Half-life Of Double Beta Decay Research Articles

First Study of the PIKACHU Project: Development and Evaluation of High-Purity Gd3Ga3Al2O12:Ce Crystals for 160Gd Double Beta Decay Search

Abstract Uncovering neutrinoless double beta decay (0ν2β) is crucial for confirming neutrinos’ Majorana characteristics. The decay rate of 0νββ is theoretically uncertain, influenced by nuclear matrix elements that vary across nuclides. To reduce this uncertainty, precise measurement of the half-life of neutrino-emitting double beta decay (2ν2β) in different nuclides is essential. We have launched the PIKACHU (Pure Inorganic scintillator experiment in KAmioka for CHallenging Underground sciences) project to fabricate high-purity Ce-doped Gd3Ga3Al2O12 (GAGG) single crystals and use them to study the double beta decay of 160Gd. Predictions from two theoretical models on nuclear matrix element calculations for 2ν2β in 160Gd show a significant discrepancy in estimated half-lives, differing by approximately an order of magnitude. If the lower half-life estimation holds true, detecting 2ν2β in 160Gd could be achievable with a sensitivity enhancement slightly more than an order of magnitude compared to prior investigations using Ce-doped Gd2SiO5 (GSO) crystal. We have successfully developed GAGG crystals with purity levels surpassing previous standards through refined purification and selection of raw materials. Our experiments with these crystals indicate the feasibility of reaching sensitivities exceeding those of earlier studies. This paper discusses the ongoing development and scintillator performance evaluation of High-purity GAGG crystals, along with the anticipated future prospects of the PIKACHU experiment.

New high intensity Heavy - Ion beams @ INFN-LNS: NUMEN project status and perspective

The upgrade project POTLNS to produce high-intensity beams has already started at INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud in Catania (Italy). The POTLNS project was triggered by the NUMEN physics case that aims to provide experimental information on the Nuclear Matrix Elements (NMEs) that enter in the expression of the neutrino-less double beta (0νββ) decay half-life. The tools proposed by NUMEN project are the cross-section measurements of nuclear Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. The search for 0νββ decay is currently a key topic in physics, due to its possible wide implications for nuclear physics, particle physics and cosmology: the NUMEN project could provide a crucial contribution in this search.

Systematic analysis of double-beta decay half lives

Evaluated 2β−(2ν) half-lives and their systematics were reexamined in the framework of a phenomenological approach. Decay rate dependence on nuclear deformation, decay energy, shape coexistence, and forbidden transitions was observed. The following analysis showed distinct impacts of decay energy on half lives, and deformation parameters on effective nuclear matrix elements. These findings were used to predict T1/2 for 36 isotopes of interest. Present work results were compared with published data.

Double Beta Decay: A Shell Model Approach

Studies of weak interaction in nuclei are important tools for testing different aspects of the fundamental symmetries of the Standard Model. Neutrinoless double beta decay offers an unique venue of investigating the possibility that neutrinos are Majorana fermions and that the lepton number conservation law is violated. Here, I use a shell model approach to calculate the nuclear matrix elements needed to extract the lepton-number-violating parameters of a few nuclei of experimental interest from the latest experimental lower limits of neutrinoless double beta decay half-lives. The analysis presented here could reveal valuable information regarding the dominant neutrinoless double beta decay mechanism if experimental half-life data become available for different isotopes. A complementary shell model analysis of the two-neutrino double beta decay nuclear matrix elements and half-lives is also presented.

Final Result on the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of ^{82}Se with CUPID-0.

CUPID-0, an array of Zn^{82}Se cryogenic calorimeters, was the first medium-scale demonstrator of the scintillating bolometers' technology. The first project phase (March 2017-December 2018) allowed the most stringent limit on the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life of the isotope of interest, ^{82}Se, to be set. After a six month long detector upgrade, CUPID-0 began its second and last phase (June 2019-February 2020). In this Letter, we describe the search for neutrinoless double beta decay of ^{82}Se with a total exposure (phase I+II) of 8.82 kg yr^{-1} of isotope. We set a limit on the half-life of ^{82}Se to the ground state of ^{82}Kr of T_{1/2}^{0ν}(^{82}Se)>4.6×10^{24} yr (90% credible interval), corresponding to an effective Majorana neutrino mass m_{ββ}<(263-545) meV. We also set the most stringent lower limits on the neutrinoless decays of ^{82}Se to the 0_{1}^{+}, 2_{1}^{+}, and 2_{2}^{+} excited states of ^{82}Kr, finding 1.8×10^{23} yr, 3.0×10^{23} yr, and 3.2×10^{23} yr (90% credible interval) respectively.

