paseo de los Ayerbe s/n, 22880 Canfranc Estación, Huesca (Spain); Pérez, J. [Instituto de Física Teórica, UAM/CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Bandac, I. [Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc, Paseo de los Ayerbe s/n, 22880 Canfranc Estación, Huesca (Spain); Labarga, L. [Dpto. de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Álvarez, V.; Cárcel, S.; Cervera, A.; Díaz, J.; Ferrario, P.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; Laing, A.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N. [Instituto de Física Corpuscular, CSIC & Universitat de València, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); and others

2015-08-17

The ”Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC” (NEXT), intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure xenon gas TPC filled with Xe enriched in {sup 136}Xe at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in Spain, requires ultra-low background conditions demanding an exhaustive control of material radiopurity and environmental radon levels. An extensive material screening process is underway for several years based mainly on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors in Canfranc but also on mass spectrometry techniques like GDMS and ICPMS. Components from shielding, pressure vessel, electroluminescence and high voltage elements and energy and tracking readout planes have been analyzed, helping in the final design of the experiment and in the construction of the background model. The latest measurements carried out will be presented and the implication on NEXT of their results will be discussed. The commissioning of the NEW detector, as a first step towards NEXT, has started in Canfranc; in-situ measurements of airborne radon levels were taken there to optimize the system for radon mitigation and will be shown too.

Visible neutrino decay at DUNE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coloma, Pilar [Fermilab; Peres, Orlando G. [ICTP, Trieste

2017-05-09

If the heaviest neutrino mass eigenstate is unstable, its decay modes could include lighter neutrino eigenstates. In this case part of the decay products could be visible, as they would interact at neutrino detectors via mixing. At neutrino oscillation experiments, a characteristic signature of such \\emph{visible neutrino decay} would be an apparent excess of events at low energies. We focus on a simple phenomenological model in which the heaviest neutrino decays as $\

Neutron Interactions in the CUORE Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dolinski, Michelle Jean [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2008-10-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0vDBD) is a lepton-number violating process that can occur only for a massive Majorana neutrino. The search for 0vDBD is currently the only practical experimental way to determine whether neutrinos are identical to their own antiparticles (Majorana neutrinos) or have distinct particle and anti-particle states (Dirac neutrinos). In addition, the observation of 0vDBD can provide information about the absolute mass scale of the neutrino. The Cuoricino experiment was a sensitive search for 0vDBD, as well as a proof of principle for the next generation experiment, CUORE. CUORE will search for 0vDBD of ¹³⁰Te with a ton-scale array of unenriched TeO₂ bolometers. By increasing mass and decreasing the background for 0vDBD, the half-life sensitivity of CUORE will be a factor of twenty better than that of Cuoricino. The site for both of these experiments is the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, an underground laboratory with 3300 meters water equivalent rock overburden and a cosmic ray muon attenuation factor of 10^-6. Because of the extreme low background requirements for CUORE, it is important that all potential sources of background in the 0vDBD peak region at 2530 keV are well understood. One potential source of background for CUORE comes from neutrons, which can be produced underground both by (α,n) reactions and by fast cosmic ray muon interactions. Preliminary simulations by the CUORE collaboration indicate that these backgrounds will be negligible for CUORE. However, in order to accurately simulate the expected neutron background, it is important to understand the cross sections for neutron interactions with detector materials. In order to help refine these simulations, I have measured the gamma-ray production cross sections for interactions of neutrons on the abundant stable isotopes of Te using the GEANIE detector array at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. In addition, I have used the GEANIE

Neutrinoless double beta decay searches with 76Ge

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay might be the only window to observe lepton number violation. Its observation would favour the leptogenesis mechanism for the explanation of the baryon asymmetry of the universe and is therefore considered to be of highest relevance. The isotope 76Ge has historically been most important for this search and the ongoing experiment GERDA has the lowest background of all experiments in the field. The talk reviews the motivation, the current status of experiments and future programs.

Search for a bosonic component in the neutrino wave function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tornow, W.

2010-01-01

Recently, Dolgov and Smirnov speculated that neutrinos may not obey the principle named after their inventor, the Pauli Principle. The neutrino wave function may contain a bosonic component. In principle, two-neutrino double-beta (2ν2β) decay data could be used to check on the conjecture that neutrinos violate the Pauli Principle. Recent 2ν2β data on 100 Mo to both the ground state and excited states in 100 Ru will be used to illustrate the procedure.

From the measurement of the θ13 mixing angle to the search for geo-neutrinos: studying νe-bare with Double Chooz and Borexino

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roncin, Romain

2014-01-01

Double Chooz is a reactor neutrino oscillation experiment which aims at measuring the θ 13 mixing angle thanks to two identical detectors located at different distances from the two reactors of the Chooz nuclear power plant, in the French Ardennes. While the near detector will start taking data in fall 2014 to normalize the flux of the neutrinos emitted by the nuclear reactors, the far detector is running since April 2011 and allows to observe the neutrinos disappearance through the neutrino oscillation phenomenon. This thesis is also dedicated to the Borexino experiment which was designed to observe solar neutrinos. Due to its low background level as well as its position in a nuclear free country, Italy, Borexino is also sensitive to geo-neutrinos. This thesis presents both the Double Chooz and Borexino experiments, from the description of the detectors to the main results, with a special attention to the background and its rejection. Studies on the neutrino directionality with these two experiments are also detailed. In the case of Double Chooz, since the neutrinos are coming from the two nuclear reactors, the precision of the analysis method can be assessed. This thesis presents also for the first time the possibility to retrieve the initial direction of the neutrinos when the neutrons created in the inverse beta decay reactions are captured on hydrogen. In the case of Borexino, neutrino directionality information could facilitate the discrimination between geo-neutrinos and neutrinos from nuclear reactors. (author) [fr

Neutrinoless double-beta decay and dark matter search with GENIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.; Kolb, S.

2000-01-01

The potential of the GENIUS (GErmanium in liquid NItrogen Underground Setup) experiment, proposed the successor of the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment, for the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, the direct search for neutralino Cold Dark Matter and for other physics beyond the Standard Model are presented. The current status of the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment will be reviewed [ru

Neutrinoless double-beta decay and dark matter search with GENIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.; Kolb, St.

2000-01-01

The potential of the GENIUS (GErmanium in liquid NItrogen Underground Setup) experiment, proposed as the successor of the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment, for the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, the direct search for neutralino Cold Dark Matter, and for other physics beyond the Standard Model will be presented. The current status of the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment will be reviewed

Determination of the Electron Neutrino Mass from Experiments on Electron-Capture Beta-Decay (EC)

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

The aim of the programme is to measure the electron-neutrino mass, for which at present an upper limit of 500~eV is known. \\\\ \\\\ The experiment studies the shape of the internal bremsstrahlung spectrum in electron-capture near its upper end-point and deduces a mass from small shape changes completely analogous to those in the well-known determination of the electron antineutrino mass in the tritium beta-minus decay. \\\\ \\\\ In a low-energy bremsstrahlung process, the capture takes place from a virtual S state associated with a radiative P~@A~S electromagnetic transition, and the resonant nature of the process leads to important enhancements of the photon intensities at low energy, in particular near the resonance energies co (X-rays). This effect gives this type of experiment a chance to compete with experiments on continuous beta spectra. \\\\ \\\\ The programme concentrates on two long-lived isotopes: \\\\ \\\\ 1)~~|1|6|3Ho. The Q value for this isotope has been found to be 2.6-2.7 keV. A detector specially construct...

GENIUS Project, Neutrino Oscillations and Cosmology: Neutrinos Reveal Their Nature ?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czakon, M.; Studnik, J.; Zralek, M.; Gluza, J.

2000-01-01

The neutrinoless double beta decay as well as any other laboratory experiment has not been able to answer the question of the neutrino's nature. Hints on the answer are available when neutrino oscillations and (ββ) 0ν are considered simultaneously. In this case phenomenologically interesting neutrino mass schemes can lead to non-vanishing and large values of (m ν ). As a consequence, some schemes with Majorana neutrinos can be ruled out even now. If we assume that in addition neutrinos contribute to Hot Dark Matter then the window for Majorana neutrinos is even more restricted, e.g. GENIUS experiment will be sensitive to scenarios with three Majorana neutrinos. (author)

Neutrinoless double beta decay in chiral effective field theory: lepton number violation at dimension seven

Science.gov (United States)

Cirigliano, V.; Dekens, W.; de Vries, J.; Graesser, M. L.; Mereghetti, E.

2017-12-01

We analyze neutrinoless double beta decay (0 νββ) within the framework of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory. Apart from the dimension-five Weinberg operator, the first contributions appear at dimension seven. We classify the operators and evolve them to the electroweak scale, where we match them to effective dimension-six, -seven, and -nine operators. In the next step, after renormalization group evolution to the QCD scale, we construct the chiral Lagrangian arising from these operators. We develop a power-counting scheme and derive the two-nucleon 0 νββ currents up to leading order in the power counting for each lepton-number-violating operator. We argue that the leading-order contribution to the decay rate depends on a relatively small number of nuclear matrix elements. We test our power counting by comparing nuclear matrix elements obtained by various methods and by different groups. We find that the power counting works well for nuclear matrix elements calculated from a specific method, while, as in the case of light Majorana neutrino exchange, the overall magnitude of the matrix elements can differ by factors of two to three between methods. We calculate the constraints that can be set on dimension-seven lepton-number-violating operators from 0 νββ experiments and study the interplay between dimension-five and -seven operators, discussing how dimension-seven contributions affect the interpretation of 0 νββ in terms of the effective Majorana mass m ββ .

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with CUORE-0: Physics Results and Detector Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Canonica, L.

2016-08-01

The CUORE-0 experiment searches for neutrinoless double beta decay in ^{130}Te. It consists of an array of 52 tellurium dioxide crystals, operated as bolometers at a temperature of 10 mK, with a total mass of about 39 kg of TeO_2. CUORE-0 has been built to test the performance of the upcoming CUORE experiment and represents the largest ^{130}Te bolometric setup currently in operation. This experiment has been running in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, Italy, since March 2013. We report the results of a search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 9.8 kg years ^{130}Te exposure, which allowed us to set the most stringent limit to date on this half-life. The performance of the detector in terms of background rate and energy resolution are also reported.

Neutrinoless double beta decay with 82SeF6 and direct ion imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Nygren, D. R.; Jones, B. J. P.; López-March, N.; Mei, Y.; Psihas, F.; Renner, J.

2018-03-01

We present a new neutrinoless double beta decay concept: the high pressure selenium hexafluoride gas time projection chamber. A promising new detection technique is outlined which combines techniques pioneered in high pressure xenon gas, such as topological discrimination, with the high Q-value afforded by the double beta decay isotope 82Se. The lack of free electrons in SeF6 mandates the use of an ion TPC. The microphysics of ion production and drift, which have many nuances, are explored. Background estimates are presented, suggesting that such a detector may achieve background indices of better than 1 count per ton per year in the region of interest at the 100 kg scale, and still better at the ton-scale.

Phase II Upgrade of the GERDA Experiment for the Search of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

Science.gov (United States)

Majorovits, B.

Observation of neutrinoless double beta decay could answer the question regarding the Majorana or Dirac nature of neutrinos. The GERDA experiment utilizes HPGe detectors enriched with the isotope 76Ge to search for this process. Recently the GERDA collaboration has unblinded data of Phase I of the experiment. In order to further improve the sensitivity of the experiment, additionally to the coaxial detectors used, 30 BEGe detectors made from germanium enriched in 76Ge will be deployed in GERDA Phase II. BEGe detectors have superior PSD capability, thus the background can be further reduced. The liquid argon surrounding the detector array will be instrumented in order to reject background by detecting scintillation light induced in the liquid argon by radiation. After a short introduction the hardware preparations for GERDA Phase II as well as the processing and characterization of the 30 BEGe detectors are discussed.

New approach to the search for neutrinoless double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghavan, R.S.

1994-01-01

Sub-eV Majorana neutrino masses left-angle m ν right-angle, can be explored by a new approach to neutrinoless double β decay using 136 Xe in a Xe gas-loaded, multiton liquid scintillator installed in a very low background detector such as the Kamiokande facility. With enriched 136 Xe, a readily implementable, 10 ton detector experiment can establish an left-angle m ν right-angle=0.45 eV at 3σ in 1 yr (or exclude an left-angle m ν right-angle ν right-angle ν right-angle <1.3 eV

A large scale double beta and dark matter experiment: GENIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellmig, J.; Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

1997-01-01

The recent results from the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment have demonstrated the large potential of double beta decay to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. To increase by a major step the present sensitivity for double beta decay and dark matter search much bigger source strengths and much lower backgrounds are needed than used in experiments under operation at present or under construction. We present here a study of a project proposed recently, which would operate one ton of 'naked' enriched germanium-detectors in liquid nitrogen as shielding in an underground setup (GENIUS). It improves the sensitivity to neutrino masses to 0.01 eV. A ten ton version would probe neutrino masses even down to 10 -3 eV. The first version would allow to test the atmospheric neutrino problem, the second at least part of the solar neutrino problem. Both versions would allow in addition significant contributions to testing several classes of GUT models. These are especially tests of R-parity breaking supersymmetry models, leptoquark masses and mechanism and right-handed W-boson masses comparable to LHC. The second issue of the experiment is the search for dark matter in the universe. The entire MSSM parameter space for prediction of neutralinos as dark matter particles could be covered already in a first step of the full experiment with the same purity requirements, but using only 100 kg of 76 Ge or even of natural Ge making the experiment competitive to LHC in the search for supersymmetry.The layout of the proposed experiment is discussed and the shielding and purity requirements are studied using GEANT Monte Carlo simulations. As a demonstration of the feasibility of theexperiment first results of operating a 'naked' Ge detector in liquid nitrogen are presented. (orig.)

Non-unitary neutrino propagation from neutrino decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berryman, Jeffrey M., E-mail: jeffreyberryman2012@u.northwestern.edu [Northwestern University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Gouvêa, André de; Hernández, Daniel [Northwestern University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Oliveira, Roberto L.N. [Northwestern University, Department of Physics & Astronomy, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo (Brazil)

2015-03-06

Neutrino propagation in space-time is not constrained to be unitary if very light states – lighter than the active neutrinos – exist into which neutrinos may decay. If this is the case, neutrino flavor-change is governed by a handful of extra mixing and “oscillation” parameters, including new sources of CP-invariance violation. We compute the transition probabilities in the two- and three-flavor scenarios and discuss the different phenomenological consequences of the new physics. These are qualitatively different from other sources of unitarity violation discussed in the literature.

Non-unitary neutrino propagation from neutrino decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, Jeffrey M.; Gouvêa, André de; Hernández, Daniel; Oliveira, Roberto L.N.

2015-01-01

Neutrino propagation in space-time is not constrained to be unitary if very light states – lighter than the active neutrinos – exist into which neutrinos may decay. If this is the case, neutrino flavor-change is governed by a handful of extra mixing and “oscillation” parameters, including new sources of CP-invariance violation. We compute the transition probabilities in the two- and three-flavor scenarios and discuss the different phenomenological consequences of the new physics. These are qualitatively different from other sources of unitarity violation discussed in the literature

Experimental search for a heavy neutrino in the beta spectrum of 35S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altzitzoglou, T.; Calaprice, F.; Dewey, M.; Lowry, M.; Piilonen, L.; Brorson, J.; Hagen, S.; Loeser, F.

