Forbidden unique beta-decays and neutrino mass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dvornický, Rastislav; Šimkovic, Fedor

2013-12-30

The measurement of the electron spectrum in beta-decays provides a robust direct determination of the values of neutrino masses. The planned rhenium beta-decay experiment, called the “Microcalorimeter Arrays for a Rhenium Experiment” (MARE), might probe the absolute mass scale of neutrinos with the same sensitivity as the Karlsruhe tritium neutrino mass (KATRIN) experiment, which is expected to collect data in a near future. In this contribution we discuss the spectrum of emitted electrons close to the end point in the case of the first unique forbidden beta-decay of {sup 79}Se, {sup 107}Pd and {sup 187}Re. It is found that themore » p{sub 3/2}-wave emission dominates over the s{sub 1/2}-wave. It is shown that the Kurie plot near the end point is within a good accuracy linear in the limit of massless neutrinos like the Kurie plot of the superallowed beta-decay of {sup 3}H.« less

Measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta decay half-life of $$^{130}$$Te with the CUORE-0 experiment

DOE PAGES

Alduino, C.; Alfonso, K.; Artusa, D. R.; ...

2017-01-06

Here, we report on the measurement of the two-neutrino double-beta decay half-life of 130Te with the CUORE-0 detector. From an exposure of 33.4 kg year of TeO 2, the half-life is determined to be T 2ν 1/2 = [8.2 ± 0.2 (stat.) ± 0.6 (syst.)] × 10 20 year. This result is obtained after a detailed reconstruction of the sources responsible for the CUORE-0 counting rate, with a specific study of those contributing to the 130Te neutrinoless double-beta decay region of interest.

Exploring the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay in the Inverted Neutrino Hierarchy with Bolometric Detectors

DOE PAGES

Artusa, D. R.; Azzolini, O.; Balata, M.; ...

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 bolometric0νββ experiment. We demonstrate that a bolometric experiment with the isotope mass of about 1 ton is capablemore » of reaching the sensitivity to the effective Majorana neutrino mass (|m ee|) of order 10-20 meV, thus completely exploring the so-called inverted neutrino mass hierarchy region. In conclusion, we highlight the main challenges and identify priorities for an R&D program addressing them.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Effect of cancellation in neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, Manimala; Pascoli, Silvia; Wong, Steven

2014-11-01

In light of recent experimental results, we carefully analyze the effects of interference in neutrinoless double beta decay, when more than one mechanism is operative. If a complete cancellation is at work, the half-life of the corresponding isotope is infinite, and any constraint on it will automatically be satisfied. We analyze this possibility in detail assuming a cancellation in Xe 136 , and find its implications on the half-life of other isotopes, such as Ge 76 . For definiteness, we consider the role of light and heavy sterile neutrinos. In this case, the effective Majorana mass parameter can be redefined to take into account all contributions, and its value gets suppressed. Hence, larger values of neutrino masses are required for the same half-life. The canonical light neutrino contribution cannot saturate the present limits of half-lives or the positive claim of observation of neutrinoless double beta decay, once the stringent bounds from cosmology are taken into account. For the case of cancellation, where all the sterile neutrinos are heavy, the tension between the results from neutrinoless double beta decay and cosmology becomes more severe. We show that the inclusion of light sterile neutrinos in this setup can resolve this issue. Using the recent results from GERDA, we derive upper limits on the active-sterile mixing angles and compare them with the case of no cancellation. The required values of the mixing angles become larger, if a cancellation is at work. A direct test of destructive interference in Xe 136 is provided by the observation of this process in other isotopes, and we study in detail the correlation between their half-lives. Finally, we discuss the model realizations which can accommodate light and heavy sterile neutrinos and the cancellation. We show that sterile neutrinos of few hundred MeV or GeV mass range, coming

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 ( < 0.46 eV) and a coupling constant of Majoron to neutrino ( < 1.3 × 10-5) are obtained. In the second part of the review prospects of search for the neutrinoless double beta decay in new experiments with sensitivity to 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.

Investigation of double-beta decay at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP, Moscow)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeldovich, O. Ya.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.

Investigation of neutrinoless double-beta (2{beta}0{nu}) decay is presently being considered as one of the most important problems in particle physics and cosmology Interest in the problem was quickened by the observation of neutrino oscillations. The results of oscillation experiments determine the mass differences between different neutrino flavors, and the observation of neutrinoless decay may fix the absolute scale and the hierarchy of the neutrino masses. Investigation of 2{beta}0{nu} decay is the most efficient method for solving the problem of whether the neutrino is a Dirae or a Majorana particle, Physicists from the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP, Moscow)more » have been participating actively in solving this problem. They initiated and pioneered the application of semiconductor detectors manufactured from enriched germanium to searches for the double-beta decay of {sup 76}Ge. Investigations with {sup 76}Ge provided the most important results. At present, ITEP physicists are taking active part in four very large projects, GERDA. Majorana, EXO, and NEMO, which are capable of recording 2{beta}0{nu} decay at a Majorana neutrino mass of {approx} 10{sup -2} eV.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR: A search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of ⁷⁶Ge

DOE PAGES

Xu, W.; Abgrall, N.; Avignone, F. T.; ...

2015-05-01

Neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay is a hypothesized process where in some even-even nuclei it might be possible for two neutrons to simultaneously decay into two protons and two electrons without emitting neutrinos. This is possible only if neutrinos are Majorana particles, i.e. fermions that are their own antiparticles. Neutrinos being Majorana particles would explicitly violate lepton number conservation, and might play a role in the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would also provide complementary information related to neutrino masses. The Majorana Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, with a total of 40-kg Germanium detectors,more » to search for the 0νββ decay of ⁷⁶Ge and to demonstrate a background rate at or below 3 counts/(ROI•t•y) in the 4 keV region of interest (ROI) around the 2039 keV Q-value for ⁷⁶Ge 0νββ decay. In this paper, we discuss the physics of neutrinoless double beta decay and then focus on the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, including its design and approach to achieve ultra-low backgrounds and the status of the experiment.« less

Search for double beta decay of 116Cd with enriched 116CdWO4 crystal scintillators (Aurora experiment)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danevich, F. A.; Barabash, A. S.; Belli, P.; Bernabei, R.; Cappella, F.; Caracciolo, V.; Cerulli, R.; Chernyak, D. M.; d'Angelo, S.; Incicchitti, A.; Kobychev, V. V.; Konovalov, S. I.; Laubenstein, M.; Mokina, V. M.; Poda, D. V.; Polischuk, O. G.; Shlegel, V. N.; Tretyak, V. I.; Umatov, V. I.

2016-05-01

The Aurora experiment to investigate double beta decay of 116 Cd with the help of 1.162 kg cadmium tungstate crystal scintillators enriched in 116 Cd to 82% is in progress at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory. The half-life of 116 Cd relatively to the two neutrino double beta decay is measured with the highest up-to-date accuracy T1/2 = (2.62 ± 0.14) × 1019 yr. The sensitivity of the experiment to the neutrinoless double beta decay of 116 Cd to the ground state of 116 Sn is estimated as T1/2 ≥ 1.9 × 1023 yr at 90% CL, which corresponds to the effective Majorana neutrino mass limit (mv) ≤ (1.2 — 1.8) eV. New limits are obtained for the double beta decay of 116 Cd to the excited levels of 116 Sn, and for the neutrinoless double beta decay with emission of majorons.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alessandria, F; Ardito, R; Artusa, DR

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 Tmore » $$0v\\atop{1/2}$$(1θ) = 1.6 \\times 10 26 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 10 25 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.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fairbank, William

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.more » 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 1.9x10 25 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

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abgrall, N.; Aguayo, Estanislao; Avignone, Frank T.

2014-06-01

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR will search for the neutrinoless double-beta (ββ(0ν)) decay of the isotope 76Ge 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 ofmore » the DEMONSTRATOR and the details of its design.« less

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiment

DOE PAGES

Abgrall, N.; Aguayo, E.; Avignone, F. T.; ...

2014-01-29

Tmore » he M ajorana D emonstrator will search for the neutrinoless double-beta ( β β 0 ν ) decay of the isotope Ge with a mixed array of enriched and natural germanium detectors. he 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. he D emonstrator is being assembled at the 4850-foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. he array will be situated in a low-background environment and surrounded by passive and active shielding. Here we describe the science goals of the D emonstrator and the details of its design.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dell’Oro, S.; Marcocci, S.; Viel, M.

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.more » 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.« less

The Majorana Demonstrator search for neutrinoless double beta decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cuesta, C.; Buuck, M.; Detwiler, Jason A.

2016-12-12

The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, an ultra-low background, modular, HPGe detector array with a mass of 44.8-kg (29.7 kg enriched 88% in 76Ge) to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 76Ge. The next generation of tonnescale Ge-based neutrinoless double beta decay searches will probe the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is envisioned to demonstrate a path forward to achieve a background rate at or below 1 count/tonne/year in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value of 2039 keV. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR follows a modular implementation to be easily scalablemore » to the next generation experiment. First data taken with the DEMONSTRATOR are introduced here.« less

Combining and comparing neutrinoless double beta decay experiments using different nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Average and recommended half-life values for two neutrino double beta decay: Upgrade-2013

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barabash, A. S.

2013-12-30

All existing positive results on two neutrino double beta decay in different nuclei were analyzed. Using the procedure recommended by the Particle Data Group, weighted average values for half-lives of {sup 48}Ca, {sup 76}Ge, {sup 82}Se, {sup 96}Zr, {sup 100}Mo, {sup 100}Mo−{sup 100}Ru (0{sub 1}{sup +}), {sup 116}Cd, {sup 130}Te, {sup 136}Xe, {sup 150}Nd, {sup 150}Nd−{sup 150}Sm (0{sub 1}{sup +}) and {sup 238}U were obtained. Existing geochemical data were analyzed and recommended values for half-lives of {sup 128}Te and {sup 130}Ba are proposed. I recommend the use of these results as the most currently reliable values for half-lives.

The Double Beta Decay of NEODYMIUM-150 and Molybdenum -100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Matthew Alan

1995-01-01

The double beta decays of ^{150 }Nd and ^{100}Mo were studied in a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) located at an underground site at Hoover Dam. Studies of 6286.6 h of data obtained from 15.48 g of Nd_2O _3 enriched to 91% in ^{150 }Nd reveal a two-neutrino half-life of T _sp{1/2}{2nu}=(6.27_sp {-.049}{+.049}+/-1.2)times10 ^{18} y at the 90% confidence level, and 90% CL half-life limits for the zero-neutrino and majoron decay channels of T_sp{1/2 }{0nu}>1.10times10^{21 } y, and T_sp{1/2} {0nu,chi}>3.30times10^ {20} y, respectively. Similar studies on 3274.7 h of data from a 16.7 g sample of metallic Mo enriched to 97.4% in ^{100}Mo resulted in measurements of T_sp{1/2 }{2nu}=(6.59_sp{-0.51} {+0.52}+/-1.3)times10^{1 8} {rm y}, T_sp {1/2}{0nu}>1.12times10^ {21} {rm y and} T _sp{1/2}{0nu,chi}>4.07 times10^{20} y, all at the 90% CL.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dell'Oro, S.; Marcocci, S.; Viel, M.

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. [JCAP 02 (2015) 045] to the neutrinoless double beta decay (0ν β β) 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 0ν β β, turn out to be < 75more » meV at 3σ C.L. and lower down to less than 02 meV at 1σ C.L. . If this indication is confirmed, the impact on the 0ν β β experiments will be tremendous since the possibility of detecting a signal will be out of the reach of the next generation of experiments.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Measuring mass of neutrinos with {beta}-decays of tritium and rhenium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dvornicky, R.; Simkovic, F.; Bogolyubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, JINR, Dubna

2009-11-09

Already long time ago the shape of the electron spectrum in {beta}-decays of {sup 3}H and {sup 187}Re has been recognized as an important tool for understanding of neutrino masses. The sensitivity of KATRIN (in preparation, tritium {beta}-decay) and the MARE (under consideration, {sup 187}Re{beta}-decay) experiments to neutrino mass will reach the sub eV domain. In view of this experimental progress there is a request for a highly accurate theoretical description of the electron endpoint spectra. By taking the advantage of the elementary particle treatment of {sup 3}H and {sup 3}He the relativistic form for {beta}-decay endpoint spectrum of tritiummore » is obtained by taking into account also the effect of nuclear recoil. Further, the currently unknown shape of the electron spectrum for the {beta}-decay of {sup 187}Re is presented. It is found that the first forbidden {sup 187}Re(5/2{sup +}){yields}{sup 187}Os(1/2{sup -}){beta}-decay transition is accompanied with emission of mostly p{sub 3/2}-state electrons.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Solar neutrino interactions with the double- β decay nuclei Se 82 ,   Mo 100 , and Nd 150

DOE PAGES

Ejiri, Hiro; Elliott, Steven Ray

2017-05-02

Solar neutrinos interact within double-beta decay (ββ) detectors and contribute to backgrounds for ββ experiments. Background contributions due to solar neutrino interactions with ββ nuclei of 82Se, 100Mo, and 150Nd are evaluated. They are shown to be significant for future high-sensitivity ββ experiments that may search for Majorana neutrino masses in the inverted-hierarchy mass region. In conclusion, the impact of solar neutrino backgrounds and their reduction are discussed for future ββ experiments.