Neutrino masses and mass hierarchy: evidence for the normal hierarchy

The latest cosmological constraints on the sum of neutrino masses, in combination with the latest laboratory measurements on oscillations, provide “decisive” Bayesian evidence for the normal neutrino mass hierarchy. We show that this result holds across very different prior alternatives by exploring two extremes on the range of prior choices. In fact, while the specific numerical value for the Evidence depends on the choice of prior, the Bayesian odds remain greater than 140:1 across very different prior choices. For Majorana neutrinos this has important implications for the upper limit of the neutrino-less double beta decay half life and thus for the technology and resources needed for future double beta decay experiments.

A focus on selected perspectives of the NUMEN project

The use of double charge exchange reactions is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay half-life. The strategy adopted in the experimental campaigns performed at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud and in the analysis methods within the NUMEN project is briefly described, emphasizing the advantages of the multi-channel approach to nuclear reaction data analysis. An overview on the research and development activities on the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer is also given, with a focus on the chosen technological solutions for the focal plane detector which will guarantee the performances at high-rate conditions.

Zooming in on eV-MeV scale sterile neutrinos in light of neutrinoless double beta decay

The existence of light sterile neutrinos, as predicted in several models, can help to explain a number of observations starting from dark mater to recent anomalies in short baseline experiments. In this paper we consider two models - Left-Right Symmetric Zee model and Extended Seesaw model, that can naturally accommodate the presence of light sterile neutrinos in the eV to MeV mass scale. We perform a detailed study on the neutrinoless double beta decay process which receives major contributions from diagrams involving these light sterile neutrinos. Considering a number of theoretical and experimental constraints, including light neutrino masses and mixings, unitarity of the mixing matrix etc., we compare our predicted values of the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay with the experimental limits. This can put significant constraints on the neutrino mass, active-sterile neutrino mixing and several other important parameters in these models.

Determination of Double Beta Decay Half-Life of 136Xe with the PandaX-4T Natural Xenon Detector.

Precise measurement of two-neutrino double beta decay (DBD) half-life is an important step for the searches of Majorana neutrinos with neutrinoless double beta decay. We report the measurement of DBD half-life of 136Xe using the PandaX-4T dual-phase Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with 3.7-tonne natural xenon and the first 94.9-day physics data release. The background model in the fiducial volume is well constrained in situ by events in the outer active region. With a 136Xe exposure of 15.5 kg-year, we establish the half-life as 2.27 ± 0.03(stat.) ± 0.10(syst.) × 1021 years. This is the first DBD half-life measurement with natural xenon and demonstrates the physics capability of a large-scale liquid xenon TPC in the field of rare event searches.

Recent experimental activity on heavy-ion induced reactions within the NUMEN project

The possibility to use a special class of heavy-ion induced direct reactions, such as double charge exchange reactions, is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay half-life. The strategies adopted in the experimental campaigns performed at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud are briefly described, emphasizing the advantages of the multi-channel approach to nuclear reaction data analysis.

Recent results on heavy-ion induced reactions of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay at INFN-LNS

The NUMEN project aims at accessing experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). In this view measurements of Heavy Ion (HI) induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reaction cross sections are performed with high-accuracy. In particular, the (18O,18Ne) and (20Ne,20O) reactions are used as tools for β+β+ and β-β- decays, respectively. In the experiments, performed at INFN - Laboratory Nazionali del Sud (LNS) in Catania, the beams are accelerated by the Superconducting Cyclotron (CS) and the reaction ejectiles are detected the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer. The measured cross sections are challengingly low (a few nb), being the total reaction cross section much larger (a few b), thus a high sensitivity and a large rejection capability are demanded to the experimental set-up. This limits the present exploration to few selected isotopes of interest in the context of typically low-yield experimental runs. A major upgrade of the LNS facility is under way in order to increase the experimental dataset of more than two orders of magnitude, still preserving the high sensitivity of the present set-up. When accomplished this effort will make the INFN-LNS as the state-of-the-art research infrastructure for the systematic study of all the cases of interest for 0νββ. In this view, frontiers technologies are going to be adopted for the accelerator and the detection systems. In parallel, advanced theoretical models are being developed in order to extract the nuclear structure information from the measured cross sections.