1985-01-01

We present results of an experimental study of the shape of the energy spectrum for the decay 35 S→ 35 Cl+e - +ν/sub e/. The measurements were performed to search for evidence of a beta-decay branch with a heavy neutrino. No evidence for heavy neutrinos is observed. In particular, our limit for the branch to a 17-keV neutrino is 0.4%, in serious disagreement with the 3% branch claimed by Simpson

Beta and muon decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galindo, A.; Pascual, P.

1967-01-01

These notes represent a series of lectures delivered by the authors in the Junta de Energia Nuclear, during the Spring term of 1965. They were devoted to graduate students interested in the Theory of Elementary Particles. Special emphasis was focussed into the computational problems. Chapter I is a review of basic principles (Dirac equation, transition probabilities, final state interactions.) which will be needed later. In Chapter II the four-fermion punctual Interaction is discussed, Chapter III is devoted to the study of beta-decay; the main emphasis is given to the deduction of the formulae corresponding to electron-antineutrino correlation, electron energy spectrum, lifetimes, asymmetry of electrons emitted from polarized nuclei, electron and neutrino polarization and time reversal invariance in beta decay. In Chapter IV we deal with the decay of polarized muons with radiative corrections. Chapter V is devoted to an introduction to C.V.C. theory. (Author)

Beta and muon decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galindo, A; Pascual, P

1967-07-01

These notes represent a series of lectures delivered by the authors in the Junta de Energia Nuclear, during the Spring term of 1965. They were devoted to graduate students interested in the Theory of Elementary Particles. Special emphasis was focussed into the computational problems. Chapter I is a review of basic principles (Dirac equation, transition probabilities, final state interactions.) which will be needed later. In Chapter II the four-fermion punctual Interaction is discussed, Chapter III is devoted to the study of beta-decay; the main emphasis is given to the deduction of the formulae corresponding to electron-antineutrino correlation, electron energy spectrum, lifetimes, asymmetry of electrons emitted from polarized nuclei, electron and neutrino polarization and time reversal invariance in beta decay. In Chapter IV we deal with the decay of polarized muons with radiative corrections. Chapter V is devoted to an introduction to C.V.C. theory. (Author)

Study and conception of the decay ring of a neutrino facility using the {beta} decays of the helium 6 and neon 18 nuclei produced by an intense beam of protons hitting various targets; Etude et conception de l'anneau de desintegration d'une usine a neutrinos utilisant les decroissances {beta} des noyaux helium 6 et neon 18 produits par un faisceau intense de protons frappant diverses cibles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chance, A

2007-09-15

The study of the neutrino oscillation between its different flavours needs pure and very intense flux of energetic, well collimated neutrinos with a well determined energy spectrum. So, a dedicated machine seems necessary nowadays. Among the different concepts of neutrino facilities, the one which will be studied here, called Beta-Beams, lies on the neutrino production by beta decay of radioactive ions after their acceleration. More precisely, the thesis is focused on the study and the design of the race-track-shaped storage ring of the high energy ions. Its aim is to store the ions until decaying. After a brief description of the neutrino oscillation mechanism and a review of the different experiments, an introduction to the neutrino facility concept and more precisely to the Beta-Beams will be given. Then, the issues linked to the Beta-Beams will be presented. After a description of the beam transport formalism, a first design and the optical properties of the ring will be then given. The effects of the misalignment and of the field errors in the dipoles have been studied. The dynamic aperture optimization is then realized. Handling of the decay losses or the energy collimation scheme will be developed. The off-momentum injection needed in presence of a circulating beam will be explained. Finally, the specific radiofrequency program needed by the beam merging will be presented. (author)

PandaX-III: Searching for neutrinoless double beta decay with high pressure 136Xe gas time projection chambers

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xun; Fu, ChangBo; Galan, Javier; Giboni, Karl; Giuliani, Franco; Gu, LingHui; Han, Ke; Ji, XiangDong; Lin, Heng; Liu, JiangLai; Ni, KaiXiang; Kusano, Hiroki; Ren, XiangXiang; Wang, ShaoBo; Yang, Yong; Zhang, Dan; Zhang, Tao; Zhao, Li; Sun, XiangMing; Hu, ShouYang; Jian, SiYu; Li, XingLong; Li, XiaoMei; Liang, Hao; Zhang, HuanQiao; Zhao, MingRui; Zhou, Jing; Mao, YaJun; Qiao, Hao; Wang, SiGuang; Yuan, Ying; Wang, Meng; Khan, Amir N.; Raper, Neill; Tang, Jian; Wang, Wei; Dong, JiaNing; Feng, ChangQing; Li, Cheng; Liu, JianBei; Liu, ShuBin; Wang, XiaoLian; Zhu, DanYang; Castel, Juan F.; Cebrián, Susana; Dafni, Theopisti; Garza, Javier G.; Irastorza, Igor G.; Iguaz, Francisco J.; Luzón, Gloria; Mirallas, Hector; Aune, Stephan; Berthoumieux, Eric; Bedfer, Yann; Calvet, Denis; d'Hose, Nicole; Delbart, Alain; Diakaki, Maria; Ferrer-Ribas, Esther; Ferrero, Andrea; Kunne, Fabienne; Neyret, Damien; Papaevangelou, Thomas; Sabatié, Franck; Vanderbroucke, Maxence; Tan, AnDi; Haxton, Wick; Mei, Yuan; Kobdaj, Chinorat; Yan, Yu-Peng

2017-06-01

Searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay (NLDBD) is now regarded as the topmost promising technique to explore the nature of neutrinos after the discovery of neutrino masses in oscillation experiments. PandaX-III (particle and astrophysical xenon experiment III) will search for the NLDBD of 136Xe at the China Jin Ping Underground Laboratory (CJPL). In the first phase of the experiment, a high pressure gas Time Projection Chamber (TPC) will contain 200 kg, 90% 136Xe enriched gas operated at 10 bar. Fine pitch micro-pattern gas detector (Microbulk Micromegas) will be used at both ends of the TPC for the charge readout with a cathode in the middle. Charge signals can be used to reconstruct the electron tracks of the NLDBD events and provide good energy and spatial resolution. The detector will be immersed in a large water tank to ensure 5 m of water shielding in all directions. The second phase, a ton-scale experiment, will consist of five TPCs in the same water tank, with improved energy resolution and better control over backgrounds.

Measurement of neutrino electron scattering and inverse beta-decay of carbon using neutrinos from stopped muon decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakauer, D.A.

1992-04-01

Electron-neutrino electron elastic scattering and two-body electron- neutrino carbon scattering reactions were observed using a 15 ton fine-grained detector and neutrinos from μ + decay at rest. The data was obtained during an exposure to neutrinos produced in LAMPF proton beam-stop. Based on identification of 262±46 ν e e - events the total cross-section for ν e e - → ν e e - was measured to be σ(ν e E - ) = (3.09±0.54(stat)±0.39(syst)) x 10 -43 cm 2 . The interference between the weak charged and neutral currents was measured for the first time. The interference was found to be destructive, with a magnitude 0.97±0.22 times the value predicted by the WSG theory. The total cross-section was also used to measure sin 2 θ W = 0.24±0.06(stat)±0.04(syst). The data restricts the maximum allowed value of the neutrino magnetic moment to be less than 1.3 x 10 -9 Bohr magnetrons for ν e and 8.8 x 10 -10 for ν mu . In a separate analysis, 182±22 12 C(ν e ,e - ) 12 N(gs) events with subsequent 12 N(β + ) 12 C were observed, corresponding to a total cross-section, σ(ν e 12 C → e - 12 N(gs)) = (1.03 ± 0.12(stat) ± 0.10(sys)) x10 -41 cm 2 . This was the first observation of ν e -induced transitions between specific nuclear states. The results is good agreement with theoretical predictions

Double-beta decay measurement of 100Mo to the excited 01+ state of 100Ru in the NEMO3 experiment - R/D program for SuperNEMO: development of a BiPo detector to measure ultra low contaminations in the source foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapon, A.

2011-10-01

The NEMO3 detector was designed for the study of double beta decay and in particular the search for neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ0ν). The quantity of 100 Mo in the detector (7 kg) allows also a competitive measurement of the two-neutrino double beta decay (ββ2ν) of 100 Mo to the excited 0 1 + state of 100 Ru (eeNγ channel). Monte-Carlo simulations of the effect and of all the possible sources of background have been studied in order to determine their contributions to the full NEMO3 experimental data (2003-2011). These one have then been analysed: the ββ2ν decay half-life has been measured, and a limit on the ββ0ν decay has been obtained. Moreover, the SuperNEMO experiment aims to reach a sensitivity up to 10 26 years on the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay. The SuperNEMO detector radioactivity has to be as low as possible. Especially radio-purity levels of 2 μBq*kg -1 in 208 Tl and 10 μBq*kg -1 in 214 Bi are required for the source foils. The gamma-spectrometry can not measure such low contamination levels. Hence, a BiPo dedicated detector has been developed to measure 208 Tl and 214 Bi contaminations, identifying the Bi→Po→Pb β-α chains. A proof of principle has been performed and the detector background has been measured. Assuming these values, a full BiPo detector of 3.6 m 2 can achieve the required sensitivities for the SuperNEMO source foils within six months of measurement. (author)

Neutrinoless double beta decay in Gerda

Science.gov (United States)

Grabmayr, Peter; Gerda Collaboration

2015-10-01

The Germanium Detector Array (Gerda) experiment searches for the neutrinoless double beta decay in 76Ge. This lepton number violating process is predicted by extensions of the standard model. Gerda follows a staged approach by increasing mass and lowering the background level from phase to phase. Gerda is setup at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory of INFN, Italy. An array of high-purity germanium detectors is lowered directly in liquid argon for shielding and cooling. Further background reduction is achieved by an instrumented water buffer. In Phase I an exposure of 21.6 kg yr was collected at a background level of 10-2 cts/(keV kg yr). The lower limit on the half-life of 76Ge > 2 . 1 .1025 yr (90% C.L.) has been published. Further analyses search for decay into excited states or the accompanied Majoron decay. Presently, Phase II is in preparation which intends to reach a background level of 10-3 cts/(keV kg yr) and to increase the exposure to 100 kg yr. About 20 kg of novel thick-window BEGe (Broad Energy Germanium) detectors will be added and the liquid argon will be instrumented. The status of Phase II preparation and results from the commissioning runs will be presented as well as some further results from Phase I.

The NUMEN project: NUclear Matrix Elements for Neutrinoless double beta decay

Science.gov (United States)

Cappuzzello, F.; Agodi, C.; Cavallaro, M.; Carbone, D.; Tudisco, S.; Lo Presti, D.; Oliveira, J. R. B.; Finocchiaro, P.; Colonna, M.; Rifuggiato, D.; Calabretta, L.; Calvo, D.; Pandola, L.; Acosta, L.; Auerbach, N.; Bellone, J.; Bijker, R.; Bonanno, D.; Bongiovanni, D.; Borello-Lewin, T.; Boztosun, I.; Brunasso, O.; Burrello, S.; Calabrese, S.; Calanna, A.; Chávez Lomelí, E. R.; D'Agostino, G.; De Faria, P. N.; De Geronimo, G.; Delaunay, F.; Deshmukh, N.; Ferreira, J. L.; Fisichella, M.; Foti, A.; Gallo, G.; Garcia-Tecocoatzi, H.; Greco, V.; Hacisalihoglu, A.; Iazzi, F.; Introzzi, R.; Lanzalone, G.; Lay, J. A.; La Via, F.; Lenske, H.; Linares, R.; Litrico, G.; Longhitano, F.; Lubian, J.; Medina, N. H.; Mendes, D. R.; Moralles, M.; Muoio, A.; Pakou, A.; Petrascu, H.; Pinna, F.; Reito, S.; Russo, A. D.; Russo, G.; Santagati, G.; Santopinto, E.; Santos, R. B. B.; Sgouros, O.; da Silveira, M. A. G.; Solakci, S. O.; Souliotis, G.; Soukeras, V.; Spatafora, A.; Torresi, D.; Magana Vsevolodovna, R.; Yildirim, A.; Zagatto, V. A. B.

2018-05-01

The article describes the main achievements of the NUMEN project together with an updated and detailed overview of the related R&D activities and theoretical developments. NUMEN proposes an innovative technique to access the nuclear matrix elements entering the expression of the lifetime of the double beta decay by cross section measurements of heavy-ion induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. Despite the fact that the two processes, namely neutrinoless double beta decay and DCE reactions, are triggered by the weak and strong interaction respectively, important analogies are suggested. The basic point is the coincidence of the initial and final state many-body wave functions in the two types of processes and the formal similarity of the transition operators. First experimental results obtained at the INFN-LNS laboratory for the 40Ca(18O,18Ne)40Ar reaction at 270MeV give an encouraging indication on the capability of the proposed technique to access relevant quantitative information. The main experimental tools for this project are the K800 Superconducting Cyclotron and MAGNEX spectrometer. The former is used for the acceleration of the required high resolution and low emittance heavy-ion beams and the latter is the large acceptance magnetic spectrometer for the detection of the ejectiles. The use of the high-order trajectory reconstruction technique, implemented in MAGNEX, allows to reach the experimental resolution and sensitivity required for the accurate measurement of the DCE cross sections at forward angles. However, the tiny values of such cross sections and the resolution requirements demand beam intensities much larger than those manageable with the present facility. The on-going upgrade of the INFN-LNS facilities in this perspective is part of the NUMEN project and will be discussed in the article.

Improved limits on beta(-) and beta(-) decays of Ca-48

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bakalyarov, A.; Balysh, A.; Barabash, AS.; Beneš, P.; Briancon, C.; Brudanin, V. B.; Čermák, P.; Egorov, V.; Hubert, F.; Hubert, P.; Korolev, NA.; Kosjakov, VN.; Kovalík, Alojz; Lebedev, NA.; Novgorodov, A. F.; Rukhadze, NI.; Štekl, NI.; Timkin, VV.; Veleshko, IE.; Vylov, T.; Umatov, VI.

2002-01-01

Roč. 76, č. 9 (2002), s. 545-547 ISSN 0021-3640 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1048901 Keywords : beta decay * double beta decay * Ca-48 Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.483, year: 2002

Neutrino physics with DARWIN

Science.gov (United States)

Benabderrahmane, M. L.

2017-09-01

DARWIN (DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN) will be a multi-ton dark matter detector with the primary goal of exploring the entire experimentally accessible parameter space for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) over a wide mass-range. With its 40 tonne active liquid xenon target, low-energy threshold and ultra-low background level, DARWIN can also search for other rare interactions. Here we present its sensitivity to low-energy solar neutrinos and to neutrinoless double beta decay. In a low-energy window of 2-30 keV a rate of 105/year, from pp and 7Be neutrinos can be reached. Such a measurement, with 1% precision will allow testing neutrinos models. DARWIN could also reach a competitive half-life sensitivity of 8.5 · 1027 y to the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) of 136Xe after an exposure of 140 t×y of natural xenon. Nuclear recoils from coherent scattering of solar neutrinos will limit the sensitivity to WIMP masses below 5 GeV/c2, and the event rate from 8B neutrinos would range from a few to a few tens of events per tonne and year, depending on the energy threshold of the detector. Deviations from the predicted but yet unmeasured neutrino flux would be an indication for physics beyond the Standard Model

Gamow-Teller strength functions and neutrino problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haxton, W.C.