Absolute mass of neutrinos and the first unique forbidden {beta} decay of {sup 187}Re

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dvornicky, Rastislav; Simkovic, Fedor; Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, JINR Dubna, 141980 Dubna, Moscow region

2011-04-15

The planned rhenium {beta}-decay experiment, called the ''Microcalorimeter Arrays for a Rhenium Experiment'' (MARE), might probe the absolute mass scale of neutrinos with the same sensitivity as the Karlsruhe tritium neutrino mass (KATRIN) experiment, which will take commissioning data in 2011 and will proceed for 5 years. We present the energy distribution of emitted electrons for the first unique forbidden {beta} decay of {sup 187}Re. It is found that the p-wave emission of electron dominates over the s wave. By assuming mixing of three neutrinos, the Kurie function for the rhenium {beta} decay is derived. It is shown that themore » Kurie plot near the end point is within a good accuracy linear in the limit of massless neutrinos like the Kurie plot of the superallowed {beta} decay of {sup 3}H.« less

Inverse Beta Decay Reconstruction in the Double Chooz Monte Carlo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norrick, Anne

2010-02-01

The Double Chooz Experiment will search for neutrino oscillations using the ``Inverse Beta-Decay'' (IBD) interactions of electron antineutrinos from a nuclear reactor in Chooz, France. The experiment needs to isolate IBD events by detecting and reconstructing the positions and deposited energies of the outgoing positron and neutron. Methods for isolating this process will be described. In addition, results of simulation studies of two different reconstruction algorithms will be presented and their performances compared. )

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Simultaneous analysis of neutrinoless double beta decay and LHC pp-cross sections: limits on the left-right mixing angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-09-01

The extension of the Standard Model of electroweak interactions, to accommodate massive neutrinos and/or right-handed currents, is one of the fundamental questions to answer in the cross-field of particle and nuclear physics. The consequences of such extensions would reflect upon nuclear decays, like the very exotic nuclear double-beta-decay, as well as upon high-energy proton-proton reactions of the type performed at the LHC accelerator. In this talk we shall address this question by looking at the results reported by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations, where the excitation and decay of a heavy-mass boson may be mediated by a heavy-mass neutrino in proton-proton reactions leading to two jets and two leptons, and by extracting limits on the left-right mixing, from the latest measurements of nuclear-double-beta decays reported by the GERDA and EXO collaborations.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

The AMoRE: Search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay in 100Mo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, HyangKyu; AMoRE Collaboration

2016-04-01

The AMoRE (Advanced Mo-based Rare process Experiment) collaboration is going to use calcium molybdate, 40Ca100MoO4 (CMO), crystal scintillators enriched in 100Mo and depleted in 48Ca to search for neutrinoless double-beta (0 νββ) decay of 100Mo using a technique of cryogenic scintillating bolometers at the underground laboratory in Korea. The collaboration is going to utilize metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMC) as temperature sensors both in heat and light channels of CMO detectors operated at milli-Kelvin temperature. Application of relatively fast MMC sensors provides excellent energy resolution, powerful discrimination of internal alpha particles, effective pulse-shape discrimination of randomly coinciding events of two-neutrino double-beta decay of 100Mo. In its first phase, the AMoRE-10 will use about 10 kg of CMO crystals. As a next step, the AMoRE-200 is going to build about 200 kg detector to reach a half-life sensitivity on the level of 1026 years with an aim to explore inverted hierarchy region of the effective Majorana neutrino mass 0.02 - 0.05 eV. Recent progress on the calcium molybdate detectors developments at room and milli-Kelvin temperatures as well as background study based on Monte Carlo simulations will be presented.

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay of with CUORE-0

DOE PAGES

Alfonso, K.; Artusa, D.  R.; F. T. Avignone; ...

2015-09-03

We report the results of a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in a 9.8 kg yr exposure of 130Te using a bolometric detector array, CUORE-0. The characteristic detector energy resolution and background level in the region of interest are 5.1 ± 0.3 keV FWHM and 0.058 ± 0.004 (stat.) ± 0:002 (syst.) counts/(keV kg yr), respectively. The median 90% C.L. lower-limit sensitivity of the experiment is 2.9 x 10 24 yr and surpasses the sensitivity of previous searches. We find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 130Te and place a Bayesian lower bound on the decay half-life, T 0more » $$_1$$ 1/2 > 2.7 x 10 24 yr at 90% C.L. Combining CUORE-0 data with the 19.75 kg yr exposure of 130Te from the Cuoricino experiment we obtain T 0$$_1$$ 1/2 > 4.0 x 10 24 yr at 90% C.L. (Bayesian), the most stringent limit to date on this half-life. Using a range of nuclear matrix element estimates we interpret this as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, m ββ < 270 - 760 meV.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finnerty, P.; Aguayo, Estanislao; Amman, M.

2014-03-24

The Majorana Demonstrator will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0*) 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 lowbackground environment and surrounded by passive and active shielding. The goals for the Demonstrator are: demonstrating amore » background rate less than 3 counts tonne -1 year-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 0; and performing a direct search for lightWIMPs (3-10 GeV/c2).« less

Measurement of the double-{beta} decay half-life of {sup 150}Nd and search for neutrinoless decay modes with the NEMO-3 detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Argyriades, J.; Augier, C.; Bongrand, M.

2009-09-15

The half-life for double-{beta} decay of {sup 150}Nd has been measured by the NEMO-3 experiment at the Modane Underground Laboratory. Using 924.7 days of data recorded with 36.55 g of {sup 150}Nd, we measured the half-life for 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay to be T{sub 1/2}{sup 2{nu}}=(9.11{sub -0.22}{sup +0.25}(stat.){+-}0.63(syst.))x10{sup 18} yr. The observed limit on the half-life for neutrinoless double-{beta} decay is found to be T{sub 1/2}{sup 0{nu}}>1.8x10{sup 22} yr at 90% confidence level. This translates into a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of <4.0-6.3 eV if the nuclear deformation is taken into account. We also set limits on modelsmore » involving Majoron emission, right-handed currents, and transitions to excited states.« less

Quasiparticle random phase approximation uncertainties and their correlations in the analysis of 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faessler, Amand; Rodin, V.; Fogli, G. L.

2009-03-01

The variances and covariances associated to the nuclear matrix elements of neutrinoless double beta decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta}) are estimated within the quasiparticle random phase approximation. It is shown that correlated nuclear matrix elements uncertainties play an important role in the comparison of 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay rates for different nuclei, and that they are degenerate with the uncertainty in the reconstructed Majorana neutrino mass.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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).

Search of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with the GERDA Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Constraints of beyond Standard Model parameters from the study of neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoica, Sabin

2017-12-01

Neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay is a beyond Standard Model (BSM) process whose discovery would clarify if the lepton number is conserved, decide on the neutrinos character (are they Dirac or Majorana particles?) and give a hint on the scale of their absolute masses. Also, from the study of 0νββ one can constrain other BSM parameters related to different scenarios by which this process can occur. In this paper I make first a short review on the actual challenges to calculate precisely the phase space factors and nuclear matrix elements entering the 0νββ decay lifetimes, and I report results of our group for these quantities. Then, taking advance of the most recent experimental limits for 0νββ lifetimes, I present new constraints of the neutrino mass parameters associated with different mechanisms of occurrence of the 0νββ decay mode.

LBNL Neutrino Astrophysics

Science.gov Websites

The Majorana neutrinoless double beta-decay experiment The Majorana experiment will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge. The discovery of this process would imply that the neutrino is a neutrinoless double beta-decay by Klapdor-Kleingrothaus et al. (2006), to demonstrate a low enough background

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armengaud, E.; Augier, C.; Barabash, A. S.; Beeman, J. W.; Bekker, T. B.; Bellini, F.; Benoît, A.; Bergé, L.; Bergmann, T.; Billard, J.; Boiko, R. S.; Broniatowski, A.; Brudanin, V.; Camus, P.; Capelli, S.; Cardani, L.; Casali, N.; Cazes, A.; Chapellier, M.; Charlieux, F.; Chernyak, D. M.; de Combarieu, M.; Coron, N.; Danevich, F. A.; Dafinei, I.; Jesus, M. De; Devoyon, L.; Domizio, S. Di; Dumoulin, L.; Eitel, K.; Enss, C.; Ferroni, F.; Fleischmann, A.; Foerster, N.; Gascon, J.; Gastaldo, L.; Gironi, L.; Giuliani, A.; Grigorieva, V. D.; Gros, M.; Hehn, L.; Hervé, S.; Humbert, V.; Ivannikova, N. V.; Ivanov, I. M.; Jin, Y.; Juillard, A.; Kleifges, M.; Kobychev, V. V.; Konovalov, S. I.; Koskas, F.; Kozlov, V.; Kraus, H.; Kudryavtsev, V. A.; Laubenstein, M.; Sueur, H. Le; Loidl, M.; Magnier, P.; Makarov, E. P.; Mancuso, M.; de Marcillac, P.; Marnieros, S.; Marrache-Kikuchi, C.; Nagorny, S.; Navick, X.-F.; Nikolaichuk, M. O.; Nones, C.; Novati, V.; Olivieri, E.; Pagnanini, L.; Pari, P.; Pattavina, L.; Pavan, M.; Paul, B.; Penichot, Y.; Pessina, G.; Piperno, G.; Pirro, S.; Plantevin, O.; Poda, D. V.; Queguiner, E.; Redon, T.; Rodrigues, M.; Rozov, S.; Rusconi, C.; Sanglard, V.; Schäffner, K.; Scorza, S.; Shlegel, V. N.; Siebenborn, B.; Strazzer, O.; Tcherniakhovski, D.; Tomei, C.; Tretyak, V. I.; Umatov, V. I.; Vagneron, L.; Vasiliev, Ya. V.; Velázquez, M.; Vignati, M.; Weber, M.; Yakushev, E.; Zolotarova, A. S.

2017-11-01

This paper reports on the development of a technology involving ^{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 ^{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 ^{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 μ Bq/kg activity of ^{232}Th (^{228}Th) and ^{226}Ra in the crystals is ensured by boule recrystallization. The potential of ^{100}Mo-enriched scintillating bolometers to perform high sensitivity double-beta decay searches has been demonstrated with only 10 kg× d exposure: the two neutrino double-beta decay half-life of ^{100}Mo has been measured with the up-to-date highest accuracy as T_{1/2} = [6.90 ± 0.15(stat.) ± 0.37(syst.)] × 10^{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 ^{100}Mo.

Purification of telluric acid for SNO+ neutrinoless double-beta decay search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hans, S.; Rosero, R.; Hu, L.; Chkvorets, O.; Chan, W. T.; Guan, S.; Beriguete, W.; Wright, A.; Ford, R.; Chen, M. C.; Biller, S.; Yeh, M.

2015-09-01

Tellurium-130 has the highest natural abundance of any double-beta decay isotopes. Recently it has been developed as a promising candidate for loading in liquid scintillator to explore the Majorana or Dirac nature of the neutrino through a search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). To this end, procedures have been developed to transfer tellurium ions into the organic liquid by a water-based loading technology. However, traces of naturally occurring radioactivity and cosmic-ray induced isotopes introduced into the scintillator with tellurium could produce undesirable contaminations in the 130Te 0νββ region. Measurements using various elemental spikes prepared from different chemical forms indicate that the uses of self-scavenging as well as acid and thermal recrystallization prior to the preparation of a tellurium-loaded liquid scintillator can deplete U and Th and several cosmic-activated isotopes from Te feedstock by a factor of 102-103 in a single pass. The process is also found to improve the optical transmission in the blue region, sensible to the photomultiplier tube, by removing traces of colored impurities. In addition to the scintillator-based experiments, this cleansing scheme has potential applications to the production of radiopure tellurium crystals for other rare-event experiments.

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

DOE PAGES

Moggi, N.; Artusa, D. R.; F. T. Avignone; ...