Double beta decay and the quest for Majorana neutrinos

The observation of neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay remains crucial for understanding lepton number violation. The inverse half-life for 0νββ-decay is given by the product of a phase space factor (PSF), a nuclear matrix element (NME), which both rely on theoretical description, and a function f containing the physics beyond the standard model. Phase space factors and nuclear matrix elements have been evaluated, or are under evaluation, systematically for all processes of interest. The nuclear matrix elements have been calculated within the framework of the microscopic interacting boson model (IBM-2), and phase space factors have been evaluated using exact Dirac electron wave functions. The current situation is then discussed by combining the theoretical results with experimental limits on the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay. The extracted limits on the average light neutrino mass are addressed, complemented with a discussion of other possible 0νββ-decay mechanisms and scenarios.

On the MSW-like neutrino mixing effects in atomic weak interactions and double beta decays

Matter effects on the mixing of the neutrinos mass eigenstates, also known as the Mikheyev–Smirnov–Wolfenstein effect, seem to be well established in describing the propagation of the neutrino from the source to detecting devices. These effects were mostly considered in bulk matter, but not inside the atoms. Here we consider the effect of the high electron densities existing in the atomic nuclei. We investigate if these effects can affect the known neutrino phenomenology. It was reported that the mixing of the neutrinos in high density matter, such as inside a supernova, can affect the Majoron decay probabilities. We investigate if the neutrino mixing effects in the high electron density inside the atomic nuclei can change the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life formula. In both cases we found that the standard results stand. The results look simple, but the road to them is complex and it opens the possibility that the neutrino mixing in atomic nuclei may affect other observables, such as the neutrinoless double beta Majoron decays.

Scintillation balloon for liquid scintillator base Neutrinoless double beta decay search experiments

A liquid scintillator base experiment KamLAND-Zen has set a lower limit on neutrinoless double beta decay half-life, and upgrade project KamLAND-Zen 800 has started in 2019. Unfortunately this project expects some backgrounds, and one of the main backgrounds is β/γ-ray from 214Bi in container of xenon loaded liquid scintillator (mini-balloon). In order to reject the background, we suggest using scintillation film for the future mini-balloon. If we can tag α-ray from 214Po by scintillation detection, we can eliminate 214Bi events by delayed coincidence analysis.Recently, it was reported that polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) can be used as a scintillator with blue photon emission. PEN has chemical compatibility for strong solvent, thus it has a possibility to use in liquid scintillator. In this presentation, we will mention the results for feasibility studies about transparency and emission spectra, light yield, radioactivity, strength of film etc.. We also show the test-sized scintillation balloon with an 800-mm diameter and discussions about how to use the scintillation balloon in KamLAND.

Search for neutrinoless double- β decay in Ge76 with 26 kg yr of exposure from the Majorana Demonstrator

The MAJORANA Collaboration is operating an array of high purity Ge detectors to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{76}$Ge. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR consists of 44.1 kg of Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched to 88% in $^{76}$Ge) split between two modules constructed from ultra-clean materials. Both modules are contained in a low-background shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. We present updated results on the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in $^{76}$Ge with $26.0\pm0.5$ kg-yr of enriched exposure. With the DEMONSTRATOR's unprecedented energy resolution of 2.53 keV FWHM at $Q_{\beta\beta}$, we observe one event in the region of interest with 0.65 events expected from the estimated background, resulting in a lower limit on the $^{76}$Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay half-life of $2.7\times10^{25}$ yr (90% CL) with a median sensitivity of $4.8\times10^{25}$ yr (90% CL). Depending on the matrix elements used, a 90% CL upper limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass in the range of 200-433 meV is obtained. The measured background in the low-background configurations is $11.9\pm2.0$ counts/(FWHM t yr).