1982-01-01

A quantitative understanding of spin strengths in nuclei is of vital importance in studies of nuclear double beta decay and in solar neutrino spectroscopy. The current status of these problems is outlined

Simulation of double beta decay in the ''SeXe'' TPC

Science.gov (United States)

Mauger, F.

2007-04-01

In 2004, the NEMO collaboration has started some preliminary studies for a next-generation double beta decay experiment: SuperNEMO. The possibility to use a large gaseous TPC has been investigated using simulation and extrapolation of former experiments. In this talk, I report on the reasons why such techniques have not been selected in 2004 and led the NEMO collaboration to reuse the techniques implemented within the NEMO3 detector.

Double-beta decay investigation with highly pure enriched {sup 82}Se for the LUCIFER experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beeman, J. W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 94720, Berkeley, CA (United States); Bellini, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185, Rome (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Roma, 00185, Rome (Italy); Benetti, P. [Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Pavia, 27100, Pavia (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Pavia, 27100, Pavia (Italy); Cardani, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185, Rome (Italy); Physics Department, Princeton University, 08544, Princeton, NJ (United States); Casali, N. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185, Rome (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Roma, 00185, Rome (Italy)

2015-12-13

The LUCIFER project aims at deploying the first array of enriched scintillating bolometers for the investigation of neutrinoless double-beta decay of {sup 82}Se. The matrix which embeds the source is an array of ZnSe crystals, where enriched {sup 82}Se is used as decay isotope. The radiopurity of the initial components employed for manufacturing crystals, that can be operated as bolometers, is crucial for achieving a null background level in the region of interest for double-beta decay investigations. In this work, we evaluated the radioactive content in 2.5 kg of 96.3 % enriched {sup 82}Se metal, measured with a high-purity germanium detector at the Gran Sasso deep underground laboratory. The limits on internal contaminations of primordial decay chain elements of {sup 232}Th, {sup 238}U and {sup 235}U are respectively: <61, <110 and <74 μBq/kg at 90 % C.L. The extremely low-background conditions in which the measurement was carried out and the high radiopurity of the {sup 82}Se allowed us to establish the most stringent lower limits on the half-lives of the double-beta decay of {sup 82}Se to 0{sub 1}{sup +}, 2{sub 2}{sup +} and 2{sub 1}{sup +} excited states of {sup 82}Kr of 3.4·10{sup 22}, 1.3·10{sup 22} and 1.0·10{sup 22} y, respectively, with a 90 % C.L.

Double-beta decay investigation with highly pure enriched {sup 82}Se for the LUCIFER experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beeman, J.W. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States); Bellini, F.; Casali, N.; Ferroni, F.; Piperno, G. [Sapienza Universita di Roma, Dipartimento di Fisica, Rome (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Benetti, P. [Universita di Pavia, Dipartimento di Chimica, Pavia (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia (Italy); Cardani, L. [Sapienza Universita di Roma, Dipartimento di Fisica, Rome (Italy); Princeton University, Physics Department, Princeton, NJ (United States); Chiesa, D.; Clemenza, M.; Gironi, L.; Maino, M. [Universita di Milano-Bicocca, Dipartimento di Fisica, Milan (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Dafinei, I.; Orio, F.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M. [INFN, Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Di Domizio, S. [INFN, Sezione di Genova, Genoa (Italy); Universita di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genoa (Italy); Giuliani, A. [Centre de Spectrometrie de Masse, Orsay (France); Gotti, C.; Pessina, G.; Previtali, E.; Rusconi, C. [INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Laubenstein, M.; Nisi, S.; Pattavina, L.; Pirro, S.; Schaeffner, K. [INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Assergi (L' Aquila) (Italy); Nagorny, S.; Pagnanini, L. [Gran Sasso Science Institute, L' Aquila (Italy); Nones, C. [SPP Centre de Saclay, CEA, Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

2015-12-15

The LUCIFER project aims at deploying the first array of enriched scintillating bolometers for the investigation of neutrinoless double-beta decay of {sup 82}Se. The matrix which embeds the source is an array of ZnSe crystals, where enriched {sup 82}Se is used as decay isotope. The radiopurity of the initial components employed for manufacturing crystals, that can be operated as bolometers, is crucial for achieving a null background level in the region of interest for double-beta decay investigations. In this work, we evaluated the radioactive content in 2.5 kg of 96.3 % enriched {sup 82}Se metal, measured with a high-purity germanium detector at the Gran Sasso deep underground laboratory. The limits on internal contaminations of primordial decay chain elements of {sup 232}Th, {sup 238}U and {sup 235}U are respectively: <61, <110 and <74 μBq/kg at 90 % C.L. The extremely low-background conditions in which the measurement was carried out and the high radiopurity of the {sup 82}Se allowed us to establish the most stringent lower limits on the half-lives of the double-beta decay of {sup 82}Se to 0{sub 1}{sup +}, 2{sub 2}{sup +} and 2{sub 1}{sup +} excited states of {sup 82}Kr of 3.4.10{sup 22}, 1.3.10{sup 22} and 1.0.10{sup 22} y, respectively, with a 90 % C.L. (orig.)

Discovery potential of xenon-based neutrinoless double beta decay experiments in light of small angular scale CMB observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Martín-Albo, J.; Vidal, J. Muñoz; Peña-Garay, C.

2013-01-01

The South Pole Telescope (SPT) has probed an expanded angular range of the CMB temperature power spectrum. Their recent analysis of the latest cosmological data prefers nonzero neutrino masses, with Σm ν = (0.32±0.11) eV. This result, if confirmed by the upcoming Planck data, has deep implications on the discovery of the nature of neutrinos. In particular, the values of the effective neutrino mass m ββ involved in neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ0ν) are severely constrained for both the direct and inverse hierarchy, making a discovery much more likely. In this paper, we focus in xenon-based ββ0ν experiments, on the double grounds of their good performance and the suitability of the technology to large-mass scaling. We show that the current generation, with effective masses in the range of 100 kg and conceivable exposures in the range of 500 kg·year, could already have a sizeable opportunity to observe ββ0ν events, and their combined discovery potential is quite large. The next generation, with an exposure in the range of 10 ton·year, would have a much more enhanced sensitivity, in particular due to the very low specific background that all the xenon technologies (liquid xenon, high-pressure xenon and xenon dissolved in liquid scintillator) can achieve. In addition, a high-pressure xenon gas TPC also features superb energy resolution. We show that such detector can fully explore the range of allowed effective Majorana masses, thus making a discovery very likely

In-trap decay spectroscopy for {beta}{beta} decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunner, Thomas

2011-01-18

detectors, for the detection of X-rays, were tested and installed. Several {beta} detectors were tested and mounted on especially designed holders. The feasibility of the in-trap decay spectroscopy technique has been demonstrated by successfully measuring the EC branching ratios of {sup 107}In and {sup 124}Cs. In the latter case, {sup 126}Cs was measured at the same time as {sup 124}Cs and used to calibrate the detection efficiency of the x-ray detector. During this measurement, up to 2.65(32) .10{sup 5} ions/bunch were stored in the trap while their decays were observed. Based on this measurement, the ECBR of {sup 124}Cs was determined to be (17.8{+-}2.5(stat.){+-}15(syst.))%. The large systematic uncertainty arises from an impedance mismatch between preamplifier and x-ray detector that was discovered after the experiment. Nevertheless, the new value agrees with the literature value of 10(9)% [NND10] and the statistical error was reduced by a factor of three. These measurements demonstrated the feasibility of this new method of in-trap decay spectroscopy. It was for the first time that an electron capture decay was observed of ions stored in a Penning trap. In the future, this technique will be applied to perform ECBR measurements of transition nuclei in double beta decays. (orig.)

Direct search for neutrino mass and anomaly in the tritium beta-spectrum: Status of 'Troitsk neutrino mass' experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobashev, V.M.; Aseev, V.N.; Belesev, A.I.; Berlev, A.I.; Geraskin, E.V.; Golubev, A.A.; Kazachenko, O.V.; Kuznetsov, Yu.E.; Ostroumov, R.P.; Rivkis, L.A.; Stern, B.E.; Titov, N.A.; Zadoroghny, C.V.; Zakharov, Yu.I.

2000-01-01

Results of the 'Troitsk ν-mass' experiment on search for the neutrino rest mass in the tritium beta-decay are presented. New data on the time dependence of the anomalous, bump-like structure at the end of the beta spectrum reported earlier are discussed. Possible systematics is considered in view of contradiction of 'Troitsk nu-mass' observation with those of 'Mainz neutrino' set-up. An upper limit for electron antineutrino rest mass remains at m ν 2 at 95% C.L

Preliminary results from a study of the double beta decay of 150Nd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perillo, I.M.C.; Chan, Y.D.; Hurley, D.; Lesko, K.T.; McDonald, R.J.; Moorhead, M.E.; Norman, E.B.; Smith, A.R.; Stokstad, R.G.

1996-01-01

We report the preliminary results from a study of the double beta decay of 150 Nd to the first 0 + excited state of 150 Sm. Our data consists of 50 days of counting 5 kg of natural Nd 2 O 3 at the LBNL-Oroville low background facility. The deduced lower limit for the half life of this decay mode is 4.9.10 19 years. (orig.)

Demonstration of Single-Barium-Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Using Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDonald, A. D.; Jones, B. J. P.; Nygren, D. R.; Adams, C.; Álvarez, V.; Azevedo, C. D. R.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Botas, A.; Cárcel, S.; Carrión, J. V.; Cebrián, S.; Conde, C. A. N.; Díaz, J.; Diesburg, M.; Escada, J.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. M. P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Freitas, E. D. C.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; González-Díaz, D.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Guenette, R.; Hafidi, K.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. A. O.; Hernandez, A. I.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero, V.; Johnston, S.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N.; Losada, M.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Mora, F. J.; Moutinho, L. M.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Musti, M.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Novella, P.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Pérez, J.; Querol, M.; Repond, J.; Renner, J.; Riordan, S.; Ripoll, L.; Rodríguez, J.; Rogers, L.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Simón, A.; Sofka, C.; Sorel, M.; Stiegler, T.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Veloso, J. F. C. A.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Yahlali, N.

2018-03-01

A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double beta decay of $^{136}$Xe is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba$^{++}$) resolution at a transparent scanning surface has been demonstrated. A single-step photo-bleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with super-resolution ($\\sim$2~nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9~$\\sigma$ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.

Demonstration of Single-Barium-Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Using Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, A. D.; Jones, B. J. P.; Nygren, D. R.; Adams, C.; Álvarez, V.; Azevedo, C. D. R.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Botas, A.; Cárcel, S.; Carrión, J. V.; Cebrián, S.; Conde, C. A. N.; Díaz, J.; Diesburg, M.; Escada, J.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. M. P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Freitas, E. D. C.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; González-Díaz, D.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Guenette, R.; Hafidi, K.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. A. O.; Hernandez, A. I.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero, V.; Johnston, S.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N.; Losada, M.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Mora, F. J.; Moutinho, L. M.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Musti, M.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Novella, P.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Pérez, J.; Querol, M.; Repond, J.; Renner, J.; Riordan, S.; Ripoll, L.; Rodríguez, J.; Rogers, L.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Simón, A.; Sofka, C.; Sorel, M.; Stiegler, T.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Veloso, J. F. C. A.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Yahlali, N.; NEXT Collaboration

2018-03-01

A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of Xe 136 is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba++ ) resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (˜2 nm ), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9 σ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.

Neutrinoless double beta decay in GERDA Phase II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macolino, C.

2014-01-01

The GERmanium Detector Array, GERDA, is designed to search for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76 Ge and it is installed in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of INFN, Italy. The GERDA experiment has completed the Phase I with a total collected exposure of 21.6 kg yr and a background index (BI) of the order of BI ≃ 10 −2 cts/(keVkg yr). No excess of events from 0νββ decay has been observed and a lower limit on the half-life on the 0νββ decay for 76 Ge has been estimated: T 0ν 1 /2 > 2.1·10 25 yr at 90% CL. The goal of GERDA Phase II is to reach the target sensitivity of T 0ν 1 /2 ≃ 1.4 · 10 26 yr, with an increased total mass of the enriched material and a reduced background level. In this paper the results from GERDA Phase I and the major improvements planned for Phase II are discussed.

Double-beta decay with majoron emission in GERDA Phase I

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmer, Sabine

2015-07-01

Neutrinoless double-beta decay with emission of one or two majorons (0 νββχ( χ)) is predicted by several beyond-Standard-Model theories. This article reviews the results of a search for 0 νββχ( χ) of 76Ge using data from the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment, located underground at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy. The analysis comprised data with an exposure of 20.3 kg·yr from the first phase of the experiment. No indication of contributions to the observed energy spectra was detected for any of the majoron models. The lower limit on the half-life for the ordinary majoron model (spectral index n = 1 was determined to be T {1/2/0 νβ } > 4.2 · 1023 yr (90% quantile). This limit and the limits derived for the other majoron modes constitute the most stringent limits on 0 νββχ( χ) decay of 76Ge measured to date.

Signal and background studies for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay in GERDA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agostini, Matteo

2013-04-24

The GERDA experiment searches for the neutrinoless double beta decay in Ge-76, by operating bare HPGe detectors in ultra-pure liquid Ar. This dissertation presents a first decomposition of the background measured in the current data-taking phase. The background at the energy of interest was found to be dominated by {sup 214}Bi, {sup 208}Tl and {sup 42}K gamma-rays, with secondary contributions from {sup 42}K and {sup 214}Bi beta-rays, and {sup 210}Po alpha-rays. For the forthcoming upgrade of the apparatus, a new HPGe detector design (BEGe) has been studied, with focus on its capability of suppressing the identified backgrounds through pulse shape analysis. This included the development of a comprehensive modeling of the detectors and the experimental characterization of their response to surface interactions. The achieved results show that GERDA can improve the present limit on the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life by an order of magnitude.

Signal and background studies for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay in GERDA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agostini, Matteo

2013-01-01

The GERDA experiment searches for the neutrinoless double beta decay in Ge-76, by operating bare HPGe detectors in ultra-pure liquid Ar. This dissertation presents a first decomposition of the background measured in the current data-taking phase. The background at the energy of interest was found to be dominated by 214 Bi, 208 Tl and 42 K gamma-rays, with secondary contributions from 42 K and 214 Bi beta-rays, and 210 Po alpha-rays. For the forthcoming upgrade of the apparatus, a new HPGe detector design (BEGe) has been studied, with focus on its capability of suppressing the identified backgrounds through pulse shape analysis. This included the development of a comprehensive modeling of the detectors and the experimental characterization of their response to surface interactions. The achieved results show that GERDA can improve the present limit on the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life by an order of magnitude.

