Neutrinoless double-β decay and nuclear transition matrix elements

Abstract

Within mechanisms involving the light Majorana neutrinos, squark-neutrino, Majorons, sterile neutrinos and heavy Majorana neutrino, nuclear transition matrix elements for the neutrinoless (β−β−)0ν decay of 96Zr, 100Mo, 128,130Te and 150Nd nuclei are calculated by employing the PHFB approach. Effects due to finite size of nucleons, higher order currents, short range correlations, and deformations of parent as well as daughter nuclei on the calculated matrix elements are estimated. Uncertainties in nuclear transition matrix elements within long-ranged mechanisms but for double Majoron accompanied (β−β−ϕϕ)0ν decay modes are 9%–15%. In the case of short ranged heavy Majorona neutrino exchange mechanism, the maximum uncertainty is about 35%. The maximum systematic error within the mechanism involving the exchange of light Majorana neutrino is about 46%.