Detailed studies of ^{100}Mo two-neutrino double beta decay in NEMO-3

The full data set of the NEMO-3 experiment has been used to measure the half-life of the two-neutrino double beta decay of ^{100}Mo to the ground state of ^{100}Ru, T_{1/2} = left[ 6.81 pm 0.01,left( text{ stat }right) ^{+0.38}_{-0.40},left( text{ syst }right) right] times 10^{18} year. The two-electron energy sum, single electron energy spectra and distribution of the angle between the electrons are presented with an unprecedented statistics of 5times 10^5 events and a signal-to-background ratio of sim 80. Clear evidence for the Single State Dominance model is found for this nuclear transition. Limits on Majoron emitting neutrinoless double beta decay modes with spectral indices of mathrm{n}=2,3,7, as well as constraints on Lorentz invariance violation and on the bosonic neutrino contribution to the two-neutrino double beta decay mode are obtained.

Investigating two heavy neutral leptons neutrino seesaw mechanism at SHiP

One of the main purposes of SHiP experiment is to shed light on neutrino mass generation mechanisms like the so-called seesaw. We consider a minimal type-I seesaw neutrino mass mechanism model with two heavy neutral leptons (right-handed or sterile neutrinos) with arbitrary masses. Extremely high active-sterile mixing angle requires a correlation between the phases of the Dirac neutrino couplings. Actual experimental limits on the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay [Formula: see text]-rate on the active-sterile mixing angle are not significative in constraining the masses or the mixing measurable by SHiP.

Phase Space Factors for Double-Beta Decays

Double-beta decay is presently a very studied process both theoretically and experimentally3 due to its potential to provide valuable information about important, but still unknown issues rela-4 ted to the neutrino properties and conservation of some symmetries. In the theoretical study of5 the double-beta decay two key quantities entering the half-life formulas are important, namely6 the phase space factors embedding the influence of the Coulomb field of the daughter nucleus7 on the emitted electrons/positrons, and the nuclearmatrix elements embedding the nuclearstru-8 cture effects of the nuclei participating in the decay. Accurate calculation of both of them are9 needed for good predictions of the double-beta decay half-lives and transitions still unmeasured,10 and for constraining various beyond Standard Model parameters associated with mechanisms11 that may contribute to the neutrinoless double-beta decay modes. During time much attention12 has been paid to the nuclear matrix elements that were considered to bring the largest uncer-13 tainties in the computation of the double-beta decay half-lives, while the phase space factors14 were considered until the recent past to be computed with enough precision. However, newer15 computation of the phase space factors performed with more precise methods revealed relevant16 deviations from their values reported previously, especially for heavier nuclei and for positron17 emitting and electron capture decay modes. In this paper we review the progress made in the18 computation of the phase space factors for double beta decay. We begin with the non-relativistic19 approaches, continue with the relativistic approaches which use approximate electron/positron20 wave functions, and end up with recent, more precise, computations of the phase space factors21 where exact electron wave functions are obtained from the resolution of a Dirac equation in a22 Coulomb-type potential and with inclusion of finite nuclear size and screening effects. We report23 an up-dated and complete list of the phase space factors (PSF) for the following DBD modes:24 β−β−, β+β+, ECβ+ and ECEC and for transitions to final ground and first excited 2+ and 0+25 statesofthedaughternuclei. Wealsomakeacomparisonbetweendifferentvaluesofthephase26 space factors found in literature and discuss the differences between these results.

Results from the Cuore Experiment †

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is the first bolometric experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta decay that has been able to reach the 1-ton scale. The detector consists of an array of 988 TeO 2 crystals arranged in a cylindrical compact structure of 19 towers, each of them made of 52 crystals. The construction of the experiment was completed in August 2016 and the data taking started in spring 2017 after a period of commissioning and tests. In this work we present the neutrinoless double beta decay results of CUORE from examining a total TeO 2 exposure of 86.3 kg yr , characterized by an effective energy resolution of 7.7 keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of 0.014 counts / ( keV kg yr ) . In this physics run, CUORE placed a lower limit on the decay half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130 Te &gt; 1.3 · 10 25 yr (90% C.L.). Moreover, an analysis of the background of the experiment is presented as well as the measurement of the 130 Te 2 ν β β decay with a resulting half-life of T 1 / 2 2 ν = [ 7.9 ± 0.1 ( stat . ) ± 0.2 ( syst . ) ] × 10 20 yr which is the most precise measurement of the half-life and compatible with previous results.

Recent results on heavy-ion induced reactions of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay at INFN-LNS

The possibility to use a special class of heavy-ion induced direct reactions, such as double charge exchange reactions, is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay half-life. The methodology of the experimental campaign presently running at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud is reported andthe experimental challenges characterizing such activity are described.