Neutrino seesaw mechanism with texture zeros

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Jiajun; Marfatia, D.; Whisnant, K.

2015-01-01

In the context of the Type I seesaw mechanism, we carry out a systematic study of the constraints that result from zeros in both the Dirac and right-handed Majorana neutrino mass matrices. We find that most constraints can be expressed in the standard form with one or two element/cofactor zeros alone, while there are 9 classes of nonstandard constraints. We show that all the constraints are stable under one-loop renormalization group running from the lightest right-handed neutrino mass scale to the electroweak scale. We study the predictions of the nonstandard constraints for the lightest neutrino mass, Dirac CP phase and neutrinoless double beta decay.

Experimental study of selection rules following from the existence of two types of neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaillard, J.M.

1963-05-01

Interactions of high energy neutrinos with matter have been observed In the course of an experiment done in collaboration with G. Danby, K. Goulianos, L. M. Lederman, N. Mistry, M. Schwartz and J. Steinberger at the Brookhaven AGS. The neutrinos were produced mainly in the decay π ± → μ ± + υ(υ-bar); the experiment leads to the conclusion that thee neutrinos are very likely different from the ones produced in beta decay reactions. We use the result of this experiment to study the selection rules applicable in the framework of a two neutrino theory. (author) [fr

Searches for massive neutrino emission in ¹⁴C beta and ⁵⁵Fe electron-capture decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wietfeldt, Fred Eberhardt [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1994-05-01

In 1985 Simpson reported evidence for the emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino in a small fraction of tritium beta decays. An experimental controversy ensued in which a number of both positive and negative results were reported. The beta spectrum of ¹⁴C was collected in a unique ¹⁴C-doped planar germanium detector and a distortion was observed that initially confirmed Simpson`s result. Further tests linked this distortion to a splitting of the collected charge between the central detector and the surrounding guard ring in a fraction of the events. A second ¹⁴C measurement showed no evidence for emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino. In a related experiment, a high statistics electron-capture internal-bremsstrahlung photon spectrum of ⁵⁵Fe was collected with a coaxial germanium detector. A local search for departures from a smooth shape near the endpoint was performed, using a second-derivative technique. An upper limit of 0.65% (95% C.L.) for the mixing Of a neutrino in the mass range 5--25 keV was established. The upper limit on the mixing of a 17 keV mass neutrino was 0.14% (95% C.L.).

Long-range contributions to double beta decay revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helo, J.C. [Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Centro-Científico-Tecnológico de Valparaíso,Casilla 110-V, Valparaíso (Chile); Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Avenida Cisternas 1200, La Serena (Chile); Hirsch, M. [HEP Group, Instituto de Física Corpuscular,C.S.I.C./Universitat de València Edificio Institutos de Investigacion,Parc Cientific de Paterna, Apartado 22085, E-46071 València (Spain); Ota, T. [Department of Physics, Saitama University,Shimo-Okubo 255, 338-8570 Saitama-Sakura (Japan)

2016-06-01

We discuss the systematic decomposition of all dimension-7 (d=7) lepton number violating operators. These d=7 operators produce momentum enhanced contributions to the long-range part of the 0νββ decay amplitude and thus are severely constrained by existing half-live limits. In our list of possible models one can find contributions to the long-range amplitude discussed previously in the literature, such as the left-right symmetric model or scalar leptoquarks, as well as some new models not considered before. The d=7 operators generate Majorana neutrino mass terms either at tree-level, 1-loop or 2-loop level. We systematically compare constraints derived from the mass mechanism to those derived from the long-range 0νββ decay amplitude and classify our list of models accordingly. We also study one particular example decomposition, which produces neutrino masses at 2-loop level, can fit oscillation data and yields a large contribution to the long-range 0νββ decay amplitude, in some detail.

Neutrinos at the forefront of elementary physics and astrophysics - Slides and abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wark, D.; Cabrera, A.; Clark, K.; Cribier, M.; Rubbia, A.; Schwetz, T.; Hagedorn, C.; Bajc, B.; Thomas, J.; Nakahata, M.; Bravar, S.; Raffelt, G.; Mirizzi, A.; Serpico, P.; Drappeau, S.; Turk-Chieze, S.; Vignaud, D.; Kouchner, A.; Gay, P.; Baerwald, P.; Van Elewyck, V.; Branco, G.; Arbey, A.; Saviano, N.; Cirelli, M.; Verde, L.; Courtois, H.; Mauger, F.; Giunti, C.; Smadja, G.; Gascon, J.; Katsanevas, S.; Autiero, D.

2014-01-01

The conference has focused on neutrinos as a bridge between the two words of particle physics and astrophysics/cosmology with 3 main topics: -) the fundamental properties of neutrinos (neutrino masses and oscillations, mass hierarchy, neutrinoless double beta decay, neutrinos as Majorana particles, the search for CP violation in the leptonic sector, hints of physics beyond the standard model, the present experimental scenario and future large size experiments for neutrino oscillations and astro particle physics...); -) Neutrinos in astrophysics (neutrinos from the sun, neutrinos from Supernovae, high energy neutrinos... ); -) Neutrinos in cosmology (measurements of large scale structures, cosmological parameters, nucleosynthesis, dark matter, sterile neutrinos,...). This document is made up of the slides of the presentations and a few abstracts.

Weak decays and double beta decay. Annual progress report, January 1, 1982-December 31, 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicholson, H.W.

1982-08-01

Work has continued in collaboration with experimenters from Yale, Brookhaven and Pittsburgh (Brookhaven experiment 702) to measure asymmetries in the decays of polarized Σ + 's into protons and neutral pions and of polarized Σ - 's into neutrons and negative pions. A short experiment was carried out in the Brookhaven AGS A2 test beam to measure the efficiency of a cylindrical shower counter essential for measuring the asymmetry parameter in the rare decay of polarized Σ + 's into protons and gammas. An electronic controller to stabilize the magnetic field of the superconducting, polarized target magnet was also designed and built at Mount Holyoke, and it functioned extremely well during a six week May to June run. Also, the design of an experiment to search for double beta decay in Molybdenum 100 is briefly described. A group consisting of five experimenters from LBL and two from Mount Holyoke hope to make a formal proposal in September to the LBL administration to begin work on this experiment late this year and during the next calendar year

Consistency check of pulse shape discrimination for broad energy germanium detectors using double beta decay data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liao, Heng-Ye [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany); Collaboration: GERDA-Collaboration

2013-07-01

The Gerda (GERmanium Detector Array) experiment was built to study fundamental neutrino properties via neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). 0νββ events are single-site events (SSE) confined to a scale about millimeter. However, most of backgrounds are multi-site events (MSE). Broad Energy Germanium detectors (BEGes) offer the potential merits of improved pulse shape recognition efficiencies of SSE/MSE. They allow us to reach the goal of Phase II with a background index of 10{sup -3} cts/(keV.kg.yr) in the ROI. BEGe detectors with a total target mass of 3.63 kg have been installed to the Gerda setup in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in July 2012 and are collecting data since. A consistency check of the pulse shape discrimination (PSD) efficiencies by comparison of calibration data and 2νββ data will be presented. The PSD power of these detectors is demonstrated.

Lepton number violating processes and Majorana neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dib, C.; Schmidt, I.; Gribanov, V.; Kovalenko, S.

2001-01-01

Some generic properties of lepton number violating processes and their relation to different entries of the Majorana neutrino mass matrix are discussed. Present and near future experiments searching for these processes, except the neutrinoless double beta decay, are unable to probe light (eV mass region) and heavy (hundred GeV mass region) neutrinos. On the other hand, due to the effect of a resonant enhancement, some of lepton number violating decays can be very sensitive to the intermediate-mass neutrinos with typical masses in the hundred MeV region. These neutrinos may appear as admixtures of the three active and an arbitrary number of sterile neutrino species. The experimental constraints on these massive neutrino states are analyzed and their possible cosmological and astrophysical implications are discussed

Updated constraints on the light-neutrino exchange mechanisms of the 0νββ-decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Štefánik, Dušan, E-mail: dus.stefanik@gmail.com [Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F1, SK-842 48 Bratislava (Slovakia); Dvornický, Rastislav [Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F1, SK-842 48 Bratislava (Slovakia); Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, JINR 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Šimkovic, Fedor [Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F1, SK-842 48 Bratislava (Slovakia); Boboliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, JINR 141980 Dubna (Russian Federation); Czech Technical University in Prague, 128-00 Prague (Czech Republic)

2015-10-28

The neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay associated with light neutrino exchange mechanisms, which are due to both left-handed V-A and right-handed V+A leptonic and hadronic currents, is discussed by using the recent progress achieved by the GERDA, EXO and KamlandZen experiments. The upper limits for effective neutrino mass m{sub ββ} and the parameters 〈λ〉 and 〈η〉 characterizing the right handed current mechanisms are deduced from the data on the 0νββ-decay of {sup 76}Ge and {sup 136}Xe using nuclear matrix elements calculated within the nuclear shell model and quasiparticle random phase approximation and phase-space factors calculated with exact Dirac wave functions with finite nuclear size and electron screening. The careful analysis of upper constraints on effective lepton number violating parameters assumes a competition of the above mechanisms and arbitrary values of involved CP violating phases.

Method of fission product beta spectra measurements for predicting reactor anti-neutrino emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asner, D.M.; Burns, K.; Campbell, L.W.; Greenfield, B.; Kos, M.S., E-mail: markskos@gmail.com; Orrell, J.L.; Schram, M.; VanDevender, B.; Wood, L.S.; Wootan, D.W.

2015-03-11

The nuclear fission process that occurs in the core of nuclear reactors results in unstable, neutron-rich fission products that subsequently beta decay and emit electron antineutrinos. These reactor neutrinos have served neutrino physics research from the initial discovery of the neutrino to today's precision measurements of neutrino mixing angles. The prediction of the absolute flux and energy spectrum of the emitted reactor neutrinos hinges upon a series of seminal papers based on measurements performed in the 1970s and 1980s. The steadily improving reactor neutrino measurement techniques and recent reconsiderations of the agreement between the predicted and observed reactor neutrino flux motivates revisiting the underlying beta spectra measurements. A method is proposed to use an accelerator proton beam delivered to an engineered target to yield a neutron field tailored to reproduce the neutron energy spectrum present in the core of an operating nuclear reactor. Foils of the primary reactor fissionable isotopes placed in this tailored neutron flux will ultimately emit beta particles from the resultant fission products. Measurement of these beta particles in a time projection chamber with a perpendicular magnetic field provides a distinctive set of systematic considerations for comparison to the original seminal beta spectra measurements. Ancillary measurements such as gamma-ray emission and post-irradiation radiochemical analysis will further constrain the absolute normalization of beta emissions per fission. The requirements for unfolding the beta spectra measured with this method into a predicted reactor neutrino spectrum are explored.

The neutrino experiment Double Chooz and data analysis with the near detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franke, Michael Werner

2016-03-07

During the last years there has been a huge progress in the field of neutrino physics. Neutrino oscillations are well established and almost all parameters, except a possible CP-violating phase, are determined to high precision. One experiment providing a precise measurement of the neutrino mixing angle θ{sub 13} is the Double Chooz reactor antineutrino experiment. The reactor antineutrinos are detected via the inverse beta decay in two identical liquid scintillator based detectors. A few years ago, the value of θ{sub 13} was unknown and only an upper limit existed. Double Chooz was the first reactor antineutrino experiment presenting a result for a nonzero value of θ{sub 13}. The value for sin{sup 2}2θ{sub 13} from the latest Double Chooz publication is 0.090{sup +0.032}{sub -0.029}. As part of this thesis, an infrastructure for filling the Double Chooz near detector was established and 190 m{sup 3} of detector liquids were prepared successfully. The filling process was optimized to allow an efficient filling of the near detector. The total operation time was reduced to only 22 days. Compared to the far detector filling time of 2 months, this is a great improvement. The development of a completely new level measurement system was as well part of this thesis. Due to the excellent performance of the level measurement system, the hard restrictions for the safety of the Double Chooz detector were met during the entire filling process. Several power glitches and network failures did not harm the system and did not result in any loss of data. These irregularities and the simple maintenance and repair possibilities certify the success of the design concept for the new level measurement system. For this thesis, data from the Double Chooz near detector with a total live time of 110.4 days was used. The mass concentrations of uranium and thorium in the near detector were determined using BiPo coincidences. These events originate from the β-decay of {sup 214}Bi and {sup

Do the SuperKamiokande atmospheric neutrino results explain electric charge quantisation?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.; Volkas, R.R.

1998-08-01

It is shown that the SuperKamiokande atmospheric neutrino results explain electric charge quantisation, provided that the oscillation mode is ν μ → ν τ and that the neutrino mass is of the Majorana type. It is emphasised that neutrino oscillation and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments provide important information regarding the seemingly unrelated issue of electric charge quantisation

GERDA and the search for neutrinoless double beta decay: first results and perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agostini, Matteo [Physik Department and Excellence Cluster Universe, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Collaboration: GERDA-Collaboration

2014-07-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a lepton-number-violating nuclear transition predicted by several extensions of the Standard Model. The Gerda experiment searches for this transition in {sup 76}Ge by operating bare Ge detectors in liquid Ar. The talk focuses on the results of data acquired during Phase I of the experiment, in which 21.6 kg.yr of exposure were accumulated with a background index of about 0.01 cts/(keV.kg.yr). No signal was observed and a lower limit was derived for the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay of {sup 76}Ge, T{sub 1/2} > 2.1 . 10{sup 25} yr (90% C.L.). The experiment is currently undergoing a major upgrade in preparation for the next phase of data taking. Thanks to an increased target mass, an improved energy resolution and the introduction of novel background reduction techniques, the sensitivity of Gerda will increase of about one order of magnitude in a few years of operation.

Neutrinoless double β decay and low scale leptogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drewes, Marco, E-mail: marco.drewes@tum.de [Physik Department T70, Technische Universität München, James Franck Straße 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Eijima, Shintaro [Institute of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2016-12-10

The extension of the Standard Model by right handed neutrinos with masses in the GeV range can simultaneously explain the observed neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism and the baryon asymmetry of the universe via leptogenesis. It has previously been claimed that the requirement for successful baryogenesis implies that the rate of neutrinoless double β decay in this scenario is always smaller than the standard prediction from light neutrino exchange alone. In contrast, we find that the rate for this process can also be enhanced due to a dominant contribution from heavy neutrino exchange. In a small part of the parameter space it even exceeds the current experimental limit, while the properties of the heavy neutrinos are consistent with all other experimental constraints and the observed baryon asymmetry is reproduced. This implies that neutrinoless double β decay experiments have already started to rule out part of the leptogenesis parameter space that is not constrained by any other experiment, and the lepton number violation that is responsible for the origin of baryonic matter in the universe may be observed in the near future.

Beta decay and rhenium cosmochronology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashktorab, K.