2015-03-24

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 TeO 2 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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Bonner Prize Talk -- First Laboratory Observation of Double Beta Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moe, Michael

2013-04-01

Although we are awash in neutrinos, we remain ignorant of some of their fundamental properties. We don't know their masses. We don't know whether ``anti-neutrinos'' are really distinct particles. Double beta (ββ) decay offers a handle on these questions if we can observe the energy spectrum of the two emitted electrons, and determine whether or not they share their energy with two neutrinos. Seeing neutrinoless (0ν) decay would solve some enduring puzzles. The power of the process to elucidate the neutrino was recognized in the 1930's, but ββ decay would be exceedingly rare and difficult to detect. Unsuccessful laboratory searches had been going on for 25 years when the UC Irvine group began its first experiment with a cloud chamber in 1972. After some background for the non-expert, and a snapshot of the theoretical and experimental milieu at the time, the talk will begin with the reasons for choosing a cloud chamber, and the taming of its balky and idiosyncratic behavior. The talk will end with the first definitive observation of two-neutrino (2ν)ββ decay of ^82Se in the vastly superior time projection chamber (TPC) in 1987. Discouragement through the tortuous 15-year interval was relieved by occasional victories. Some I will illustrate with revealing cloud-chamber photographs. We learned many things from this primitive device, and after seven years we isolated an apparent ββ decay signal. But the efficiency of the trigger was small, and difficult to pin down. Estimating 2.2%, we were way low. The resulting ``short'' ^82Se half-life of 1 x 10^19 years was suspect. New technology came to the rescue with the invention of the TPC. Experience with the cloud chamber guided our design of a TPC specifically for ββ decay. The TPC was built from scratch. Its long, steep learning curve was also punctuated with little triumphs. A memorable moment was the first turn-on of a portion of the chamber. So long ago, this all seems rather quaint, but through ample use of

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Can neutrino mass be deduced from beta particle spectrum?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Semkow, T.M.

1993-12-31

With 17-keV neutrino faith being uncertain, it is important to examine the effects of detector resolution and response on the detection limits of massive neutrino. The authors use Fermi theory and generate by Monte Carlo up to 5-10{sup 9} {beta}{sup {minus}} decay events from {sup 35}S. The {beta}{sup {minus}} spectra are then resolved by {chi}{sup 2} minimization. We show that given high statistics and accurate knowledge of the response function it should be possible to detect neutrino mass with a proportional detector, particularly with the gas-scintillation proportional detector, in addition to semiconductor, in addition to semiconductor detectors. This paper presentsmore » a design of double-chamber Xe gas-scintillation proportional detector in which the backscattering effects are suppressed. However, even the slight uncertainties in the response functions as well as {approximately} 10{sup {minus}3} relative energy nonlinearities in the {beta}{sup {minus}} spectrum may create an artificial effect of neutrino mass.« less

Unique forbidden beta decays and neutrino mass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dvornický, Rastislav, E-mail: dvornicky@dnp.fmph.uniba.sk; Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F1, SK-842 48 Bratislava; Šimkovic, Fedor

The measurement of the electron energy spectrum in single β decays close to the endpoint provides a direct determination of the neutrino masses. The most sensitive experiments use β decays with low Q value, e.g. KATRIN (tritium) and MARE (rhenium). We present the theoretical spectral shape of electrons emitted in the first, second, and fourth unique forbidden β decays. Our findings show that the Kurie functions for these unique forbidden β transitions are linear in the limit of massless neutrinos like the Kurie function of the allowed β decay of tritium.

Review of Neutrino Mass Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giuliani, A.; INFN-Milano, Via Valleggio 11, I-22100 Como

2006-02-08

After a brief summary of the recent achievements of neutrino physics, the concept of neutrino mass scale is clarified. The methods for the determination of the neutrino mass values are summarized and critically compared, in particular in the different and complementary contexts of cosmology, double and single beta decay. The attention is then focussed on the laboratory approaches to investigate neutrino mass. The role of neutrinoless double beta decay is explained and a short review of the present and most promising future experiments in this field is given. Single beta decay sensitivity is discussed, with brief descriptions of the KATRINmore » tritium experiment and of the recently proposed MARE rhenium project.« less

A search for neutrinoless double beta decay of tellurium-130

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Adam Douglas

This dissertation describes an experimental search for neutrinoless double beta (0nubetabeta) decay of 130Te. An observation of 0nubetabeta decay would establish that neutrinos are Majorana fermions and would constrain the neutrino mass scale. The data analyzed were collected by two bolometric experiments: CUORICINO and an R&D experiment for CUORE known as the Three Towers Test. Both experiments utilized arrays of TeO 2 crystals operated as bolometers at ˜10 mK in a dilution refrigerator. The bolometers measured the energy deposited by particle interactions in the crystals by recording the induced change in crystal temperature. Between the two experiments, there were 81 TeO2 bolometers used in the analysis, each of which was an independent detector of nuclear decays as well as a source of 130Te. The experiments were conducted underground at a depth of about 3300 meters water equivalent in Hall A of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Assergi, Italy, in order to shield the detectors from cosmic rays. The data analyzed represent an exposure of 19.9 kg · y of 130Te (18.6 kg · y from CUORICINO and 1.3 kg · y from the Three Towers Test). In addition to the combined analysis of the two experiments, an analysis of CUORICINO data alone is presented in order to compare with an independent analysis being carried out by collaborators at the University of Milano-Bicocca. No signal due to 0nubetabeta decay is observed, and therefore a limit on the partial half-life for the decay is set. From a simultaneous fit to the 81 independent detectors, the rate of 0nubetabeta decay of 130Te is measured to be Gamma0nubetabeta( 130Te) = (-0.6+/-1.4 (stat.) +/- 0.4 (syst.)) x 10-25 y-1, which corresponds to a lower limit on the partial half-life for 0nubetabeta decay of 130Te of T0nbb1/2 (130Te) > 3.0x1024 y (90% C.L.). Converting the half-life limit to an upper limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, mbetabeta, using a set of recent nuclear matrix element calculations

Neutrino masses, neutrino oscillations, and cosmological implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1982-01-01

Theoretical concepts and motivations for considering neutrinos having finite masses are discussed and the experimental situation on searches for neutrino masses and oscillations is summarized. The solar neutrino problem, reactor, deep mine and accelerator data, tri decay experiments and double beta-decay data are considered and cosmological implications and astrophysical data relating to neutrino masses are reviewed. The neutrino oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem, the missing mass problem in galaxy halos and galaxy cluster galaxy formation and clustering, and radiative neutrino decay and the cosmic ultraviolet background radiation are examined.

Barium Tagging n Solid Xenon for nEXO Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, Tim; Chambers, Chris; Craycraft, Adam; Fairbank, William; nEXO Collaboration

2015-04-01

nEXO is a next-generation experiment designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of the isotope Xe136 in a liquid xenon time projection chamber. Positive observation of this decay would determine the nature of the neutrino to be a Majorana particle. Since the daughter of this decay is barium (Ba136), detecting the presence of Ba136 at a decay site (called ``barium tagging'') would provide strong rejection of backgrounds in the search for this decay. This would involve detecting a single barium ion from within a macroscopic volume of liquid xenon. This technique may be available for a second phase of the nEXO detector and sensitivity beyond the inverted hierarchy to neutrino oscillations. Several methods of barium tagging are being explored by the nEXO collaboration, but here we present a method of trapping the barium ion/atom (it may neutralize) in solid xenon (SXe) at the end of a cold probe, and then detecting the ion/atom by its fluorescence in the SXe. Our group at CSU has been studying the fluorescence of Ba in SXe by laser excitation, in order to ultimately detect a single Ba +/Ba in a SXe sample. We present studies of fluorescence signals, as well as recent results on imaging small numbers of Ba atoms in SXe, in a focused laser region. This work is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

NEXT, a HPXe TPC for neutrinoless double beta decay searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; Martín-Albo, J.

2008-11-01

The next-generation experiments for neutrinoless double beta decay searches are a major challenge, since the detectors have to fulfill conflicting requirements: they have to be very massive and scalable; very sensitive to the signature of the ββ processes, and simultaneously impose extremely stringent limits on the copious backgrounds. A high-pressure gaseous Xenon TPC may be the ideal detector for this purpose: the isotope 136Xe is almost 9% of natural Xenon and enrichment by centrifugation is a relatively easy technology as demonstrated by the EXO collaboration; the detector can be extrapolated to large masses; energy resolution in gas is expected to be at the level of 1% FWHM at Qββ this fact, combined with the very long life of the ββ2ν mode accounts for negligible backgrounds of intrinsic origin up to masses of the order of 1 ton. The detector is fully active and the gas can be continuously re-circulated and purified, which, together with the existence of a kinematical signature gives an extra handle against backgrounds. NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) is an on-going project that aims to build a 100 kg HPXe TPC at a pressure of ~10 bar. The experiment has already been aproved by the scientific committee of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC), in Spain, for the initial R&D phase. The NEXT Collaboration has defined an ambitious roadmap for the next five years: an initial phase of R&D during 2 years will be used to decide the technology (MicroMegas, GEMs. APDs. PMTs, etc.); in 3 years a first prototype (NEXT-10) will be constructed; followed by NEXT-100 in 5 years. A special grant (Consolider-Ingenio 2010) from the Ministry of Science of Spain will fund the experiment during this period. The Collaboration is composed by the leading Spanish groups in experimental neutrino and underground physics. The general ideas behind neutrinoless double beta decay searches with a HPXe TPC are discussed in this note.

Search for double beta decay with HPGe detectors at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chkvorets, Oleg

2008-12-01

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is practically the only way to establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino mass and its decay rate provides a probe of an effective neutrino mass. Double beta experiments are long-running underground experiments with specific challenges concerning the background reduction and the long term stability. These problems are addressed in this work for the Heidelberg-Moscow (HdM), GENIUS Test Facility (TF) and GERDA experiments. The HdM experiment collected data with enriched 76Ge high purity (HPGe) detectors from 1990 to 2003. An improved analysis of HdM data is presented, exploiting new calibration and spectral shape measurements with the HdM detectors. GENIUS-TF was a test-facility that verified the feasibility of using bare germanium detectors in liquid nitrogen. The first year results of this experiment are discussed. The GERDA experiment has been designed to further increase the sensitivity by operating bare germanium detectors in a high purity cryogenic liquid, which simultaneously serves as a shielding against background and as a cooling media. In the preparatory stage of GERDA, an external background gamma flux measurement was done at the experimental site in the Hall A of the Gran Sasso laboratory. The characterization of the enriched detectors from the HdM and IGEX experiments was performed in the underground detector laboratory for the GERDA collaboration. Long term stability measurements of a bare HPGe detector in liquid argon were carried out. Based on these measurements, the first lower limit on the half-life of neutrinoless double electron capture of 36Ar was established to be 1.85*10^18 years at 68% C.L.

Neutrinoless double-β decay in effective field theory: The light-Majorana neutrino-exchange mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cirigliano, Vincenzo; Dekens, Wouter; Mereghetti, Emanuele; Walker-Loud, André

2018-06-01

We present the first chiral effective theory derivation of the neutrinoless double-β decay n n →p p potential induced by light Majorana neutrino exchange. The effective-field-theory framework has allowed us to identify and parametrize short- and long-range contributions previously missed in the literature. These contributions cannot be absorbed into parametrizations of the single-nucleon form factors. Starting from the quark and gluon level, we perform the matching onto chiral effective field theory and subsequently onto the nuclear potential. To derive the nuclear potential mediating neutrinoless double-β decay, the hard, soft, and potential neutrino modes must be integrated out. This is performed through next-to-next-to-leading order in the chiral power counting, in both the Weinberg and pionless schemes. At next-to-next-to-leading order, the amplitude receives additional contributions from the exchange of ultrasoft neutrinos, which can be expressed in terms of nuclear matrix elements of the weak current and excitation energies of the intermediate nucleus. These quantities also control the two-neutrino double-β decay amplitude. Finally, we outline strategies to determine the low-energy constants that appear in the potentials, by relating them to electromagnetic couplings and/or by matching to lattice QCD calculations.

Preliminary results on the search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with the cuoricino experiment

DOE PAGES

Nucciotti, A.