1992-01-01

Among the problems which limit the use of the 187 Re/ 187 Os isobaric pair as a cosmochronometer for the age of the galaxy and the universe are the uncertainties in the partial half-lives of the continuum and bound state decays of 187 Re. While the total half-life of the decay is well established, the partial half-life for the continuum decay is uncertain, and several measurements are not compatible. A high temperature quartz proportional counter was used in this work to remeasure the continuum β - decay of 187 Re. The β endpoint energy for the decay of neutral 187 Re to singly ionized 187 Os of 2.75 ± 0.06 keV agrees with the earlier results. The corresponding half-life of (45 ± 3) x 10 9 years improves and agrees with the earlier measurement of Payne and Drever and refutes other measurements. Based on the new half-life for the continuum decay and a total half-life of (43.5 ± 1.3) x 10 9 years reported by Linder et al., the branching ratio for the bound state decay into discrete atomic states is estimated to be (3 ± 6)% in agreement with the most recent calculated theoretical branching ratio of approximately 1%. Anomalies in beta spectra reported by J.J. Simpson and others have been attributed to a 17 keV heavy-neutrino admixture. If confirmed, the implications from the existence of such a neutrino for particle and astrophysics would be significant. A multiwire open-quotes wall-lessclose quotes stainless steel proportional counter has been used in the present work to investigate the spectral shape of the β decay of 63 Ni. No anomalies in the spectral shape were observed which could be attributed to the presence of 17 keV heavy neutrino

Froggatt-Nielsen hierarchy and the neutrino mass matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamikado, H.; Takasugi, E.

2008-05-01

We study the neutrino mass matrix derived from the seesaw mechanism in which the neutrino Yukawa couplings and the heavy Majorana neutrino mass matrix are controlled by the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. In order to obtain the large neutrino mixings, two Froggatt-Nielsen fields are introduced with a complex vacuum expectation values. As a by-product, CP violation is systematically induced even if the order one couplings of FN fields are real. We show several predictions of this model, such as θ 13 , the Dirac CP phase, two Majorana CP phases, the effective mass of the neutrinoless double beta decay and the leptogenesis. The prediction of the branching ratio of μ→eγ is also given in SUSY model. (orig.)

An investigation of proton pair correlations relevant to the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge

Science.gov (United States)

Ticehurst, David R.

The observation of neutrinoless double beta decay (0nubetabeta ) would demonstrate that the neutrino is a Majorana particle and allow determination of its mass by comparing the measured decay rate to the calculated rate. The main uncertainty in the calculation of the 0 nubetabeta rate is due to uncertainties in the nuclear structure models used in the computation of the nuclear matrix elements for the decay process. This project tested the validity of using wavefunctions for the nuclear states involved in the 0nubetabeta process that are based on a first-order application of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory of superconductivity. In the BCS approximation, most of the strength for two-nucleon transfer reactions should be for transitions to the 0 + ground state of the final nucleus (i.e., little strength should go to the 0+ excited states). This experiment measured the strength to the first 0+ excited state for the 74Ge( 3He,n)76Se and 76Ge( 3He,n)78Se reactions relative to the strength for transition to the 0+ ground state in selenium. For both nuclei, and at 3He beam energies of 15 and 21 MeV, the observed relative strength for transfer to the first 0+ excited state was less than 13%. This result supports the validity of using the BCS approximation to describe the ground state of both 76Se and 78Se and is consistent with the results of recent ( 3He,n) cross section measurements on 74Ge and 76Ge. In addition, the magnitude and shape of the measured angular distributions suggest that contribution of the sequential two-nucleon transfer process, which is an indicator of long-range nucleon-nucleon correlations, is over-predicted by the DWBA code FRESCO.

Neutrino masses and their ordering: global data, priors and models

Science.gov (United States)

Gariazzo, S.; Archidiacono, M.; de Salas, P. F.; Mena, O.; Ternes, C. A.; Tórtola, M.

2018-03-01

We present a full Bayesian analysis of the combination of current neutrino oscillation, neutrinoless double beta decay and Cosmic Microwave Background observations. Our major goal is to carefully investigate the possibility to single out one neutrino mass ordering, namely Normal Ordering or Inverted Ordering, with current data. Two possible parametrizations (three neutrino masses versus the lightest neutrino mass plus the two oscillation mass splittings) and priors (linear versus logarithmic) are exhaustively examined. We find that the preference for NO is only driven by neutrino oscillation data. Moreover, the values of the Bayes factor indicate that the evidence for NO is strong only when the scan is performed over the three neutrino masses with logarithmic priors; for every other combination of parameterization and prior, the preference for NO is only weak. As a by-product of our Bayesian analyses, we are able to (a) compare the Bayesian bounds on the neutrino mixing parameters to those obtained by means of frequentist approaches, finding a very good agreement; (b) determine that the lightest neutrino mass plus the two mass splittings parametrization, motivated by the physical observables, is strongly preferred over the three neutrino mass eigenstates scan and (c) find that logarithmic priors guarantee a weakly-to-moderately more efficient sampling of the parameter space. These results establish the optimal strategy to successfully explore the neutrino parameter space, based on the use of the oscillation mass splittings and a logarithmic prior on the lightest neutrino mass, when combining neutrino oscillation data with cosmology and neutrinoless double beta decay. We also show that the limits on the total neutrino mass ∑ mν can change dramatically when moving from one prior to the other. These results have profound implications for future studies on the neutrino mass ordering, as they crucially state the need for self-consistent analyses which explore the

Present status of radiochemical double beta decay study (238U)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madic, C.; Maillard, C.; Chevallier, A.; Chevallier, J.; Escoubes, B.; Schulz, N.; Sens, J.C.

1989-01-01

A sensitive experiment has been designed that will be able to measure an assumed half-life of 1.9x10 22 yr. This double beta corresponds to the activity of 27000 238 Pu nuclei formed during a year, in a 200 m deep mine, from 300 kg of 238 U, giving 210 alpha decays per year. Plutonium 238 et 239 will be determined by alpha spectroscopy after extraction chromatography. Experimental studies were undertaken to select the best conditions for running the extraction chromatography cycles

Time reversal violation in radiative beta decay: experimental plans

Science.gov (United States)

Behr, J. A.; McNeil, J.; Anholm, M.; Gorelov, A.; Melconian, D.; Ashery, D.

2017-01-01

Some explanations for the excess of matter over antimatter in the universe involve sources of time reversal violation (TRV) in addition to the one known in the standard model of particle physics. We plan to search for TRV in a correlation between the momenta of the beta, neutrino, and the radiative gamma sometimes emitted in nuclear beta decay. Correlations involving three (out of four) momenta are sensitive at lowest order to different TRV physics than observables involving spin, such as electric dipole moments and spin-polarized beta decay correlations. Such experiments have been done in radiative kaon decay, but not in systems involving the lightest generation of quarks. An explicit low-energy physics model being tested produces TRV effects in the Fermi beta decay of the neutron, tritium, or some positron-decaying isotopes. We will present plans to measure the TRV asymmetry in radiative beta decay of laser-trapped 38mK at better than 0.01 sensitivity, including suppression of background from positron annihilation. Supported by NSERC, D.O.E., Israel Science Foundation. TRIUMF receives federal funding via a contribution agreement with the National Research Council of Canada.

LBL/UCSB 76Ge double beta decay experiment: first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goulding, F.S.; Cork, C.P.; Landis, D.A.

1984-10-01

A paper given at the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium last year presented the scientific justification for this experiment and discussed the design of the detector system. At the present time two of the dual detector systems (i.e., four out of a final total of eight detectors) are operating in the complete active/passive shield in the low background laboratory at LBL. Early results (1620 h) of an experiment using two detectors yield a limit of 4 x 10 22 years (68% confidence) for the half life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ/sub o nu/) of 76 Ge. Although this experiment was carried out above ground, the result approaches those achieved by other groups in deep underground laboratories. Based on studies of the origins of background in our system, we hope to reach a limit of 3 x 10 23 years (or more) in a two month/four detector experiment to be carried out soon in an underground facility

The Search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with 130Te with CUORE-0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouellet, Jonathan Loren

2015-01-01

This thesis describes the design, operation and results of an experimental search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) of 130 Te using the CUORE-0 detector. The discovery of 0νββ would have profound implications for particle physics and our understanding of the Universe. Its discovery would demonstrate the violation of lepton number and imply that neutrinos are Majorana fermions and therefore their own anti-particles. Combined with other experimental results, the discovery of 0νββ could also have implications for understanding the absolute neutrino mass scale as well as the presently unknown neutrino mass hierarchy. The CUORE experiment is a ton-scale search for 0νββ in 130 Te expected to begin operation in late 2015. The first stage of this experiment is a smaller 39-kg active-mass detector called CUORE-0. This detector contains 11 kg of 130 Te and operates in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso lab in Italy from 2013-2015. The results presented here are based on a nat TeO 2 exposure of 35.2 kg·yr, or 9.8 kg·yr exposure of 130 Te collected between 2013-2015. We see no evidence of 0νββ and place an upper limit on the 0νββ decay rate of Γ 0νββ <0.25x10 24 yr 1 (90 % C.L.), corresponding to a lower limit on the half-life of T 1/2 0ν >2.8x10 24 yr (90 % C.L.). We combine the present result with the results of previous searches in 130 Te. Combining it with the 1.2 kg·Te exposure from the Three Towers Test run we place a half-life limit of T 1/2 03 ν>3.3x10 24 yr (90 % C.L.). And combining these results with the 19.75 kg·yr 130 Te exposure from Cuoricino, we place the strongest limit on the 0νββ half-life of 130 Te to date, at T 1/2 0ν >4.5x10 24 yr (90 % C.L.). Using the present nuclear matrix element calculations for 130 Te, this result corresponds to a 90 % upper limit range on the effective Majorana mass of m ββ <250-710 meV.

Search for evidence of lepton number violation by neutrinoless double beta decay process from 82Se and 150Nd in NEMO-3 experiment: Bi-Po decay study from thoron chain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemiere, Y.

2008-09-01

The NEMO-3 experiment searches for a neutrinoless double beta decay signal (ββ0ν) with an expected sensitivity in terms of the half-life limit of the order of 10 24 years. The discovery of this signal, forbidden in the Standard Model, would imply the violation of leptonic number conservation and would allow to determine the nature of this particle (Dirac or Majorana) and measure the neutrino mass scale. The goal of this work is to study high energy events from 82 Se and 150 Nd ββ decay used in NEMO-3 detector. The first part of this work consists in the elaboration of a background model using NEMO-3 data. In the second part, the ββ2ν half-life and a lower limit of the ββ0ν half-life are computed using massive Majorana neutrino exchange hypothesis, we have got: T(0ν) > 1.44*10 22 years for 150 Nd and T(0ν) > 1.82*10 23 years for 82 Se. The upper limits for the effective mass of the Majorana neutrinos are also computed, we obtain: m ββ 150 Nd and m ββ 82 Se. In the last part, the measurement of some specific thallium contamination is performed thanks to the NEMO-3 capability to detect the 212 Bi-Po decay. The measured value of the surface contamination of the calorimeter is about (150 ± 30) μBq/m 3 . So the surface contamination is too low to intervene in the data analysis of NEMO-3 but appears important for next generation scintillators

Pions in nuclei and manifestations of supersymmetry in neutrinoless double beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faessler, A.; Kovalenko, S.; Simkovic, F.

1998-01-01

We examine the pion realization of the short ranged supersymmetric (SUSY) mechanism of neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ-decay). It originates from the R-parity violating quark-lepton interactions of the SUSY extensions of the standard model of the electroweak interactions. We argue that pions are dominant SUSY mediators in 0νββ-decay. The corresponding nuclear matrix elements for potentially 0νββ-decaying isotopes are calculated within the proton-neutron renormalized quasiparticle random phase approximation (pn-RQRPA). We define those isotopes which are most sensitive to the SUSY signal and outlook the present experimental situation with the 0νββ-decay searches for the SUSY. Upper limits on the R-parity violating 1st generation Yukawa coupling λ' 111 are derived from various 0νββ - experiments

Neutrinoless double β decay and low scale leptogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Drewes

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The extension of the Standard Model by right handed neutrinos with masses in the GeV range can simultaneously explain the observed neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism and the baryon asymmetry of the universe via leptogenesis. It has previously been claimed that the requirement for successful baryogenesis implies that the rate of neutrinoless double β decay in this scenario is always smaller than the standard prediction from light neutrino exchange alone. In contrast, we find that the rate for this process can also be enhanced due to a dominant contribution from heavy neutrino exchange. In a small part of the parameter space it even exceeds the current experimental limit, while the properties of the heavy neutrinos are consistent with all other experimental constraints and the observed baryon asymmetry is reproduced. This implies that neutrinoless double β decay experiments have already started to rule out part of the leptogenesis parameter space that is not constrained by any other experiment, and the lepton number violation that is responsible for the origin of baryonic matter in the universe may be observed in the near future.

CP violation with Majorana neutrinos in K meson decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dib, Claudio O.; Campos, Miguel [Centro Científico Tecnológico de Valparaíso andDepartment of Physics, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María,Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso (Chile); Kim, C.S. [Department of Physics and IPAP, Yonsei University,Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-17

We study the possibility of having CP asymmetries in the decay K{sup ±}→π{sup ∓}ℓ{sup ±}ℓ{sup ±}(ℓ=e,μ). This decay violates Lepton Number by two units and occurs only if there are Majorana particles that mediate the transition. Even though the absolute rate is highly suppressed by current bounds, we search for Majorana neutrino scenarios where the CP asymmetry arising from the lepton sector could be sizeable. This is indeed the case if there are two or more Majorana neutrinos with similar masses in the range around 10{sup 2} MeV. In particular, the asymmetry is potentially near unity if two neutrinos are nearly degenerate, in the sense Δm{sub N}∼Γ{sub N}. The full decay, however, may be difficult to detect not only because of the suppression caused by the heavy-to-light lepton mixing, but also because of the long lifetime of the heavy neutrino, which would induce large space separation between the two vertices where the charge leptons are produced. This particular problem should be less serious in heavier meson decays, as they involve heavier neutrinos with shorter lifetimes.

Front-end electronics for accurate energy measurement of double beta decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gil, A.; Díaz, J.; Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Herrero, V.; Rodriguez, J.; Serra, L.; Toledo, J.; Esteve, R.; Monzó, J.M.; Monrabal, F.; Yahlali, N.

2012-01-01

NEXT, a double beta decay experiment that will operate in Canfranc Underground Laboratory (Spain), aims at measuring the neutrinoless double-β decay of the 136Xe isotope using a TPC filled with enriched Xenon gas at high pressure operated in electroluminescence mode. One technological challenge of the experiment is to achieve resolution better than 1% in the energy measurement using a plane of UV sensitive photomultipliers readout with appropriate custom-made front-end electronics. The front-end is designed to be sensitive to the single photo-electron to detect the weak primary scintillation light produced in the chamber, and also to be able to cope with the electroluminescence signal (several hundred times higher and with a duration of microseconds). For efficient primary scintillation detection and precise energy measurement of the electroluminescent signals the front-end electronics features low noise and adequate amplification. The signal shaping provided allows the digitization of the signals at a frequency as low as 40 MHz.

The lambda mechanism of the 0nbb-decay

Science.gov (United States)

Šimkovic, Fedor; Štefánik, Dušan; Dvornický, Rastislav

2017-11-01

The lambda mechanism (WL-WR exchange) of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0nbb-decay), which has origin in left-right symmetric model with right-handed gauge boson at TeV scale, is investigated. The revisited formalism of the 0nbb-decay, which includes higher order terms of nucleon current, is exploited. The corresponding nuclear matrix elements are calculated within quasiparticle random phase approximation with partial restoration of the isospin symmetry for nuclei of experimental interest. A possibility to distinguish between the conventional light neutrino mass (WL-WL exchange) and lambda mechanisms by observation of the 0nbb-decay in several nuclei is discussed. A qualitative comparison of effective lepton number violating couplings associated with these two mechanisms is performed. By making viable assumption about the seesaw type mixing of light and heavy neutrinos it is concluded that there is a dominance of the conventional light neutrino mass mechanism in the decay rate.

Evidence for the emission of a massive neutrino in nuclear beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, E.B.; Sur, B.; Lesko, K.T.; Larimer, R.M.; Witort, J.T.; Haller, E.E.; California Univ., Berkeley, CA

1990-10-01

We have studied the β-spectrum of 14 C using a germanium detector containing a crystal with 14 C dissolved in it. We find a feature in the β-spectrum 17 keV below the endpoint which can be explained by the hypothesis that there is a heavy neutrino emitted in the β-decay of 14 C with a mass of 17 ± 2 keV and an emission probability of 1.40 ± 0.45%. In addition, we have studied the inner bremsstrahlung spectrum of 55 Fe and also find indications of the emission of a ∼ 17-keV neutrino. These results are consistent with observations of similar anomalies in the β-decays of 3 H and 35 S. 29 refs., 7 figs

The ideal neutrino beams

CERN Document Server

Lindroos, Mats

2009-01-01

The advance in neutrino oscillation physics is driven by the availability of well characterized and high flux neutrino beams. The three present options for the next generation neutrino oscillation facility are super beams, neutrino factories and beta-beams. A super-beam is a very high intensity classical neutrino beam generated by protons impinging on a target where the neutrinos are generated by the secondary particles decaying in a tunnel down streams of the target. In a neutrino factory the neutrinos are generated from muons decaying in a storage ring with long straight sections pointing towards the detectors. In a beta-beam the neutrinos are also originating from decay in a storage ring but the decaying particles are radioactive ions rather than muons. I will in this presentation review the three options and discuss the pros and cons of each. The present joint design effort for a future high intensity neutrino oscillation in Europe within a common EU supported design study, EURONU, will also be presented....

Simulation of double beta decay in the 'SeXe' TPC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauger, F [LPC Caen and University of Caen, ENSICAEN, 6 Bd Marechal Juin, 14050 CAEN CEDEX 4 (France)

2007-04-15

In 2004, the NEMO collaboration has started some preliminary studies for a next-generation double beta decay experiment: SuperNEMO. The possibility to use a large gaseous TPC has been investigated using simulation and extrapolation of former experiments. In this talk, I report on the reasons why such techniques have not been selected in 2004 and led the NEMO collaboration to reuse the techniques implemented within the NEMO3 detector.

Calculation of low-energy reactor neutrino spectra reactor for reactor neutrino experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riyana, Eka Sapta; Suda, Shoya; Ishibashi, Kenji; Matsuura, Hideaki [Dept. of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Kyushu (Japan); Katakura, Junichi [Dept. of Nuclear System Safety Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka (Japan)

2016-06-15

Nuclear reactors produce a great number of antielectron neutrinos mainly from beta-decay chains of fission products. Such neutrinos have energies mostly in MeV range. We are interested in neutrinos in a region of keV, since they may take part in special weak interactions. We calculate reactor antineutrino spectra especially in the low energy region. In this work we present neutrino spectrum from a typical pressurized water reactor (PWR) reactor core. To calculate neutrino spectra, we need information about all generated nuclides that emit neutrinos. They are mainly fission fragments, reaction products and trans-uranium nuclides that undergo negative beta decay. Information in relation to trans-uranium nuclide compositions and its evolution in time (burn-up process) were provided by a reactor code MVP-BURN. We used typical PWR parameter input for MVP-BURN code and assumed the reactor to be operated continuously for 1 year (12 months) in a steady thermal power (3.4 GWth). The PWR has three fuel compositions of 2.0, 3.5 and 4.1 wt% {sup 235}U contents. For preliminary calculation we adopted a standard burn-up chain model provided by MVP-BURN. The chain model treated 21 heavy nuclides and 50 fission products. The MVB-BURN code utilized JENDL 3.3 as nuclear data library. We confirm that the antielectron neutrino flux in the low energy region increases with burn-up of nuclear fuel. The antielectron-neutrino spectrum in low energy region is influenced by beta emitter nuclides with low Q value in beta decay (e.g. {sup 241}Pu) which is influenced by burp-up level: Low energy antielectron-neutrino spectra or emission rates increase when beta emitters with low Q value in beta decay accumulate. Our result shows the flux of low energy reactor neutrinos increases with burn-up of nuclear fuel.

LHC and the neutrino paradigm

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2011-01-01

I argue that LHC may shed light on the nature of neutrino mass through the probe of the seesaw mechanism. The smoking gun signature is lepton number violation through the production of same sign lepton pairs, a collider analogy of the neutrinoless double beta decay. I discuss this in the context of L-R symmetric theories, which predicted neutrino mass long before experiment and led to the seesaw mechanism. A WR gauge boson with a mass in a few TeV region could easily dominate neutrinoless double beta decay, and its discovery at LHC would have spectacular signatures of parity restoration and lepton number violation. I also discuss the collider signatures of the three types of seesaw mechanism, and show how in the case of Type II one can measure the PMNS mixing matrix at the LHC, complementing the low energy probes. Finally, I give an example of a simple realistic SU(5) grand unified theory that predicts the hybrid Type I + III seesaw with a weak fermion triplet at the LHC energies. The seminar will be fol...

Rare Z decays and neutrino flavor universality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durieux, Gauthier [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY (United States). Lab. for Elementary Particle Physics; Univ. Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium). Centre for Cosmology, Particle Physics and Phenomenology; Grossman, Yuval; Kuflik, Erik [Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY (United States). Lab. for Elementary Particle Physics; Koenig, Matthias [Mainz Univ. (Germany). PRISMA Cluster of Excellence; Mainz Univ. (Germany). Mainz Inst. for Theoretical Physics; Ray, Shamayita [Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY (United States). Lab. for Elementary Particle Physics; Calcutta Univ. (India). Dept. of Physics

2015-12-15

We study rare four-body decays of the Z-boson involving at least one neutrino and one charged lepton. Large destructive interferences make these decays very sensitive to the Z couplings to neutrinos. As the identified charged leptons can determine the neutrino flavors, these decays probe the universality of the Z couplings to neutrinos. The rare four-body processes could be accurately measured at future lepton colliders, leading to percent level precision.

LHC and the origin of neutrino mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senjanovic, Goran

2008-01-01

It is often said that neutrino mass is a window to a new physics beyond the standard model (SM). This is true if neutrinos are Majorana particles for the SM with Majorana neutrino mass is not a complete theory. The classical text-book test of neutrino Majorana mass, the neutrino-less double beta decay depends on the completion, and thus cannot probe neutrino mass. As pointed out already twenty five years ago, the colliders such as Tevatron or LHC offer a hope of probing directly the origin of neutrino (Majorana) mass through lepton number violating production of like sign lepton pairs. I make a case here for this in the context of all three types of seesaw mechanism.

Beta Neutrino Correlation Measurement with Trapped Radioactive Ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velten, Ph.; Ban, G.; Durand, D.; Flechard, X.; Lienard, E.; Mauger, F.; Naviliat-Cuncic, O.; Mery, A.; Rodriguez, D.; Thomas, J.-C.

2010-01-01

The beta-neutrino angular correlation coefficient provides a sensitive observable to search for physics beyond the standard electroweak model in nuclear beta decay. We address here the measurement of this parameter in the pure Gamow-Teller transition of 6 He. A deviation from the standard model prediction would indicate the existence of tensor like couplings, possibly mediated by new bosons like leptoquarks. The aim of the LPCTrap experiment is to measure this coefficient with a statistical uncertainty of 0.5% using a novel transparent Paul trap. The status of the experiment is briefly presented along with the work in progress.

Status of the Frejus experiment on the neutrinoless double beta decay of the 76Ge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morales, A.; Nunez-Lagos, R.; Morales, J.; Puimedon, J.; Villar, J.A.; Dassie, D.; Hubbert, Ph.; Leccia, F.; Mennrath, P.; Villard, M.

1987-01-01

A brief account of the design, experimental set up and status of the Frejus experiments on the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76 Ge is presented. The theoretical implications and expectatives of this experimental research are analized. A comparison with other dedicated experiments is also reported. (author)

Analysis of the Intermediate-State Contributions to Neutrinoless Double β− Decays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juhani Hyvärinen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive analysis of the structure of the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs of neutrinoless double beta-minus (0νβ-β- decays to the 0+ ground and first excited states is performed in terms of the contributing multipole states in the intermediate nuclei of 0νβ-β- transitions. We concentrate on the transitions mediated by the light (l-NMEs Majorana neutrinos. As nuclear model we use the proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pnQRPA with a realistic two-nucleon interaction based on the Bonn one-boson-exchange G matrix. In the computations we include the appropriate short-range correlations, nucleon form factors, and higher-order nucleonic weak currents and restore the isospin symmetry by the isoscalar-isovector decomposition of the particle-particle proton-neutron interaction parameter gpp.

Results on neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge from GERDA Phase I

Science.gov (United States)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios; GERDA Collaboration

2015-05-01

The Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment is searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76Ge by operating bare germanium diodes in liquid argon. GERDA is located at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy. During Phase I, a total exposure of 21.6 kg yrand a background index of 0.01 cts/(keVkg yr) were reached. No signal was observed and a lower limit of T0ν1/2 > 2.1 · 1025 yr(90% C.L.) is derived for the half life of the 0νββ decay of 76Ge.

On possible contribution of a leptoquark intermediate boson mechanism in the free neutron beta decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaponov, Yu.V.

2000-01-01

A possible mechanism of the virtual leptoquark scalar intermediate boson exchange connected with a contribution of the right-handed nucleon currents to the free beta decay is demonstrated. The extension of the hypothesis can be associated with the realization of the same mechanism in the beta decay via the emission of right-handed neutrino (left-handed antineutrino). It is shown that a hypothesis of this kind leads to appearance of scalar and tensor terms in the effective Hamiltonian of weak interaction, and these terms include the right-handed neutrinos. The relevant experimental data are discussed [ru

Radiopurity assessment of the energy readout for the NEXT double beta decay experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Cebrián, S.; Pérez, J.; Bandac, I.; Labarga, L.; Álvarez, V.; Azevedo, C. D. R.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Botas, A.; Cárcel, S.; Carrión, J. V.; Conde, C. A. N.; Díaz, J.; Diesburg, M.; Escada, J.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. M. P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Freitas, E. D. C.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; González-Díaz, D.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. A. O.; Hernandez, A. I.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero, V.; Jones, B. J. P.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N.; Losada, M.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; McDonald, A. D.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Mora, F. J.; Moutinho, L. M.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Musti, M.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Novella, P.; Nygren, D. R.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Querol, M.; Renner, J.; Ripoll, L.; Rodríguez, J.; Rogers, L.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Simón, A.; Sofka, C.; Sorel, M.; Stiegler, T.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Veloso, J. F. C. A.; Villar, J. A.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Yahlali, N.

2017-08-01

The "Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon Time-Projection Chamber" (NEXT) experiment intends to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe, and therefore requires a severe suppression of potential backgrounds. An extensive material screening and selection process was undertaken to quantify the radioactivity of the materials used in the experiment. Separate energy and tracking readout planes using different sensors allow us to combine the measurement of the topological signature of the event for background discrimination with the energy resolution optimization. The design of radiopure readout planes, in direct contact with the gas detector medium, was especially challenging since the required components typically have activities too large for experiments demanding ultra-low background conditions. After studying the tracking plane, here the radiopurity control of the energy plane is presented, mainly based on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors at the Laboratorio Subterr&aposaneo de Canfranc (Spain). All the available units of the selected model of photomultiplier have been screened together with most of the components for the bases, enclosures and windows. According to these results for the activity of the relevant radioisotopes, the selected components of the energy plane would give a contribution to the overall background level in the region of interest of at most 2.4×10-4 counts keV-1 kg-1 y-1, satisfying the sensitivity requirements of the NEXT experiment.

Dark matter physics in neutrino specific two Higgs doublet model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baek, Seungwon; Nomura, Takaaki [School of Physics, Korea Institute for Advanced Study,85 Hoegiro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02455 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-10

Although the seesaw mechanism is a natural explanation for the small neutrino masses, there are cases when the Majorana mass terms for the right-handed neutrinos are not allowed due to symmetry. In that case, if neutrino-specific Higgs doublet is introduced, neutrinos become Dirac particles and their small masses can be explained by its small VEV. We show that the same symmetry, which we assume a global U(1){sub X}, can also be used to explain the stability of dark matter. In our model, a new singlet scalar breaks the global symmetry spontaneously down to a discrete Z{sub 2} symmetry. The dark matter particle, lightest Z{sub 2}-odd fermion, is stabilized. We discuss the phenomenology of dark matter: relic density, direct detection, and indirect detection. We find that the relic density can be explained by a novel Goldstone boson channel or by resonance channel. In the most region of parameter space considered, the direct detections is suppressed well below the current experimental bound. Our model can be further tested in indirect detection experiments such as FermiLAT gamma ray searches or neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.

Study and conception of the decay ring of a neutrino facility using the β decays of the helium 6 and neon 18 nuclei produced by an intense beam of protons hitting various targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chance, A.

2007-09-01

The study of the neutrino oscillation between its different flavours needs pure and very intense flux of energetic, well collimated neutrinos with a well determined energy spectrum. So, a dedicated machine seems necessary nowadays. Among the different concepts of neutrino facilities, the one which will be studied here, called Beta-Beams, lies on the neutrino production by beta decay of radioactive ions after their acceleration. More precisely, the thesis is focused on the study and the design of the race-track-shaped storage ring of the high energy ions. Its aim is to store the ions until decaying. After a brief description of the neutrino oscillation mechanism and a review of the different experiments, an introduction to the neutrino facility concept and more precisely to the Beta-Beams will be given. Then, the issues linked to the Beta-Beams will be presented. After a description of the beam transport formalism, a first design and the optical properties of the ring will be then given. The effects of the misalignment and of the field errors in the dipoles have been studied. The dynamic aperture optimization is then realized. Handling of the decay losses or the energy collimation scheme will be developed. The off-momentum injection needed in presence of a circulating beam will be explained. Finally, the specific radiofrequency program needed by the beam merging will be presented. (author)

Connecting Dirac and Majorana neutrino mass matrices in the minimal left-right symmetric model.