2003-11-18

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay (DBD-0ν) is a powerful tool to establish the correct neutrino mass hierarchy and whether the neutrino is a Majorana or Dirac particle. The Milano group has run several experiments using thermal detectors to search for the 130Te DBD-0ν. The Cuoricino experiment consists of an array of 62 TeO 2 thermal detectors for a total mass of about 40 kg, by far the largest cryogenic experiment in the world. The detector installation in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory has been recently completed. After a test phase the experiment is now taking data and wemore » report here the preliminary results. In conclusion, Cuoricino is the first step toward the CUORE experiment, which will consists of 1000 TeO 2 thermal detectors for a total mass of about 760 kg: in this paper we discuss also the physics potential of both stages for what concerns the DBD-0ν search. PACS: 11.30.Fs Lepton number – 14.60.Pq Neutrino mass and mixing – 23.40.Bw Weak interactions in beta decay« less

Single molecule fluorescence imaging as a technique for barium tagging in neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, B. J. P.; McDonald, A. D.; Nygren, D. R.

2016-12-01

Background rejection is key to success for future neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. To achieve sensitivity to effective Majorana lifetimes of ~ 1028 years, backgrounds must be controlled to better than 0.1 count per ton per year, beyond the reach of any present technology. In this paper we propose a new method to identify the birth of the barium daughter ion in the neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe. The method adapts Single Molecule Fluorescent Imaging, a technique from biochemistry research with demonstrated single ion sensitivity. We explore possible SMFI dyes suitable for the problem of barium ion detection in high pressure xenon gas, and develop a fiber-coupled sensing system with which we can detect the presence of bulk Ba++ ions remotely. We show that our sensor produces signal-to-background ratios as high as 85 in response to Ba++ ions when operated in aqueous solution. We then describe the next stage of this R&D program, which will be to demonstrate chelation and fluorescence in xenon gas. If a successful barium ion tag can be developed using SMFI adapted for high pressure xenon gas detectors, the first essentially zero background, ton-scale neutrinoless double beta decay technology could be realized.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Measurement of the double- β decay half-life of 136 Xe with the KamLAND-Zen experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Hanakago, H.

2012-04-19

We present results from the KamLAND-Zen double-beta decay experiment based on an exposure of 77.6 days with 129 kg of 136Xe. The measured two-neutrino double-beta decay half-life of 136Xe is Tmore » $$2ν\\atop{1/2}$$ = 2.38 ± 0.02(stat) ± 0.14(syst) x10 21 yr, consistent with a recent measurement by EXO-200. We also obtain a lower limit for the neutrinoless double-beta decay half-life, T$$0ν\\atop{1/2}$$ > 5.7 x 10 24 yr at 90% C.L.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 .

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Absolute neutrino mass measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolf, Joachim

2011-10-06

The neutrino mass plays an important role in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. In recent years the detection of neutrino flavour oscillations proved that neutrinos carry mass. However, oscillation experiments are only sensitive to the mass-squared difference of the mass eigenvalues. In contrast to cosmological observations and neutrino-less double beta decay (0v2{beta}) searches, single {beta}-decay experiments provide a direct, model-independent way to determine the absolute neutrino mass by measuring the energy spectrum of decay electrons at the endpoint region with high accuracy.Currently the best kinematic upper limits on the neutrino mass of 2.2eV have been set by two experiments inmore » Mainz and Troitsk, using tritium as beta emitter. The next generation tritium {beta}-experiment KATRIN is currently under construction in Karlsruhe/Germany by an international collaboration. KATRIN intends to improve the sensitivity by one order of magnitude to 0.2eV. The investigation of a second isotope ({sup 137}Rh) is being pursued by the international MARE collaboration using micro-calorimeters to measure the beta spectrum. The technology needed to reach 0.2eV sensitivity is still in the R and D phase. This paper reviews the present status of neutrino-mass measurements with cosmological data, 0v2{beta} decay and single {beta}-decay.« less

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

DOE PAGES

Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.; Azzolini, O.; ...

2015-01-01

Neumore » trinoless double-beta (0 ν β β ) 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 0 ν β β decay of 130 Te using an array of 988 TeO 2 crystal bolometers operated at 10 mK. The detector will contain 206 kg of 130 Te and have an average energy resolution of 5 keV; the projected 0 ν β β decay half-life sensitivity after five years of livetime is 1.6 × 10 26  y at 1 σ (9.5 × 10 25  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.« less

Searching Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with GERDA Phase II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Weak decays and double beta decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicholson, H.W.

1983-08-01

Work to measure the ..sigma../sup +/ 0 degree differential cross section in the reaction K/sup -/p ..-->.. ..sigma../sup +/..pi../sup -/ at several incident K/sup -/ momenta between 600 and 800 MeV/c as well as the asymmetries in the decays of polarized ..sigma../sup +/'s into protons and neutral pions and of polarized ..sigma../sup -/'s into neutrons and negative pions in collaboration with experimenters from Yale, Brookhaven, and the University of Pittsburgh (Brookhaven experiment 702) has been completed. Data from this experiment is currently being analyzed at Yale. Work is currently underway to develop and construct an experiment to search for neutrinolessmore » double beta decay in thin foils of Mo/sup 100/ in collaboration with experimenters from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Development work on the solid state silicon detectors should be complete in the next six months and construction should e well underway within the next year.« less

Nuclear Structure Relevant to Double-beta Decay: Studies of 76Ge and 76Se using Inelastic Neutron Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crider, Benjamin P.

While neutrino oscillations indicate that neutrino flavors mix and that neutrinos have mass, they do not supply information on the absolute mass scale of the three flavors of neutrinos. Currently, the only viable way to determine this mass scale is through the observation of the theoretically predicted process of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0nubetabeta). This yet-to-be-observed decay process is speculated to occur in a handful of nuclei and has predicted half-lives greater than 1025 years. Observation of 0nubetabeta is the goal of several large-scale, multinational efforts and consists of detecting a sharp peak in the summed energies at the Q-value of the reaction. An exceptional candidate for the observation of 0nubetabeta is 76Ge, which offers an excellent combination of capabilities and sensitivities, and two such collaborations, MAJORANA and GERDA, propose tonne-scale experiments that have already begun initial phases using a fraction of the material. The absolute scale of the neutrino masses hinges on a matrix element, which depends on the ground-state wave functions for both the parent (76Ge) and daughter (76Se) nuclei in the 0nubetabeta decay and can only be calculated from nuclear structure models. Efforts to provide information on the applicability of these models have been undertaken at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory using gamma-ray spectroscopy following inelastic scattering reactions with monoenergetic, accelerator-produced fast neutrons. Information on new energy levels and transitions, spin and parity assignments, lifetimes, multipole mixing ratios, and transition probabilities have been determined for 76Se, the daughter of 76Ge 0nubetabeta, up to 3.0 MeV. Additionally, inaccuracies in the accepted level schemes have been addressed. Observation of 0nubetabeta requires precise knowledge of potential contributors to background within the region of interest, i.e., approximately 2039 keV for 76Ge. In addition to backgrounds

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shanahan, Phiala E.; Tiburzi, Brian C.; Wagman, Michael L.

The potential importance of short-distance nuclear effects in double-more » $$\\beta$$ 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.« less

Search for neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostrovskiy, Igor; O'Sullivan, Kevin

2016-06-01

We review current experimental efforts to search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). A description of the selected leading experiments is given and the strongest recent results are compared in terms of achieved background indexes (BI) and limits on effective Majorana mass. A combined limit is also shown. The second part of the review covers next generation experiments, highlighting the challenges and new technologies that may be necessary to achieve a justifiable discovery potential. A potential synergy with direct dark matter searches, which could be an especially prudent strategy in case the axial vector coupling constant is quenched in 0νββ decay, is emphasized.

Probing Majorana neutrino textures at DUNE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bora, Kalpana; Borah, Debasish; Dutta, Debajyoti

2017-10-01

We study the possibility of probing different texture zero neutrino mass matrices at the long baseline neutrino experiment DUNE, particularly focusing on its sensitivity to the octant of atmospheric mixing angle θ23 and leptonic Dirac C P phase δcp. Assuming a diagonal charged lepton basis and Majorana nature of light neutrinos, we first classify the possible light neutrino mass matrices with one and two texture zeros and then numerically evaluate the parameter space which satisfies the texture zero conditions. Apart from using the latest global fit 3 σ values of neutrino oscillation parameters, we also use the latest bound on the sum of absolute neutrino masses (∑i |mi|) from the Planck mission data and the updated bound on effective neutrino mass Me e from neutrinoless double beta decay (0 ν β β ) experiments to find the allowed Majorana texture zero mass matrices. For the allowed texture zero mass matrices from all these constraints, we then feed the corresponding light neutrino parameter values satisfying the texture zero conditions into the numerical analysis in order to study the capability of DUNE to allow or exclude them once it starts taking data. We find that DUNE will be able to exclude some of these texture zero mass matrices which restrict (θ23-δcp) to a very specific range of values, depending on the values of the parameters that nature has chosen.

PandaX-III neutrinoless double beta decay experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR: A search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of germanium-76

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Alexis; Majorana Collaboration

2011-04-01

Observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) could determine whether the neutrino is a Majorana particle and may provide information on neutrino mass. The MAJORANA Collaboration will search for 0 νββ of 76Ge in an array of germanium detectors enriched to 86% in 76Ge. Germanium detectors are a well-understood technology and have the benefits of excellent energy resolution, a high Q-value, and the ability to act as source and detector. The p-type point contact germanium detectors chosen by the MAJORANA Collaboration provide low noise, low energy threshold, and some ability to distinguish between the signal and background events. MAJORANA is constructing the DEMONSTRATOR, which will be used to conduct research and development toward a tonne-scale Ge experiment. The DEMONSTRATOR will be installed deep underground and will contain 40 kg of Ge deployed in an ultra-low-background shielded environment. Research supported by DOE under contracts DE-AC05-00OR22725 and DE-FG02-97ER41020.

Neutron induced radio-isotopes and background for Ge double beta decay experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Pinghan; Majorana Collaboration

2015-10-01

Environmental neutrons, mostly produced by muons in the cosmic rays, might contribute backgrounds to the search for neutrinoless double beta decays. These neutrons can interact with materials and generate radio-isotopes, which can decay and produce radioactive backgrounds. Some of these neutron-induced isotopes have a signature of a time-delayed coincidence, allowing us to study these infrequent events. For example, such isotopes can decay by beta decay to metastable states and then decay by gamma decay to the ground state. Considering the time-delayed coincidence of these two processes, we can determine candidates for these neutron-induced isotopes in the data and estimate the flux of neutrons in the deep underground environment. In this report, we will list possible neutron-induced isotopes and the methodology to detect them, especially those that can affect the search for neutrinoless double beta decays in 76Ge. 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. We acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.

Probing particle and nuclear physics models of neutrinoless double beta decay with different nuclei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fogli, G. L.; Rotunno, A. M.; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari

2009-07-01

Half-life estimates for neutrinoless double beta decay depend on particle physics models for lepton-flavor violation, as well as on nuclear physics models for the structure and transitions of candidate nuclei. Different models considered in the literature can be contrasted - via prospective data - with a 'standard' scenario characterized by light Majorana neutrino exchange and by the quasiparticle random phase approximation, for which the theoretical covariance matrix has been recently estimated. We show that, assuming future half-life data in four promising nuclei ({sup 76}Ge, {sup 82}Se, {sup 130}Te, and {sup 136}Xe), the standard scenario can be distinguished from a fewmore » nonstandard physics models, while being compatible with alternative state-of-the-art nuclear calculations (at 95% C.L.). Future signals in different nuclei may thus help to discriminate at least some decay mechanisms, without being spoiled by current nuclear uncertainties. Prospects for possible improvements are also discussed.« less

Measurements of the {sup 116}Cd(p,n) and {sup 116}Sn(n,p) reactions at 300 MeV for studying Gamow-Teller transition strengths in the intermediate nucleus of the {sup 116}Cd double-{beta} decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sasano, M.; Kuboki, H.; Sekiguchi, K.

2009-11-09

The double differential cross sections for the {sup 116}Cd(p,n) and {sup 116}Sn(n,p) reactions at 300 MeV have been measured over a wide excitation-energy region including Gamow-Teller (GT) giant resonance (GTGR) for studying GT transition strengths in the intermediate nucleus of the {sup 116}Cd double-{beta} decay, namely {sup 116}In. A large amount of the strengths in the {beta}{sup +} direction has been newly found in the energy region up to 30 MeV, which may imply that the GT strengths in the GTGR region contribute to the nuclear matrix element of the two-neutrino double-{beta} decay.

Can one ever prove that neutrinos are Dirac particles?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirsch, Martin; Srivastava, Rahul; Valle, José W. F.