Science.gov (United States)

Nemevšek, Miha; Senjanović, Goran; Tello, Vladimir

2013-04-12

Probing the origin of neutrino mass by disentangling the seesaw mechanism is one of the central issues of particle physics. We address it in the minimal left-right symmetric model and show how the knowledge of light and heavy neutrino masses and mixings suffices to determine their Dirac Yukawa couplings. This in turn allows one to make predictions for a number of high and low energy phenomena, such as decays of heavy neutrinos, neutrinoless double beta decay, electric dipole moments of charged leptons, and neutrino transition moments. We also discuss a way of reconstructing the neutrino Dirac Yukawa couplings at colliders such as the LHC.

Semiconductor-based experiments for neutrinoless double beta decay search

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnabé Heider, Marik

2012-01-01

Three experiments are employing semiconductor detectors in the search for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay: COBRA, Majorana and GERDA. COBRA is studying the prospects of using CdZnTe detectors in terms of achievable energy resolution and background suppression. These detectors contain several ββ emitters and the most promising for 0νββ-decay search is 116 Cd. Majorana and GERDA will use isotopically enriched high purity Ge detectors to search for 0νββ-decay of 76 Ge. Their aim is to achieve a background ⩽10 −3 counts/(kg⋅y⋅keV) at the Q improvement compared to the present state-of-art. Majorana will operate Ge detectors in electroformed-Cu vacuum cryostats. A first cryostat housing a natural-Ge detector array is currently under preparation. In contrast, GERDA is operating bare Ge detectors submerged in liquid argon. The construction of the GERDA experiment is completed and a commissioning run started in June 2010. A string of natural-Ge detectors is operated to test the complete experimental setup and to determine the background before submerging the detectors enriched in 76 Ge. An overview and a comparison of these three experiments will be presented together with the latest results and developments.

Neutrino masses twenty-five years later

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valle, J.W.F.

2003-01-01

The discovery of neutrino mass marks a turning point in elementary particle physics, with important implications for nuclear and astroparticle physics. Here I give a brief update, where I summarize the current status of three-neutrino oscillation parameters from current solar, atmospheric, reactor and accelerator neutrino data, discuss the case for sterile neutrinos and LSND, and also the importance of tritium and double beta decay experiments probing the absolute scale of neutrino mass. In this opinionated look at the present of neutrino physics, I keep an eye in the future, and a perspective of the past, taking the opportunity to highlight Joe Schechter's pioneering contribution, which I have had the fortune to share, as his PhD student back in the early eighties

Increasing effective number of neutrinos by decaying particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ichikawa, K.; Kawasaki, M.; Nakayama, K.; Senami, M. [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Inst. for Cosmic Ray Research; Takahashi, F. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2007-03-15

We present models of decaying particles to increase the effective number of neutrinos N{sub {nu}} after big bang nucleosynthesis but before the structure formation begins. We point out that our scenario not only solves the discrepancy between the constraints on N{sub {nu}} from these two epochs, but also provides a possible answer to deeper inconsistency in the estimation of the matter power spectrum amplitude at small scales, represented by {sigma}{sub 8}, between the WMAP and some small scale matter power measurements such as the Lyman-{alpha} forest and weak lensing. We consider (a) saxion decay into two axions; (b) gravitino decay into axino and axion; (c) Dirac right-handed sneutrino decay into gravitino and right-handed neutrino. (orig.)

Constraints on TeV scale Majorana neutrino phenomenology from the vacuum stability of the Higgs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakraborthy, Jaydeep; Das, Moumita; Mohanty, Subhendra

2013-01-01

The vacuum stability condition of the Standard Model Higgs potential with mass in the range of 124-127 GeV puts an upper bound on the Dirac mass of the neutrinos. We study this constraint with the right-handed neutrino masses upto TeV scale. The heavy neutrinos contribute to ΔL = 2 processes like neutrinoless double beta decay and same-sign-dilepton production in the colliders. The vacuum stability criterion also restricts the light-heavy neutrino mixing and constrains the branching ratio of lepton flavour violating process, like μ → eγ mediated by the heavy neutrinos. We show that neutrinoless double beta decay with a lifetime ∼ 10 25 years can be observed if the the lightest heavy neutrino mass is R > 3.3 TeV. Finally we show that the observation of same-sign-dileptons (SSD) associated with jets at the LHC needs much larger luminosity than available at present. We have estimated the possible maximum cross-section for this process at the LHC and show that with an integrated luminosity 100 fb 1 it may be possible to observe the SSD signals as long as M R < 400 GeV. (author)

Neutrino mass experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, R.G.H.

1989-01-01

The current status of the experimental search for neutrino mass is reviewed, with emphasis on direct kinematic methods. Simpson and Hime report finding new evidence for a 17-keV neutrino in the β decay of 3 H and 35 S. The situation concerning the electron neutrino mass as measured in tritium beta decay has not changed significantly in the last two years. We discuss the ''model independent'' lower limit of 17 eV obtained by the ITEP group in light of existing data on the 3 H-- 3 He mass difference. 42 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Double beta and dark matter search-window to new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

1999-01-01

Nuclear double beta decay provides an extraordinarily broad potential to search beyond Standard Model physics, probing already now the TeV scale, on which new physics should manifest itself. These possibilities are reviewed here. First, the results of present generation experiments are presented. The most sensitive one of them - the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment in the Gran Sasso - probes the electron mass now in the sub eV region and will reach a limit of ∼ 0.1 eV in a few years. Basing to a large extend on the theoretical work of the Heidelberg Double Beta Group in the last two years, results are obtained also for SUSY models (R-parity breaking, sneutrino mass), leptoquarks (leptoquark-Higgs coupling), compositeness, right-handed W boson mass, test of special relativity and equivalence principle in the neutrino sector and others. These results are comfortably competitive to corresponding results from high-energy accelerators like TEVATRON, HERA, etc. One of the enriched 76 Ge detectors also yields the most stringent limits for cold dark matter (WIMPs) to date by using raw data. Second, future perspectives of ββ research are discussed. A new Heidelberg experimental proposal (GENIUS) is described which would allow to increase the sensitivity for Majorana neutrino masses from the present level at best 0.1 eV down to 0.01 eV or even 0.001 eV. Its physical potential would be a breakthrough into the multi-TeV range for many beyond standard models. Its sensitivity for neutrino oscillation parameters would be larger than of all present terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments and of those planned for the future. It could probe directly the atmospheric neutrino problem and the large angle, and for almost degenerate neutrino mass scenarios even the small angle solution of the solar neutrino problem. It would further, already in a first step using only 100 kg of natural Ge detectors, cover almost the full MSSM parameter space for prediction of neutralinos as cold

Results on Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay from Gerda Phase I

Science.gov (United States)

Macolino, Carla

2014-12-01

The GERmanium Detector Array, GERDA, is designed to search for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of 76Ge and it is installed in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of INFN, Italy. In this review, the detection principle and detector setup of GERDA are described. Also, the main physics results by GERDA Phase I, are discussed. They include the measurement of the half-life of 2νββ decay, the background decomposition of the energy spectrum and the techniques for the discrimination of the background, based on the pulse shape of the signal. In the last part of this review, the estimation of a limit on the half-life of 0νββ (T0ν 1/2>2.1ḑot 1025 yr at 90% C.L.) and the comparison with previous results are discussed. GERDA data from Phase I strongly disfavor the recent claim of 0νββ discovery, based on data from the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment.

Neutrino masses and flavor mixing in the extended double Seesaw model with two texture zeros

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Li-Jun; Dulat, Sayipjamal; Ablat, Abduleziz

2011-01-01

We study the light neutrino mass matrix in the extended double Seesaw model (EDSM), and as a result we get its general form. Also we demonstrate that conventional type-I and double seesaw mechanisms can be regarded as two special cases. We analyze the structure of the 9 x 9 neutrino mass matrix in this scenario, and surprisingly we find that EDSM will degenerate to a conventional type-I seesaw mechanism when M R = M S M μ -1 M S T holds exactly. Considering two simple ansaetze in two texture zeros for its 3 x 3 submatrices, we calculate the neutrino masses and flavor mixing angles, in which the θ 13 is a nonzero large angle. (orig.)

The Milano-Gran Sasso double beta decay experiment: toward a 20-crystal array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alessandrello, A.; Brofferio, C.; Bucci, C.; Cremonesi, O.; Fiorini, E.; Giuliani, A.; Nucciotti, A.; Pavan, M.; Pessina, G.; Previtali, E.; Zanotti, L.

1996-01-01

TeO 2 thermal detectors are being used by the Milano group to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130 Te. An upper limit for neutrinoless decay half life of 2.1 x 10 22 yr at 90% CL obtained with a 334 g TeO 2 detector has been previously reported. To improve the sensitivity of the experiment an array of twenty 340 g TeO 2 crystals will be realised in the next future. As a first step toward the realisation of that experiment a 4 crystal detector has been tested in the Gran Sasso refrigerator. Detector performances, data acquisition and analysis are discussed. (orig.)

Results on neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge from GERDA Phase I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios

2015-01-01

The Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment is searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76 Ge by operating bare germanium diodes in liquid argon. GERDA is located at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy. During Phase I, a total exposure of 21.6 kg yrand a background index of 0.01 cts/(keVkg yr) were reached. No signal was observed and a lower limit of T 0ν 1/2 > 2.1 · 10 25 yr(90% C.L.) is derived for the half life of the 0νββ decay of 76 Ge. (paper)

Investigation of Neutrino Properties with Bolometric Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heeger, Karsten M [University of Wisconsin & Yale University

2014-11-01

Neutrino mass and mixing are amongst the major discoveries of the past decade. The particle nature of neutrinos and the hierarchy of mass eigenstates, however, are unknown. Neutrinoless double beta-decay (0νββ) is the only known mechanism to test whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles. The observation of 0νββ would imply lepton number violation and show that neutrinos have Majorana mass. This report describes research activities performed at the University of Wisconsin in 2011-2014 aimed at the search for 0νββ with CUORE-0 and CUORE with the goal of exploring the inverted mass hierarchy region and probing an effective neutrino mass of ~40- 120 meV.

Experimental study of selection rules following from the existence of two types of neutrinos; Etude experimentale des regles de selection decoulant de l'existence de deux types de neutrinos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaillard, J M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1963-05-15

Interactions of high energy neutrinos with matter have been observed In the course of an experiment done in collaboration with G. Danby, K. Goulianos, L. M. Lederman, N. Mistry, M. Schwartz and J. Steinberger at the Brookhaven AGS. The neutrinos were produced mainly in the decay {pi}{sup {+-}} {yields} {mu}{sup {+-}} + {upsilon}({upsilon}-bar); the experiment leads to the conclusion that thee neutrinos are very likely different from the ones produced in beta decay reactions. We use the result of this experiment to study the selection rules applicable in the framework of a two neutrino theory. (author) [French] Nous avons observe l'interaction des neutrinos de haute energie avec la matiere au court dune experience effectuee en collaboration avec G. Danby, K. Goulianos, L. M. Lederman, N. Mistry, M. Schwartz et J. Steinberger sur l'accelerateur AGS du Brookhaven National Laboratory. Les neutrinos utilites provenaient principalement de la desintegration {pi}{sup {+-}} {yields} {mu}{sup {+-}} + {upsilon}({upsilon}-bar) l'experience conduit a la conclusion que ces neutrinos sont tres probablement differents de ceux produits par la desintegration beta. Nous utilisons les resultats de cette experience pour etudier quelles sont les regles de selection a utiliser dans le cadre d'une theorie a deux types de neutrinos. (auteur)

GERDA - a new neutrinoless double beta experiment using 76Ge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meierhofer, G

2011-01-01

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νssss) has been a very active field for the last decades. While double beta decay has been observed, 0νssss decay still waits for its experimental proof. The GErmanium Detector Array (GERDA) uses 76 Ge, an ideal candidate as it is acting as source and detector simultaneously. Germanium detectors, isotopically enriched in 76 Ge are submerged directly into an ultra pure cryo liquid, which serves as coolant and radiation shield. This concept will allow to reduce the background by up to two orders of magnitude with respect to earlier experiments. GERDA has been constructed in hall A of the underground laboratory LNGS of the INFN in Italy. The experiment started recently with a test run.

Sterile neutrino search with the Double Chooz experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hellwig, Denise; Bekman, Ilja; Kampmann, Philipp; Schoppmann, Stefan; Soiron, Michael; Stahl, Achim; Wiebusch, Christopher [III. Physikalisches Institut B, RWTH Aachen (Germany)

2016-07-01

The Double Chooz experiment is a reactor neutrino disappearance experiment located at the Chooz nuclear power plant, France. It measures the electron-antineutrino flux of the two nuclear reactors with two detectors of identical design. A far detector at a distance of about 1 km is operating since 2011; a near detector at a distance of about 400 m is operating since the end of 2014. The combination of the two detectors offers sensitivity to sterile neutrino mixing parameters. Sterile neutrinos are neutrino mass states not taking part in weak interactions, but may mix with known neutrino states. This induces additional mixing angles and mass differences. This talk describes the search for sterile neutrinos and the sensitivity of Double Chooz to the mixing angle θ{sub 14}.

Nuclear β decay with a massive neutrino in an external electromagnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ternov, I.M.; Rodionov, V.N.; Zhulego, V.G.; Lobanov, A.E.; Pavlova, O.S.; Dorofeev, O.F.

1986-01-01

Beta decay in the presence of an external electromagnetic field is investigated, taking into account the non-zero neutrino rest mass. The spectrum of electrons and polarisation effects of different orientations of nuclear spin are considered. It is shown that the electromagnetic wave substantially modifies the boundaries of the spectrum of β electrons. The results, which include an analysis of the total decay probability in intense magnetic fields, may have various astrophysical implications. (author)

Limit on Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of 76Ge by GERDA

Science.gov (United States)

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Andreotti, E.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Heider, M. Barabè; Barros, N.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Becerici-Schmidt, N.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Belyaev, S. T.; Benato, G.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Budjáš, D.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; Cossavella, F.; Demidova, E. V.; Domula, A.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Ferella, A.; Freund, K.; Frodyma, N.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gotti, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Guthikonda, K. K.; Hampel, W.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Heusser, G.; Hofmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Klimenko, A.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lebedev, V. I.; Lehnert, B.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Machado, A. A.; Macolino, C.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Misiaszek, M.; Nemchenok, I.; Nisi, S.; Shaughnessy, C. O.'.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pessina, G.; Pullia, A.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Salathe, M.; Schmitt, C.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Schönert, S.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Strecker, H.; Tarka, M.; Ur, C. A.; Vasenko, A. A.; Volynets, O.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Walter, M.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zavarise, P.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

The Gerda experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy uses germanium detectors made from material with an enriched 76Ge isotope fraction to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of this nucleus. Applying a blind analysis we find no signal after an exposure of 21.6 kg·yr and a background of about 0.01 cts/(keV·kg·yr). A half-life limit of Tov1/2> 2.1 · 1025 yr (90% C.L.) is extracted. The previous claim of a signal for 76Ge is excluded with 99% probability in a model independent way.