2018-06-01

According to the "Black Box" theorem the experimental confirmation of neutrinoless double beta decay (0 ν 2 β) would imply that at least one of the neutrinos is a Majorana particle. However, a null 0 ν 2 β signal cannot decide the nature of neutrinos, as it can be suppressed even for Majorana neutrinos. In this letter we argue that if the null 0 ν 2 β decay signal is accompanied by a 0 ν 4 β quadruple beta decay signal, then at least one neutrino should be a Dirac particle. This argument holds irrespective of the underlying processes leading to such decays.

Remark on Majorana CP phases in neutrino mixing and leptogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitabayashi, Teruyuki; Koizumi, Naoto

2014-05-01

We estimate Majorana CP phases for a simple flavor neutrino mixing matrix which has been reported by Qu and Ma. Sizes of Majorana CP phases are evaluated in the study of the neutrinoless double beta decay and a particular leptogenesis scenario. We find the dependence of the physically relevant Majorana CP phase on the mass of lightest right-handed neutrino in the minimal seesaw model and the effective Majorana neutrino mass which is related with the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

Characterization of Nuclear Recoils in High Pressure Xenon Gas: Towards a Simultaneous Search for WIMP Dark Matter and Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

DOE PAGES

Renner, J.; Gehman, V. M.; Goldschmidt, A.; ...

2015-03-24

Xenon has recently been the medium of choice in several large scale detectors searching for WIMP dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay. Though present-day large scale experiments use liquid xenon, the gas phase offers advantages favorable to both types of searches such as improved intrinsic energy resolution and fewer fluctuations in the partition of deposited energy between scintillation and ionization channels. We recently constructed a high pressure xenon gas TPC as a prototype for the NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) neutrinoless double beta decay experiment and have demonstrated the feasibility of 0.5% FWHM energy resolution at themore » 136Xe double beta Q-value with 3-D tracking capabilities. We now present results from this prototype on the simultaneous observation of scintillation and ionization produced by nuclear recoils at approximately 14 bar pressure. The recoils were produced by neutrons of approximately 2-6 MeV emitted from a radioisotope plutonium-beryllium source, and primary scintillation (S1) and electroluminescent photons produced by ionization (S2) were observed. We discuss the potential of gaseous xenon to distinguish between electron and nuclear recoils through the ratio of these two signals S2/S1. From these results combined with the possibility of using columnar recombination to sense nuclear recoil directionality at high pressures we envision a dual-purpose, ton-scale gaseous xenon detector capable of a combined search for WIMP dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay. This work has been performed within the context of the NEXT collaboration.« less

Gamow-Teller Strength Distributions in {sup 48}Sc by the {sup 48}Ca(p,n) and {sup 48}Ti(n,p) Reactions and Two-Neutrino Double-beta Decay Nuclear Matrix Elements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yako, K.; Sasano, M.; Miki, K.

2009-07-03

The double-differential cross sections for the {sup 48}Ca(p,n) and {sup 48}Ti(n,p) reactions were measured at 300 MeV. A multipole decomposition technique was applied to the spectra to extract the Gamow-Teller (GT) components. The integrated GT strengths up to an excitation energy of 30 MeV in {sup 48}Sc are 15.3+-2.2 and 2.8+-0.3 in the (p,n) and (n,p) spectra, respectively. In the (n,p) spectra additional GT strengths were found above 8 MeV where shell models within the fp shell-model space predict almost no GT strengths, suggesting that the present shell-model description of the nuclear matrix element of the two-neutrino double-beta decay ismore » incomplete.« less

Apparatus for an investigation of proton-pair correlations in the neutrinoless double-beta decay candidate 136Xe via the 134Xe(3He,n)136Ba reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Spencer

2017-09-01

A number of experiments are focused on trying to observe neutrinoless double beta decay to see if neutrinos are Majorana particles, and thus their own antiparticles. If observed, the results could lead to a more direct measurement of neutrino masses, and to an understanding of why each neutrino flavor has the mass that it does. Lepton conservation would be violated, and data could even shed light on the large discrepancy of matter to antimatter found in the universe today, as it is believed that equal amounts of both were present in the first moments after the Big Bang. We plan to study the 134Xe(3He,n)136Ba reaction to inform the proton pairing structure in 136Ba, which is necessary to validate approximations made in calculating the nuclear matrix elements for the neutrinoless double beta decay rate of 136Xe. In particular, the observation of excited 0+ strength would signal a breakdown of the BCS approximation used in QRPA calculations. Design and construction of apparatus to perform this experiment are currently underway. The design of the 3He gas target will be described. This research is supported by the Office of Nuclear Physics in the US Department of Energy Office of Science.

Development of InP solid state detector and liquid scintillator containing metal complex for measurement of pp/7Be solar neutrinos and neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuda, Yoshiyuki; Moriyama, Shigetaka

2012-07-01

A large volume solid state detector using a semi-insulating Indium Phosphide (InP) wafer have been developed for measurement of pp/7Be solar neutrinos. Basic performance such as the charge collection efficiency and the energy resolution were measured by 60% and 20%, respectively. In order to detect two gammas (115keV and 497keV) from neutrino capture, we have designed hybrid detector which consist InP detector and liquid xenon scintillator for IPNOS experiment. New InP detector with thin electrode (Cr 50Å- Au 50Å). For another possibility, an organic liquid scintillator containing indium complex and zirconium complex were studied for a measurement of low energy solar neutrinos and neutrinosless double beta decay, respectively. Benzonitrile was chosen as a solvent because of good solubility for the quinolinolato complexes (2 wt%) and of good light yield for the scintillation induced by gamma-ray irradiation. The photo-luminescence emission spectra of InQ3 and ZrQ4 in benzonitrile was measured and liquid scintillator cocktail using InQ3 and ZrQ4 (50mg) in benzonitrile solutions (20 mL) with secondary scintillators with PPO (100mg) and POPOP (10mg) was made. The energy spectra of incident gammas were measured, and they are first results of the gamma-ray energy spectra using luminescent of metal complexes.

Pixel detectors in double beta decay experiments, a new approach for background reduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jose, J. M.; Čermák, P.; Štekl, I.

Double beta decay (ββ) experiments are challenging frontiers in contemporary physics. These experiments have the potential to investigate more about neutrinos (eg. nature and mass). The main challenge for these experiments is the reduction of background. The group at IEAP, CTU in Prague is investigating a new approach using pixel detectors Timepix. Pixel detector offer background reduction capabilities with its ability to identify the particle interaction (from the 2D signature it generates). However, use of pixel detectors has some challenges such as the presence of readout electronics near the sensing medium and heat dissipation. Different aspects of pixel setup (identificationmore » of radio-impurities, selection of radio-pure materials) and proposed experimental setup are presented. Also, results of preliminary background measurements (performed on the surface and in the underground laboratories) using the prototype setups are presented.« less

First array of enriched Zn$$^{82}$$Se bolometers to search for double beta decay

DOE PAGES

Artusa, D. R.; Balzoni, A.; Beeman, J. W.; ...

2016-07-01

The R&D activity performed during the last years proved the potential of ZnSe scintillating bolometers to the search for neutrino-less double beta decay, motivating the realization of the first large-mass experiment based on this technology: CUPID-0. The isotopic enrichment in 82Se, the Zn 82Se crystals growth, as well as the light detectors production have been accomplished, and the experiment is now in construction at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy). In this paper we present the results obtained testing the first three Zn 82Se crystals operated as scintillating bolometers, and we prove that their performance in terms of energy resolution,more » background rejection capability and intrinsic radio-purity complies with the requirements of CUPID-o.« less

The Majorana Double Beta Decay Experiment:. Present Status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Detecting the Neutrino

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arns, Robert G.

In 1930 Wolfgang Pauli suggested that a new particle might be required to make sense of the radioactive-disintegration mode known as beta decay. This conjecture initially seemed impossible to verify since the new particle, which became known as the neutrino, was uncharged, had zero or small mass, and interacted only insignificantly with other matter. In 1951 Frederick Reines and Clyde L. Cowan, Jr., of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory undertook the difficult task of detecting the free neutrino by observing its inverse beta-decay interaction with matter. They succeeded in 1956. The neutrino was accepted rapidly as a fundamental particle despite discrepancies in reported details of the experiments and despite the absence of independent verification of the result. This paper describes the experiments, examines the nature of the discrepancies, and discusses the circumstances of the acceptance of the neutrino's detection by the physics community.

Theoretical mean-field and experimental occupation probabilities in the double-beta decay system {sup 76}Ge to {sup 76}Se

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreno, O.; Moya de Guerra, E.; Sarriguren, P.

2010-04-15

Usual Woods-Saxon single-particle levels with BCS pairing are not able to reproduce the experimental occupation probabilities of the proton and neutron levels 1p{sub 3/2}, 1p{sub 1/2}, 0f{sub 5/2}, and 0g{sub 9/2} in the double-beta decay system {sup 76}Ge to {sup 76}Se. Shifting down the 0g{sub 9/2} level by hand can explain the data, but it is not satisfactory. Here it is shown that a self-consistent Hartree-Fock+BCS approach with experimental deformations for {sup 76}Ge and {sup 76}Se may decisively improve the agreement with the recent data on occupation probabilities by J. P. Schiffer et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 112501 (2008)]more » and B. P. Kay et al. [Phys. Rev. C 79, 021301(R) (2009)]. Best agreement with available data on {sup 76}Ge and {sup 76}Se, as well as on neighbor isotopes, is obtained when the spin-orbit strength for neutrons is allowed to be larger than that for protons. The two-neutrino double-beta decay matrix element is also shown to agree with the data.« less

Searches for double beta decay of Xe 134 with EXO-200

DOE PAGES

Albert, J. B.; Anton, G.; Badhrees, I.; ...

2017-11-03

Searches for double beta decay of 134Xe were performed with EXO-200, a single-phase liquid xenon detector designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe. Using an exposure of 29.6 kg ∙ yr , the lower limits of Tmore » $$2νββ\\atop{1/2}$$ > 8.7 × 10 20 yr and T$$0νββ\\atop{1/2}$$ > 1.1 × 10 23 yr at 90% confidence level were derived, with corresponding half-life sensitivities of 1.2 × 10 21 yr and 1.9 × 10 23 yr . In conclusion, these limits exceed those in the literature for 134 Xe , improving by factors of nearly 10 5 and 2 for the two antineutrino and neutrinoless modes, respectively.« less

On the Effective Mass of the Electron Neutrino in Beta Decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farzan, Yasaman

2002-12-20

In the presence of mixing between massive neutrino states, the distortion of the electron spectrum in beta decay is, in general, a function of several masses and mixing angles. For 3{nu}-schemes which describe the solar and atmospheric neutrino data, this distortion can be described by a single effective mass, under certain conditions. In the literature, two different definitions for the effective mass have been suggested. We show that for quasi-degenerate mass schemes (with an overall mass scale m and splitting {Delta}m{sup 2}) the two definitions coincide up to ({Delta}m{sup 2}){sup 2}/m{sup 4} corrections. We consider the impact of different effectivemore » masses on the integral energy spectrum. We show that the spectrum with a single mass can be used also to fit the data in the case of 4{nu}-schemes motivated, in particular, by the LSND results. In this case the accuracy of the mass determination turns out to be better than (10-15)%.« less

Single and double beta decays in the A=100, A=116 and A=128 triplets of isobars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suhonen, J.; Civitarese, O.

2014-04-01

In this paper we analyze the ground-state-to-ground-state two-neutrino double beta (2νββ) decays and single EC and β- decays for the A=100 (100Mo-100Tc-100Ru), A=116 (116Cd-116In-116Sn) and A=128 (128Te-128I-128Xe) triplets of isobars. We use the proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pnQRPA) with realistic G-matrix-derived effective interactions in very large single-particle bases. The purpose is to access the effective value of the axial-vector coupling constant gA in the pnQRPA calculations. We show that the three triplets of isobars represent systems with different characteristics of orbital occupancies and cumulative 2νββ nuclear matrix elements. Our analysis points to a considerably quenched averaged effective value of ≈0.6±0.2 in the pnQRPA calculations.

High energy-resolution measurement of the Se 82 ( He 3 , t ) Br 82 reaction for double- β decay and for solar neutrinos

DOE PAGES

Frekers, D.; Alanssari, M.; Adachi, T.; ...

2016-07-21

For this study, a high-resolution ( 3He,t) charge-exchange experiment at an incident energy of 420 MeV has been performed on the double beta (ββ) decay nucleus 82Se. A detailed Gamow-Teller (GT -) strength distribution in 82Br has been extracted, which provides information to the ββ-decay nuclear matrix elements. Three strong and isolated transitions, which are to the 75, 1484 and the 2087 keV states in 82Br, are found to dominate the low-excitation region below ≈ 2.1 MeV. Above 2.1 MeV a sudden onset of a strong GT fragmentation is observed. The degree of fragmentation resembles a situation found in themore » neighboring A = 76 system 76Ge, whereas the observed concentration of strength in the three low-lying states is reminiscent of the heavier neighbors 96Zr and 100Mo. The strong GT transition to the 75 keV (1 +) state makes 82Se interesting for solar neutrino detection. The 82Se(ν e,e -) 82Br solar neutrino capture rate in a nonoscillation scenario is therefore evaluated to 668 ± 12(stat) ± 60(sys) SNU, and some of the advantages of using selenium for solar neutrino studies are discussed.« less

THE SEARCH FOR MASSIVE NEUTRINOS - Short Contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirsten, T.

Double beta decay (DBD) has the potential to distinguish whether neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. However, neutrinoless DBD (in violation of lepton number conservation) has not yet been observed. From the respective upper limits, limits on the neutrino restmass can be deduced if the neutrino is of Majorana type.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Novella, P.; et al.

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 bemore » $$(37.5\\pm 2.3~\\mathrm{(stat.)}\\pm 5.9~\\mathrm{(syst.)})$$~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.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beeman, J. W.; Bellini, F.; Benetti, P.

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 82Se. The matrix which embeds the source is an array of ZnSe crystals, where enriched 82Se 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 82Se metal, measured with a high-purity germanium detector at themore » Gran Sasso deep underground laboratory. The limits on internal contaminations of primordial decay chain elements of 232Th, 238U and 235U 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 82Se allowed us to establish the most stringent lower limits on the half-lives of the double-beta decay of 82Se to 0+1, 2+2 and 2+1 excited states of 82Kr of 3.4•10 22, 1.3•10 22 and 1.0•10 22 y, respectively, with a 90 % C.L.« less

Much Ado About (Almost!) Nothing: The Experimental Study of Neutrino Masses and Mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messier, Mark

2009-11-01

Neutrinos have been described by their discoverer Frederick Reines as ``the most tiny quantity of reality ever imagined by a human being.'' Yet these particles which verge on nothingness have had an enormous influence on the past and future evolution of the universe and are the subject of an increasingly active program of experimental physics. In this talk I will review some of the basic properties of neutrinos and summarize the recent results on neutrino masses and mixing from studies of neutrinos produced in the Sun, cosmic rays, reactors, and accelerators including searches for zero neutrino double beta decay. Looking ahead, I will outline the future course of experiments in the U.S., Asia, and Europe which will address the questions of the fundamental character of the neutrino, the hierarchy of their masses, and their matter anti-matter symmetries.

TeO$$_2$$ bolometers with Cherenkov signal tagging: towards next-generation neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments

DOE PAGES

Casali, N.; Vignati, Marco; Beeman, J. W.; ...

2015-01-14

CUORE, an array of 988 TeOmore » $$_2$$ bolometers, is about to be one of the most sensitive experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Its sensitivity could be further improved by removing the background from α radioactivity. A few years ago it was pointed out that the signal from βs can be tagged by detecting the emitted Cherenkov light, which is not produced by αs. In this paper we confirm this possibility. For the first time we measured the Cherenkov light emitted by a CUORE crystal, and found it to be 100 eV at the Q-value of the decay. To completely reject the α background, we compute that one needs light detectors with baseline noise below 20 eV RMS, a value which is 3–4 times smaller than the average noise of the bolometric light detectors we are using. We point out that an improved light detector technology must be developed to obtain TeO$$_2$$ bolometric experiments able to probe the inverted hierarchy of neutrino masses.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Large mass bolometers for neutrinoless double beta decay detection: model and last results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedretti, Marisa; Barucci, Marco; Giuliani, Andrea; Pasca, Edoardo; Risegari, Lara; Olivieri, Emiliano; Ventura, Guglielmo

2004-01-01

Milano collaboration has been developing for many years large mass bolometers for particle detection, and in particular for the study of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. The active components of the detectors are large mass (340 g and 790 g) TeO2 crystals, while Neutron Transmutation Doped Ge thermistors are used as phonon sensors. These devices work at low temperatures, about 5-10 mK. The mechanical and thermal connections of the detector to the thermal bath are made with PTFE pieces that hold the crystal on copper frames. Gold wires are used as electric connections. We have developed a complete thermal model for the bolometers and "ad hoc" measurements of the thermal parameters involved were performed in the Florence cryogenic laboratory. These studies have permitted to simulate the static and dynamic behaviours of the detectors. A satisfactory agreement between simulated and the experimental response has been obtained as far as the static behaviour is concerned, while the dynamic behaviour is not yet fully understood. These preliminary results however will enable us to design new detector structures in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and the reproducibility. Given the good performances of these devices (excellent energy resolutions were obtained, of the order of 2 keV at 911 keV and of 5 keV at 2615 keV), this technique is particularly suitable to detectors for gamma ray spectroscopy. Encouraged by this results, the Milano-Como group has joined a large international collaboration for the realization of CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events), seraching for Dark Matter and neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, a crucial phenomenon for neutrino physics. The Cuoricino detector, a small scale test of CUORE detector, is an array of 62 large mass bolometers like those already described, and it is now in operation in the Gran Sasso undergrand laboratory, Italy). It is the largest array of bolometric detectors ever constructed.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cebrián, S.; Dafni, T.; González-Díaz, D.

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 havemore » 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.« less

Neutrino physics with DARWIN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Matrix Elements in Light Nuclei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pastore, S.; Carlson, J.; Cirigliano, V.

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 v 18 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 asmore » those corresponding to different orders in chiral effective theory.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Testing Lorentz invariance violations in the tritium beta-decay anomaly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmona, J. M.; Cortés, J. L.

2000-11-01

We consider a Lorentz non-invariant dispersion relation for the neutrino, which would produce unexpected effects with neutrinos of few eV, exactly where the tritium beta-decay anomaly is found. We use this anomaly to put bounds on the violation of Lorentz invariance. We discuss other consequences of this non-invariant dispersion relation in neutrino experiments and high-energy cosmic-ray physics.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Štefánik, Dušan; Dvornický, Rastislav; Šimkovic, Fedor

2015-10-01

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 mββ and the parameters <λ> and <η> characterizing the right handed current mechanisms are deduced from the data on the 0νββ-decay of 76Ge and 136Xe 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.

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

PubMed

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

2018-03-30

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 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 12.9σ 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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 130Te with CUORE-0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouellet, Jonathan Loren

This thesis describes the design, operation and results of an experimental search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0nubetabeta) of 130 Te using the CUORE-0 detector. The discovery of 0nubetabeta 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 0nubetabeta 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 0nubetabeta in 130Te 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 130Te and operates in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso lab in Italy from 2013--2015. The results presented here are based on a natTeO 2 exposure of 35.2 kg·yr, or 9.8 kg·yr exposure of 130Te collected between 2013 -- 2015. We see no evidence of 0nubetabeta and place an upper limit on the 0nubetabeta decay rate of Gamma 0nubetabeta 2.8 x 1024 yr (90% C.L.). We combine the present result with the results of previous searches in 130Te. Combining it with the 1.2 kg·yr 130Te exposure from the Three Towers Test run we place a half-life limit of T 0nu1/2 >3.3 x 1024 yr (90% C.L.). And combining these results with the 19.75 kg·yr 130Te exposure from Cuoricino, we place the strongest limit on the 0nubetabeta half-life of 130Te to date, at T0nu1/2 > 4.5 x 1024 yr (90% C.L.). Using the present nuclear matrix element calculations for 130Te, this result corresponds to a 90% upper limit range on the effective Majorana mass of m betabeta < 250--710 meV.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

DOE PAGES

McDonald, A. D.; Jones, B. J. P.; Nygren, D. R.; ...

2018-03-26

A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double beta decay ofmore » $$^{136}$$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.« less

Beyond low beta-decay Q values

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mustonen, M. T.; Suhonen, J.

Beta decays with low Q values can be utilized in the quest to determine the neutrino mass scale. This is being realized in two experiments, KATRIN and MARE, using tritium and {sup 187}Re, respectively. The beta-decay of {sup 187}Re had the lowest known Q value until 2005, when the beta decay of {sup 115}In to the first excited state of {sup 115}Sn was discovered in Gran Sasso underground laboratory. Last year two independent ion trap measurements confirmed that this decay breaks the former record by an order of magnitude.Our theoretical study on this tiny decay channel complemented the experimental effortmore » by the JYFLTRAP group in Finland and HADES underground laboratory in Belgium. A significant discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical results was found. This might be explained by various atomic contributions known to grow larger as the Q value decreases. However, the traditional recipes for taking these effects into account break down on this new ultra-low Q value regime, providing new challenges for theorists on the borderline between nuclear and atomic physics.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Martín-Albo, J.; Vidal, J. Muñoz

2013-03-01

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{sub 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{sub 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 themore » 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.« less

Neutrino Masses, Cosmological Bound and Four Zero Yukawa Textures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikary, Biswajit; Ghosal, Ambar; Roy, Probir

Four zero neutrino Yukawa textures in a specified weak basis, combined with μτ symmetry and type-I seesaw, yield a highly constrained and predictive scheme. Two alternately viable 3×3 light neutrino Majorana mass matrices mνA/mνB result with inverted/normal mass ordering. Neutrino masses, Majorana in character and predicted within definite ranges with laboratory and cosmological inputs, will have their sum probed cosmologically. The rate for 0νββ decay, though generally below the reach of planned experiments, could approach it in some parameter region. Departure from μτ symmetry due to RG evolution from a high scale and consequent CP violation, with a Jarlskog invariant whose magnitude could almost reach 6×10-3, are explored.

A search for double beta decays of 136Xe to the excited state of 136Ba with EXO-200

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Yung-Ruey; EXO-200 Collaboration

2015-10-01

EXO-200 is one of the most sensitive searches for neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe in the world. The experiment uses 110 kg of active enriched liquid xenon in an ultralow background time projection chamber installed at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a salt mine with a 1600 m water equivalent overburden. This detector has demonstrated excellent energy resolution and background rejection capabilities. While the experiment is designed to search for the double beta decays of 136Xe to the ground state of 136Ba, transitions to the excited states of 136Ba are also plausible. The ββ 2 ν decay to the first 0+ excited state of the daughter nuclei has been observed for 100Mo and 150Nd; this particular transition for 136Xe has a theoretical lifetime on the order of 1025 year, which is right around the sensitivity of EXO-200. We present the results from the search of double beta decays to the excited state using two years of EXO-200 data.

New Leading Contribution to Neutrinoless Double-β Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cirigliano, Vincenzo; Dekens, Wouter; de Vries, Jordy; Graesser, Michael L.; Mereghetti, Emanuele; Pastore, Saori; van Kolck, Ubirajara

2018-05-01

Within the framework of chiral effective field theory, we discuss the leading contributions to the neutrinoless double-beta decay transition operator induced by light Majorana neutrinos. Based on renormalization arguments in both dimensional regularization with minimal subtraction and a coordinate-space cutoff scheme, we show the need to introduce a leading-order short-range operator, missing in all current calculations. We discuss strategies to determine the finite part of the short-range coupling by matching to lattice QCD or by relating it via chiral symmetry to isospin-breaking observables in the two-nucleon sector. Finally, we speculate on the impact of this new contribution on nuclear matrix elements of relevance to experiment.

CUORE and beyond: Bolometric techniques to explore inverted neutrino mass hierarchy

DOE PAGES

Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.; Azzolini, O.; ...

2015-03-24

The CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) experiment will search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. With 741 kg of TeO 2 crystals and an excellent energy resolution of 5 keV (0.2%) at the region of interest, CUORE will be one of the most competitive neutrinoless double beta decay experiments on the horizon. With five years of live time, CUORE projected neutrinoless double beta decay half-life sensitivity is 1.6 × 10 26 y at 1σ (9.5 × 10 25 y at the 90% confidence level), which corresponds to an upper limit on the effective Majorana mass in themore » range 40–100 meV (50–130 meV). Further background rejection with auxiliary light detector can significantly improve the search sensitivity and competitiveness of bolometric detectors to fully explore the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy with 130Te and possibly other double beta decay candidate nuclei.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Time reversal violation in radiative beta decay: experimental plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

The Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment - New Results and Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonn, J.; Bornschein, B.; Bornschein, L.; Fickinger, L.; Flatt, B.; Kraus, Ch.; Otten, E. W.; Schall, J. P.; Ulrich, H.; Weinheimer, Ch.; Kazachenko, O.; Kovalik, A.