Towards absolute neutrino masses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogel, Petr [Kellogg Radiation Laboratory 106-38, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2007-06-15

Various ways of determining the absolute neutrino masses are briefly reviewed and their sensitivities compared. The apparent tension between the announced but unconfirmed observation of the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay and the neutrino mass upper limit based on observational cosmology is used as an example of what could happen eventually. The possibility of a 'nonstandard' mechanism of the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay is stressed and the ways of deciding which of the possible mechanisms is actually operational are described. The importance of the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} nuclear matrix elements is discussed and their uncertainty estimated.

A large scale double beta and dark matter experiment: On the physics potential of GENIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.; Hirsch, M.

1997-01-01

The physics potential of GENIUS, a recently proposed double beta decay anddark matter experiment is discussed. The experiment will allow to probe neutrino masses down to 10 -(2-3) eV. GENIUS will test the structure of the neutrino mass matrix, and therefore implicitly neutrino oscillation parameters comparable or superior in sensitivity to the best proposed dedicated terrestrial neutrino oscillation experiments. If the 10 -3 eV level is reached, GENIUS will even allow to test the large angle MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem. Even in its first stage GENIUS will confirm or rule out degenerate or inverted neutrino mass scenarios, which have been widely discussed in the literature as a possible solution to current hints on finite neutrino masses and also test the ν e ν μ hypothesis of the atmospheric neutrino problem.GENIUS would contribute to the search for R-parity violating SUSY and right-handed W-bosons on a scale similar or superior to LHC. In addition, GENIUS would largely improve the current 0νββ decay searches for R-parity conserving SUSY and leptoquarks. Concerning cold dark matter (CDM) search, the low background anticipated for GENIUS would, for thefirst time ever, allow to cover the complete MSSM neutralino parameter space, making GENIUS competitive to LHC in SUSY discovery. If GENIUS could find SUSY CDM as a by-product it would confirm that R-parity must be conserved exactly. GENIUS will thus be a major tool for future non-accelerator particle physics. (orig.)

Finding Mass Constraints Through Third Neutrino Mass Eigenstate Decay

Science.gov (United States)

Gangolli, Nakul; de Gouvêa, André; Kelly, Kevin

2018-01-01

In this paper we aim to constrain the decay parameter for the third neutrino mass utilizing already accepted constraints on the other mixing parameters from the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix (PMNS). The main purpose of this project is to determine the parameters that will allow the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) to observe a decay parameter with some statistical significance. Another goal is to determine the parameters that JUNO could detect in the case that the third neutrino mass is lighter than the first two neutrino species. We also replicate the results that were found in the JUNO Conceptual Design Report (CDR). By utilizing Χ2-squared analysis constraints have been put on the mixing angles, mass squared differences, and the third neutrino decay parameter. These statistical tests take into account background noise and normalization corrections and thus the finalized bounds are a good approximation for the true bounds that JUNO can detect. If the decay parameter is not included in our models, the 99% confidence interval lies within The bounds 0s to 2.80x10-12s. However, if we account for a decay parameter of 3x10-5 ev2, then 99% confidence interval lies within 8.73x10-12s to 8.73x10-11s.

Measurements of neutrino mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, R.G.H.

1985-01-01

Direct experimental information of neutrino mass as derived from the study of nuclear and elementary-particle weak decays is reviewed. Topics include tritium beta decay; the 3 He-T mass difference; electron capture decay of 163 Ho and 158 Tb; and limits on massive neutrinos from cosmology. 38 references

The ideal neutrino beams

Science.gov (United States)

Lindroos, Mats

2009-06-01

The advance in neutrino oscillation physics is driven by the availability of well characterized and high flux neutrino beams. The three present options for the next generation neutrino oscillation facility are super beams, neutrino factories and beta-beams. A super-beam is a very high intensity classical neutrino beam generated by protons impinging on a target where the neutrinos are generated by the secondary particles decaying in a tunnel down streams of the target. In a neutrino factory the neutrinos are generated from muons decaying in a storage ring with long straight sections pointing towards the detectors. In a beta-beam the neutrinos are also originating from decay in a storage ring but the decaying particles are radioactive ions rather than muons. I will in this presentation review the three options and discuss the pros and cons of each. The present joint design effort for a future high intensity neutrino oscillation in Europe within a common EU supported design study, EURONU, will also be presented. The design study will explore the physics reach, the detectors, the feasibility, the safety issues and the cost for each of the options so that the the community can take a decision on what to build when the facilities presently under exploitation and construction have to be replaced.

New mechanism for Type-II seesaw dominance in SO(10) with low-mass Z', RH neutrinos, and verifiable LFV, LNV and proton decay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nayak, Bidyut Prava; Parida, Mina Ketan [Siksha ' ' O' ' Anusandhan University, Centre of Excellence in Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha (India)

2015-05-15

The dominance of Type-II seesaw mechanism for the neutrino masses has attracted considerable attention because of a number of advantages. We show a novel approach to achieve Type-II seesaw dominance in nonsupersymmetric SO(10) grand unification where a low-mass Z' boson and specific patterns of right-handed neutrino masses are predicted within the accessible energy range of the Large Hadron Collider. In spite of the high value of the seesaw scale, M{sub Δ{sub L}} ≅ 10{sup 8}-10{sup 9} GeV, the model predicts new dominant contributions to neutrino-less double beta decay in the W{sub L}-W{sub L} channel close to the current experimental limits via exchanges of heavier singlet fermions used as essential ingredients of this model even when the light active neutrino masses are normally hierarchical or invertedly hierarchical. We obtain upper bounds on the lightest sterile neutrino mass m{sub s} neutrino masses, respectively. The underlying nonunitarity effects lead to lepton flavour violating decay branching ratios within the reach of ongoing or planned experiments and the leptonic CP-violation parameter nearly two order larger than the quark sector. Some of the predicted values on the proton lifetime for p → e{sup +}π{sup 0} are found to be within the currently accessible search limits. Other aspects of model applications including leptogenesis etc. are briefly indicated. (orig.)

Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect on neutrino decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou Chihkang; Chou Marty; National Central Univ., Chung-li

2001-01-01

It has early been pointed out by R. S. Raghavan et al. that in solar matter, conversion of the electron neutrino to a ''heaver'' flavor by the MSW effect can catalyze neutrino decay in the small mixing angle MSW solution. Since recent results on solar neutrinos provide hints that the large mixing angle MSW solution could be correct, we present a detailed study of the MSW effect with neutrino decay for both small and large mixing angles. The lower limit for the lifetime of 10 MeV neutrinos is estimated to be τ(10 MeV) >or∼ 10 3 s. (orig.)

Power Deposition due to Muon Decay Losses in a Neutrino Factory

CERN Document Server

Keil, Eberhard

2000-01-01

The power in the charged muon decay products, deposited per unit distance, depends on the muon energy only through the relativistic factor beta. For a typical neutrino factory it is about one Watt/m, multiplied by the number of passes through a particular component. The power is highest in the muon decay ring, where the muon lifetime cooresponds to about 150 turns. The electrons or positrons from muon decay in the long straight section may remain inside the vacuum chamber, until they are lost at the beginning of the arcs, because of their large energy errors, that are enhanced by synchrotron radiation losses. The power losses along the straight section and the arcs are studied by computer simulation, and the results are presented. About two thirds of the power ends up in the straight section, the remainder in the matching section and in the first half of the dispersion suppressor.

MaGe: a Monte Carlo framework for the Gerda and Majorana double beta decay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, M; Belogurov, S; Chan, Yd; Descovich, M; Detwiler, J; Di Marco, M; Fujikawa, B; Franco, D; Gehman, V; Henning, R; Hudek, K; Johnson, R; Jordan, D; Kazkaz, K; Klimenko, A; Knapp, M; Kroeninger, K; Lesko, K; Liu, X; Marino, M; Mokhtarani, A; Pandola, L; Perry, M; Poon, A; Radford, D; Tomei, C; Tull, C

2006-01-01

The Gerda and Majorana projects, both searching for the neutrinoless double beta-decay of 76 Ge, are developing a joint Monte-Carlo simulation framework called MaGe. Such an approach has many benefits: the workload for the development of general tools is shared between more experts, the code is tested in more detail, and more experimental data is made available for validation

Monte Carlo Simulation for the Majorana Neutrinoless Double-beta Decay Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henning, Reyco; Majorana Collaboration

2005-01-01

The Majorana experiment is a proposed HPGe detector array that will primarily search for neutrinoless double-beta decay and dark matter. It will rely on pulse-shape discrimination and crystal segmentation to suppress backgrounds following careful materials selection. A critical aspect of the design phase of Majorana is a reliable simulation of the detector response, pulse formation, and its radioactive backgrounds. We are developing an adaptable and complete simulation based on GEANT 4 to address these requirements and the requirements of a modern, large collaboration experiment. The salient aspects of the simulation are presented. The Majorana experiment is presented in a parallel poster by Kareem Kazkaz

Simulation of complex detection systems in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larrea, A.; Morales, A.; Morales, J.; Nunez-Lagos, R.; Puimedon, J.; Villar, J.A.

1988-01-01

The estimated efficiency of several detection systems dedicated to the search of the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76 Ge is reported. In order to perform this work, we have developed the GEOM macro library system which can handle highly complex geometries in simulation problems, allowing to include an accurate description of the experimental setup in a very simple way. Also an internal mechanism for checking the correct location of every boundary defining the geometrical regions is included. The present version of GEOM is implemented in the EGS4 code of Monte Carlo simulation of photons and electron/positron showers, but it can be easily extended to other simulation codes. (orig.)

Search for neutrinoless double beta decay with GERDA phase II

Science.gov (United States)

Agostini, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Borowicz, D.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; D'Andrea, V.; Demidova, E. V.; Di Marco, N.; Domula, A.; Doroshkevich, E.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gooch, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Hakenmüller, J.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Hofmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Kish, A.; Klimenko, A.; Kneißl, R.; Knies, J.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lebedev, V. I.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Marissens, G.; Miloradovic, M.; Mingazheva, R.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Nemchenok, I.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pullia, A.; Ransom, C.; Reissfelder, M.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Salamida, F.; Schmitt, C.; Schneider, B.; Schönert, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schütz, A.-K.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Seitz, H.; Selivanenko, O.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Vanhoefer, L.; Vasenko, A. A.; Veresnikova, A.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wiesinger, C.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

2017-10-01

The GERmanium Detector Array (gerda) experiment, located at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory in Italy, is one of the leading experiments for the search of 0νββ decay. In Phase II of the experiment 35.6 kg of enriched germanium detectors are operated. The application of active background rejection methods, such as a liquid argon scintillation light read-out and pulse shape discrimination of germanium detector signals, allowed to reduce the background index to the intended level of 10-3 cts/(keV.kg.yr). In the first five month of data taking 10.8 kg yr of exposure were accumulated. No signal has been found and together with data from Phase I a new limit for the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of 76Ge of 5.3 . 1025 yr at 90% C.L. was established in June 2016. Phase II data taking is ongoing and will allow the exploration of half-lifes in the 1026 yr regime. The current status of data taking and an update on the background index are presented.

Induced Double-Beta Processes in Electron Fluxes as Resonance Reactions in Weak Interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaponov, Yu.V.

2004-01-01

A theory of induced double-beta processes in electron beams is developed. It is shown that a resonance mechanism of the excitation of the ground state of an intermediate nucleus is realized in them, this mechanism being described in the single-state-dominance approximation, where the process in question is broken down into two stages, the excitation of a dominant state and its decay. This approximation is valid irrespective of the features of this state, both for allowed (for a 1 + state of the intermediate nucleus) and for forbidden transitions. An analysis of the resonance mechanism reveals that its inclusion in double-beta-decay processes requires introducing additional diagrams that describe the gamma decay of virtual intermediate states. The inclusion of such corrections may lead to a decrease in the expected half-life and to a change in the beta spectrum. Effects associated with the interference between the two stages of a double-beta process are estimated, and it is shown that their influence can be significant if the time interval between these stages is less than or on the order of the lifetime of the dominant state

Neutrino mass matrices with vanishing determinant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauhan, Bhag C.; Pulido, Joao; Picariello, Marco

2006-01-01

We investigate the prospects for neutrinoless double beta decay, texture zeros. and equalities between neutrino mass matrix elements in scenarios with vanishing determinant mass matrices for vanishing and finite θ 13 mixing angles in normal and inverse mass hierarchies. For normal hierarchy and both zero and finite θ 13 it is found that neutrinoless double beta decay cannot be observed by any of the present or next generation experiments, while for inverse hierarchy it is, on the contrary, accessible to experiments. Regarding texture zeros and equalities between mass matrix elements, we find that in both normal and inverse hierarchies with θ 13 =0 no texture zeros nor any such equalities can exist apart from the obvious ones. For θ 13 ≠0 some texture zeros become possible. In normal hierarchy two texture zeros occur if 8.1x10 -2 ≤sinθ 13 ≤9.1x10 -2 while in inverse hierarchy three are possible, one with sinθ 13 ≥7x10 -3 and two others with sinθ 13 ≥0.18. All equalities between mass matrix elements are impossible with θ 13 ≠0

Nuclear transparency and double beta decay of molybdenum 100. Annual report, February 1, 1995 - January 31, 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicholson, H.W.

1995-07-01

This report describes progress in data analysis for a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of molybdenum 100 and related work, Brookhaven National Laboratory's Experiment 850 on color transparency, and work on Brookhaven's EVA detector and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center's B factory experiment. 6 refs

Interference between light and heavy neutrinos for 0νββ decay in the left–right symmetric model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Fahim, E-mail: ahmed1f@cmich.edu; Neacsu, Andrei, E-mail: neacs1a@cmich.edu; Horoi, Mihai, E-mail: mihai.horoi@cmich.edu

2017-06-10

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is proposed as an important low energy phenomenon that could test beyond the Standard Model physics. There are several potentially competing beyond the Standard Model mechanisms that can induce the process. It thus becomes important to disentangle the different processes. In the present study we consider the interference effect between the light left-handed and heavy right-handed Majorana neutrino exchange mechanisms. The decay rate, and consequently, the phase-space factors for the interference term are derived, based on the left–right symmetric model. The numerical values for the interference phase-space factors for several nuclides are calculated, taking into consideration the relativistic Coulomb distortion of the electron wave function and finite-size of the nucleus. The variation of the interference effect with the Q-value of the process is studied.

Simulation studies of muon-produced background events deep underground and consequences for double beta decay experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Massarczyk, Ralph; Majorana Collaboration

2015-10-01

Cosmic radiation creates a significant background for low count rate experiments. The Majorana demonstrator experiment is located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility at a depth of 4850ft below the surface but it can still be penetrated by cosmic muons with initial energies above the TeV range. The interaction of muons with the rock, the shielding material in the lab and the detector itself can produce showers of secondary particles, like fast neutrons, which are able to travel through shielding material and can produce high-energy γ-rays via capture or inelastic scattering. The energy deposition of these γ rays in the detector can overlap with energy region of interest for the neutrino-less double beta decay. Recent studies for cosmic muons penetrating the Majorana demonstrator are made with the Geant4 code. The results of these simulations will be presented in this talk and an overview of the interaction of the shower particles with the detector, shielding and veto system will be given. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, the Particle Astrophysics Program of the National Science Foundation, and the Sanford Underground Research Facility. Supported by U.S. Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.