2002-12-01

Non-zero neutrino masses, strongly favoured by the recent atmospheric and solar neutrino experiments, have strong consequences for particle physics as well as for astrophysics and cosmology. The investigation of the tritium β spectrum near its endpoint measures the mass of the "electron neutrino m(νe)" (m2 (ν e ) = Σ |Uei |2 mi2 with neutrino mixing matrix U and neutrino mass eigenstates mi) and is the most sensitive of these so-called direct methods providing information complementary to the searches for neutrinoless double β decay. Tritium β decay is the ideal method to distinguish between hierarchical and degenerate neutrino mass models. Furthermore, neutrino masses up to about 1 eV/c2 are especially interesting for cosmology because of their contribution to the missing dark matter in the universe...

Sensitivity of NEXT-100 to neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín-Albo, J.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Ferrario, P.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; Álvarez, V.; Azevedo, C. D. R.; Borges, F. I. G.; Cárcel, S.; Carrión, J. V.; 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.; Goldschmidt, A.; González-Díaz, D.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. A. O.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero, V.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N.; Lorca, D.; Losada, M.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Mora, F. J.; Moutinho, L. M.; Novella, P.; Nygren, D.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; 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.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Yahlali, N.; Yepes-Ramírez, H.

2016-05-01

NEXT-100 is an electroluminescent high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber that will search for the neutrinoless double beta (0 νββ) decay of 136Xe. The detector possesses two features of great value for 0 νββ searches: energy resolution better than 1% FWHM at the Q value of 136Xe and track reconstruction for the discrimination of signal and background events. This combination results in excellent sensitivity, as discussed in this paper. Material-screening measurements and a detailed Monte Carlo detector simulation predict a background rate for NEXT-100 of at most 4 × 10-4 counts keV-1 kg-1 yr-1. Accordingly, the detector will reach a sensitivity to the 0 νββ-decay half-life of 2.8 × 1025 years (90% CL) for an exposure of 100 kg·year, or 6.0 × 1025 years after a run of 3 effective years. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Sensitivity of NEXT-100 to neutrinoless double beta decay

DOE PAGES

Martín-Albo, J.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Ferrario, P.; ...

2016-05-26

NEXT-100 is an electroluminescent high-pressure xenon gas time projection chamber that will search for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay ofmore » $$^{136}$$Xe. The detector possesses two features of great value for 0νββ searches: energy resolution better than 1% FWHM at the Q value of $$^{136}$$Xe and track reconstruction for the discrimination of signal and background events. This combination results in excellent sensitivity, as discussed in this paper. Material-screening measurements and a detailed Monte Carlo detector simulation predict a background rate for NEXT-100 of at most 4 × 10$$^{–4}$$ counts keV$$^{–1}$$ kg$$^{–1}$$ yr$$^{–1}$$. Furthermore, the detector will reach a sensitivity to the 0νββ-decay half-life of 2.8 × 10$$^{25}$$ years (90% CL) for an exposure of 100 kg·year, or 6.0 × 10$$^{25}$$ years after a run of 3 effective years.« less

Enhanced tau neutrino appearance through invisible decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagliaroli, Giulia; Di Marco, Natalia; Mannarelli, Massimo

2016-06-01

The decay of neutrino mass eigenstates leads to a change of the conversion and survival probability of neutrino flavor eigenstates. Exploiting the recent results released by the long-baseline OPERA experiment we perform the statistical investigation of the neutrino invisible decay hypothesis in the νμ→ντ appearance channel. We find that the neutrino decay provides an enhancement of the expected tau appearance signal with respect to the standard oscillation scenario for the long-baseline OPERA experiment. The increase of the νμ→ντ conversion probability by the decay of one of the mass eigenstates is due to a reduction of the "destructive interference" among the different massive neutrino components. Despite data showing a very mild preference for invisible decays with respect to the oscillations only hypothesis, we provide an upper limit for the neutrino decay lifetime in this channel of τ3/m3≳1.3 ×10-13 s /eV at the 90% confidence level.

Mass and Double-Beta-Decay Q Value of Xe136

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redshaw, Matthew; Wingfield, Elizabeth; McDaniel, Joseph; Myers, Edmund G.

2007-02-01

The atomic mass of Xe136 has been measured by comparing cyclotron frequencies of single ions in a Penning trap. The result, with 1 standard deviation uncertainty, is M(Xe136)=135.907 214 484 (11) u. Combined with previous results for the mass of Ba136 [Audi, Wapstra, and Thibault, Nucl. Phys. A 729, 337 (2003)NUPABL0375-947410.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.003], this gives a Q value (M[Xe136]-M[Ba136])c2=2457.83(37)keV, sufficiently precise for ongoing searches for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of Xe136.

Values of the phase space factors for double beta decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stoica, Sabin, E-mail: stoica@theory.nipne.ro; Mirea, Mihai; Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului street, P.O. Box MG6, Magurele

2015-10-28

We report an up-date list of the experimentally most interesting phase space factors for double beta decay (DBD). The electron/positron wave functions are obtained by solving the Dirac equations with a Coulomb potential derived from a realistic proton density distribution in nucleus and with inclusion of the finite nuclear size (FNS) and electron screening (ES) effects. We build up new numerical routines which allow us a good control of the accuracy of calculations. We found several notable differences as compared with previous results reported in literature and possible sources of these discrepancies are discussed.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Atmospheric neutrinos and discovery of neutrino oscillations

PubMed Central

Kajita, Takaaki

2010-01-01

Neutrino oscillation was discovered through studies of neutrinos produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the atmosphere. These neutrinos are called atmospheric neutrinos. They are produced as decay products in hadronic showers resulting from collisions of cosmic rays with nuclei in the atmosphere. Electron-neutrinos and muon-neutrinos are produced mainly by the decay chain of charged pions to muons to electrons. Atmospheric neutrino experiments observed zenith-angle and energy dependent deficit of muon-neutrino events. Neutrino oscillations between muon-neutrinos and tau-neutrinos explain these data well. Neutrino oscillations imply that neutrinos have small but non-zero masses. The small neutrino masses have profound implications to our understanding of elementary particle physics and the Universe. This article discusses the experimental discovery of neutrino oscillations. PMID:20431258

Search for neutrino transitions to sterile states using an intense beta source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oralbaev, A. Yu.; Skorokhvatov, M. D.; Titov, O. A.

2017-11-01

The results of beta spectrum calculations for two 144Pr decay branches are presented, which are of interest for reconstructing the spectrum of antineutrinos from the 144Ce-144Pr source to be used in the SOX experiment on the search for sterile neutrinos. The main factors affecting the beta spectrum are analyzed, their calculation methods are given, and calculations are compared with experiment.

Deformed shell model results for neutrinoless positron double beta decay of nuclei in the A = 60-90 region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, R.; Srivastava, P. C.; Kota, V. K. B.

2013-09-01

Nuclear transition matrix elements (NTME) for neutrinoless positron double beta decay (0νβ+β+ and 0νβ+EC) of 64Zn, 74Se, 78Kr and 84Sr nuclei, which are in the A = 60-90 region, are calculated within the framework of the deformed shell model (DSM) based on Hartree-Fock states. For 64Zn, GXPF1A interaction in 1f7/2, 2p3/2, 1f5/2 and 2p1/2 space with 40Ca as the core is employed. Similarly for 74Se, 78Kr and 84Sr nuclei, 56Ni is taken as the inert core employing a modified Kuo interaction in 2p3/2, 1f5/2, 2p1/2 and 1g9/2 space. After ensuring that the DSM gives a good description of the spectroscopic properties of low-lying levels in the four nuclei considered, the NTME are calculated. The half-lives deduced with these NTME, assuming the neutrino mass is 1 eV, are smallest for 78Kr with the half-life for β+EC decay being ˜1027 yr. For all others, the half-lives are in the range of ˜1028-1029 yr.

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

PubMed

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Has neutrinoless double /β decay of 76Ge been really observed?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zdesenko, Yu. G.; Danevich, F. A.; Tretyak, V. I.

2002-10-01

The claim of discovery of the neutrinoless double beta (0ν2β) decay of 76Ge [Mod. Phys. Lett. A 16 (2001) 2409] is considered critically and firm conclusion about, at least, prematurity of such a claim is derived on the basis of a simple statistical analysis of the measured spectra. This result is also proved by analyzing the cumulative data sets of the Heidelberg-Moscow and IGEX experiments. Besides, it allows us to establish the highest worldwide half-life limit on the 0ν2β decay of 76Ge: T1/20ν⩾2.5 (4.2)×1025 yr at 90% (68%) C.L. This bound corresponds to the most stringent constraint on the Majorana neutrino mass: mν⩽0.3 (0.2) eV at 90% (68%) C.L.

Double-beta decay with majoron emission in GERDA Phase I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Results on Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay from Gerda Phase I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Task I: Dark Matter Search Experiments with Cryogenic Detectors: CDMS-I and CDMS-II Task II: Experimental Study of Neutrino Properties: EXO and KamLAND

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cabrera, Blas; Gratta, Giorgio

2013-08-30

detector design and optimize the analysis. Neutrino Physics – In the period of performance the neutrino group successfully completed the construction of EXO-200 and commissioned the detector. Science data taking started on Jun 1, 2011. With the discovery of the 2-neutrino double-beta decay in 136-Xe and the first measurement of the 0-neutrino mode resulting in the most stringent limit of Majorana masses, our group continues to be a leading innovator in the field of neutrino physics which is central to DOE-HEP Intensity Frontier program. The phenomenon of neutrino oscillations, in part elucidated by our earlier efforts with the Palo Verde and KamLAND experiments, provides the crucial information that neutrino masses are non-zero and, yet, it contains no information on the value of the neutrino mass scale. In recent times our group has therefore shifted its focus to a high sensitivity 0-neutrino double beta decay program, EXO. The 0-neutrino double beta decay provides the best chance of extending the sensitivity to the neutrino mass scale below 10 meV but, maybe more importantly, it tests the nature of the neutrino wave function, providing the most sensitive probe for Majorana particles and lepton number violation. The EXO program, formulated by our group several years ago, plans to use up to tonnes of the isotope 136-Xe to study the 0-neutrino double beta decay mode. The EXO-200 detector is the first step in this program and it represents the only large US-led and based experiment taking data. The EXO-200 isotope enrichment program broke new grounds for the enterprise of double beta decay. The detector design and material selection program paid off, resulting in a background that is among the very best in the field. The “first light" of EXO-200 was very exciting with the discovery -in the first month of data- of the rarest 2-neutrino double beta decay mode ever observed. The lower limit on the 0-neutrino double beta decay half-life, published in Phys. Rev. Lett. and

Limit on Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of 76Ge by GERDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Mass and Double-Beta-Decay Q Value of {sup 136}Xe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Redshaw, Matthew; Wingfield, Elizabeth; McDaniel, Joseph

The atomic mass of {sup 136}Xe has been measured by comparing cyclotron frequencies of single ions in a Penning trap. The result, with 1 standard deviation uncertainty, is M({sup 136}Xe)=135.907 214 484 (11) u. Combined with previous results for the mass of {sup 136}Ba [Audi, Wapstra, and Thibault, Nucl. Phys. A 729, 337 (2003)], this gives a Q value (M[{sup 136}Xe]-M[{sup 136}Ba])c{sup 2}=2457.83(37) keV, sufficiently precise for ongoing searches for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of {sup 136}Xe.

Online Data Quality and Bad Interval Detection for the CUORE Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welliver, Bradford; Cuore Collaboration

2016-09-01

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is a large neutrinoless double beta decay (0 νββ) search being installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). 0 νββ searches can address fundamental questions about the nature of the neutrino, such as whether it is a Dirac or MAJORANA fermion, its mass scale, and may provide insight into the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. CUORE is the largest array of bolometer instrumented crystals in the world, nineteen times larger than the previous implementation used in CUORE-0, and contains a total of 988 TeO2 crystals with a mass of 741kg and is expected to achieve a sensitivity on the 130Te 0 νββ half-life of T1 / 2 = 9 . 5 x 1025 years (90 % C.L.) after 5 years of operation. The large number of individual crystals in CUORE presents challenges for monitoring data quality and the determination of bad intervals of time in detector operation. We will discuss the work being performed to provide expanded online detector quality monitoring tools as well as the development of automated algorithms to test and identify periods of abnormal behavior across all of the individual detectors.

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

DOE PAGES

Cirigliano, V.; Dekens, W.; de Vries, J.; ...

2017-12-15

Here, we analyze neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) 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 then develop a power-counting scheme and derive the two-nucleon 0νββ currents up to leading order in the power counting for each lepton-number-violating operator. We arguemore » 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 also calculate the constraints that can be set on dimension-seven lepton-number-violating operators from 0νββ experiments and study the interplay between dimension-five and -seven operators, discussing how dimension-seven contributions affect the interpretation of 0νββ in terms of the effective Majorana mass m ββ .« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cirigliano, V.; Dekens, W.; de Vries, J.

Here, we analyze neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) 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 then develop a power-counting scheme and derive the two-nucleon 0νββ currents up to leading order in the power counting for each lepton-number-violating operator. We arguemore » 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 also calculate the constraints that can be set on dimension-seven lepton-number-violating operators from 0νββ experiments and study the interplay between dimension-five and -seven operators, discussing how dimension-seven contributions affect the interpretation of 0νββ in terms of the effective Majorana mass m ββ .« less

The LUCIFER/CUPID-0 demonstrator: searching for the neutrinoless double-beta decay with Zn82Se scintillating bolometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artusa, D. R.; Balzoni, A.; Beeman, J. W.; Bellini, F.; Biassoni, M.; Brofferio, C.; Camacho, A.; Capelli, S.; Cardani, L.; Carniti, P.; Casali, N.; Cassina, L.; Clemenza, M.; Cremonesi, O.; Cruciani, A.; D'Addabbo, A.; Dafinei, I.; Di Domizio, S.; di Vacri, M. L.; Ferroni, F.; Gironi, L.; Giuliani, A.; Gotti, C.; Keppel, G.; Maino, M.; Mancuso, M.; Martinez, M.; Morganti, S.; Nagorny, S. S.; Nastasi, M.; Nisi, S.; Nones, C.; Orlandi, D.; Pagnanini, L.; Pallavicini, M.; Palmieri, V.; Pattavina, L.; Pavan, M.; Pessina, G.; Pettinacci, V.; Pirro, S.; Pozzi, S.; Previtali, E.; Puiu, A.; Rusconi, C.; Schäffner, K.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M.; Zolotarova, A.

2017-09-01

Future experiments on neutrinoless double beta-decay with the aim of exploring the inverted hierarchy region have to employ detectors with excellent energy resolution and zero background in the energy region of interest. Cryogenic scintillating bolometers turn out to be a suitable candidate since they offer particle discrimination: the dual channel detection of the heat and the scintillation light signal allows for particle identification. In particular such detectors permit for a suppression of α-induced backgrounds, a key-issue for next-generation tonne-scale bolometric experiments. We report on the progress and current status of the LUCIFER/CUPID-0 demonstrator, the first array of scintillating bolometers based on enriched Zn82Se crystals which is expected to start data taking in 2016 and the potential of this detection technique for a future tonne-scale bolometric experiment after CUORE.

Nuclear deformation and searches of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) : A case study of 76Ge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janssens, Robert V. F.; Ayangeakaa, Akaa Daniel; ANL Collaboration; LLNL Collaboration; LLBL Collaboration; Maryland Collaboration

2017-09-01

Observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 νββ) would both demonstrate the Majorana nature of the neutrino and provide experimental access to its absolute mass scale. Over the last decade, wavefunction contributions for leading (0 νββ) candidates have been probed in a campaign of experiments utilizing transfer reactions to determine nucleon occupancies in a consistent way. While these studies have provided a great deal of information for comparison with theory, especially on contributions to the nuclear wavefunctions from competing orbitals, they lack sensitivity to the collective degrees of freedom which have been shown to be relevant in describing these nuclei. In this talk, we present results of a high-precision Coulomb excitation measurement of 76Ge, performed at Argonne National Laboratory using GRETINA and CHICO2. The results are compared with state-of-the-art shell model calculations and recently obtained (n , n ` γ) data, with emphasis on demonstrating the importance of nuclear deformation in determining the nuclear decay matrix elements. This work is supported by the DOE, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics under Contract Number DE-AC02-06CH11357, and Grant No. DE-FG02-94ER40834 and DE-FG02-08ER41556.

Probing neutrino coupling to a light scalar with coherent neutrino scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farzan, Yasaman; Lindner, Manfred; Rodejohann, Werner; Xu, Xun-Jie

2018-05-01

Large neutrino event numbers in future experiments measuring coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering allow precision measurements of standard and new physics. We analyze the current and prospective limits of a light scalar particle coupling to neutrinos and quarks, using COHERENT and CONUS as examples. Both lepton number conserving and violating interactions are considered. It is shown that current (future) experiments can probe for scalar masses of a few MeV couplings down to the level of 10-4 (10-6). Scalars with masses around the neutrino energy allow to determine their mass via a characteristic spectrum shape distortion. Our present and future limits are compared with constraints from supernova evolution, Big Bang nucleosynthesis and neutrinoless double beta decay. We also outline UV-complete underlying models that include a light scalar with coupling to quarks for both lepton number violating and conserving coupling to neutrinos.

How good is μ- τ symmetry after results on non-zero θ 13?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Shivani; Joshipura, Anjan S.; Patel, Ketan M.

2013-09-01

Viability of the μ- τ interchange symmetry imposed as an approximate symmetry (1) on the neutrino mass matrix in the flavour basis (2) simultaneously on the charged lepton mass matrix M l and the neutrino mass matrix M ν and (3) on the underlying Lagrangian is discussed in the light of recent observation of a non-zero reactor mixing angle θ 13. In case (1), μ- τ symmetry breaking may be regarded as small (less than 20-30%) only for the inverted or quasidegenerate neutrino mass spectrum and the normal hierarchy would violate it by a large amount. The case (2) is more restrictive and the requirement of relatively small breaking allows only the quasidegenerate spectrum. If neutrinos obtain their masses from the type-I seesaw mechanism then small breaking of the μ- τ symmetry in the underlying Lagrangian may result in a large breaking in and even the hierarchical neutrino spectrum may also be consistent with mildly broken μ- τ symmetry of the Lagrangian. Neutrinoless double beta decay provides a good means of distinguishing above scenarios. In particular, non-observation of signal in future experiments such as GERDA would rule out scenarios (1) and (2).

The ideal neutrino beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, K.; Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Neutrinos are electrically neutral ELEMENTARY PARTICLES which experience only the weak nuclear force and gravity. Their existence was introduced as a hypothesis by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 to explain the apparent violation of energy conservation in radioactive beta decay. Chadwick had discovered in 1914 that the energy spectrum of electrons emitted in beta decay was not monoenergetic but continuous...

Search for neutrinoless double beta decay with GERDA phase II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Testing decay of astrophysical neutrinos with incomplete information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bustamante, Mauricio; Beacom, John F.; Murase, Kohta

2017-03-01

Neutrinos mix and have mass differences, so decays from one to another must occur. But how fast? The best direct limits on nonradiative decays, based on solar and atmospheric neutrinos, are weak, τ ≳10-3 s (m /eV ) or much worse. Greatly improved sensitivity, τ ˜1 03 s (m /eV ), will eventually be obtained using neutrinos from distant astrophysical sources, but large uncertainties—in neutrino properties, source properties, and detection aspects—do not allow this yet. However, there is a way forward now. We show that IceCube diffuse neutrino measurements, supplemented by improvements expected in the near term, can increase sensitivity to τ ˜10 s (m /eV ) for all neutrino mass eigenstates. We provide a road map for the necessary analyses and show how to manage the many uncertainties. If limits are set, this would definitively rule out the long-considered possibility that neutrino decay affects solar, atmospheric, or terrestrial neutrino experiments.

Deformed shell model results for neutrinoless double beta decay of nuclei in A = 60 - 90 region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, R.; Kota, V. K. B.

2015-03-01

Nuclear transition matrix elements (NTME) for the neutrinoless double beta decay (Oνββ or OνDBD) of 70Zn, 80Se and 82Se nuclei are calculated within the framework of the deformed shell model (DSM) based on Hartree-Fock (HF) states. For 70Zn, jj44b interaction in 2p3/2, 1f5/2, 2p1/2 and 1g9/2 space with 56Ni as the core is employed. However, for 80Se and 82Se nuclei, a modified Kuo interaction with the above core and model space are employed. Most of our calculations in this region were performed with this effective interaction. However, jj44b interaction has been found to be better for 70Zn. The above model space was used in many recent shell model (SM) and interacting boson model (IBM) calculations for nuclei in this region. After ensuring that DSM gives good description of the spectroscopic properties of low-lying levels in these three nuclei considered, the NTME are calculated. The deduced half-lives with these NTME, assuming neutrino mass is 1 eV, are 1.1 × 1026, 2.3 × 1027 and 2.2 × 1024 yr for 70Zn, 80Se and 82Se, respectively.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Ortho-positronium observation in the Double Chooz experiment

DOE PAGES

Abe, Y.; dos Anjos, J. C.; Barriere, J. C.; ...

2014-10-01

The Double Chooz experiment measures the neutrino mixing angle θ13 by detecting reactor ν¯e via inverse beta decay. The positron-neutron space and time coincidence allows for a sizable background rejection, nonetheless liquid scintillator detectors would

Limit on neutrinoless ββ decay of 136Xe from the first phase of KamLAND-Zen and comparison with the positive claim in 76Ge.

PubMed

Gando, A; Gando, Y; Hanakago, H; Ikeda, H; Inoue, K; Ishidoshiro, K; Kato, R; Koga, M; Matsuda, S; Mitsui, T; Motoki, D; Nakada, T; Nakamura, K; Obata, A; Oki, A; Ono, Y; Otani, M; Shimizu, I; Shirai, J; Suzuki, A; Takemoto, Y; Tamae, K; Ueshima, K; Watanabe, H; Xu, B D; Yamada, S; Yoshida, H; Kozlov, A; Yoshida, S; Banks, T I; Freedman, S J; Fujikawa, B K; Han, K; O'Donnell, T; Berger, B E; Efremenko, Y; Karwowski, H J; Markoff, D M; Tornow, W; Detwiler, J A; Enomoto, S; Decowski, M P

2013-02-08

We present results from the first phase of the KamLAND-Zen double-beta decay experiment, corresponding to an exposure of 89.5 kg yr of (136)Xe. We obtain a lower limit for the neutrinoless double-beta decay half-life of T(1/2)(0ν)>1.9×10(25) yr at 90% C.L. The combined results from KamLAND-Zen and EXO-200 give T(1/2)(0ν)>3.4×10(25) yr at 90% C.L., which corresponds to a Majorana neutrino mass limit of <(120-250) meV based on a representative range of available matrix element calculations. Using those calculations, this result excludes the Majorana neutrino mass range expected from the neutrinoless double-beta decay detection claim in (76)Ge, reported by a part of the Heidelberg-Moscow Collaboration, at more than 97.5% C.L.

On the Claim of Modulations in 36Cl Beta Decay and Their Association with Solar Rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommé, S.; Kossert, K.; Nähle, O.

2017-11-01

Recently, claims were made by Sturrock et al. ( Astropart. Phys. 42, 62, 2013), Sturrock, Fischbach, and Scargle ( Solar Phys. 291, 3467, 2016; arXiv http://arxiv.org/abs/arXiv:1705.03010, 2017) that beta decay can be induced by interaction of the nucleus with solar neutrinos and that cyclic modulations in decay rates are indicative of the dynamics of the solar interior. Transient modulations in residuals from a purely exponential decay curve were observed at frequencies near 11 a^{-1} and 12.7 a^{-1} in repeated activity measurements of a 36Cl source by Alburger, Harbottle, and Norton ( Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 78, 168, 1986) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in a period from 1984 to 1985. Sturrock et al. have speculatively associated them with rotational influence on the solar neutrino flux. In this work, more accurate 36Cl decay-rate measurements - performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig in the period 2010 - 2013 by means of the triple-to-double coincidence ratio measurement technique - are scrutinised. The residuals from an exponential decay curve were analysed by a weighted Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The existence of modulations in the frequency range between 0.2 a^{-1} and 20 a^{-1} could be excluded down to an amplitude of about 0.0016%. The invariability of the 36Cl decay constant contradicts the speculations made about the deep solar interior on the basis of instabilities in former activity measurements.

Exploring a nonminimal sterile neutrino model involving decay at IceCube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, Z.; Moulai, M. H.; Argüelles, C. A.; Conrad, J. M.

2018-03-01

We study the phenomenology of neutrino decay together with neutrino oscillations in the context of eV-scale sterile neutrinos. We review the formalism of visible neutrino decay in which one of the decay products is a neutrino that potentially can be observed. We apply the formalism developed for decay to the recent sterile neutrino search performed by IceCube with TeV neutrinos. We show that for a ν4 lifetime τ4/m4≲10-16 eV-1 s , the interpretation of the high-energy IceCube analysis can be significantly changed.

Neutrino masses from a pseudo-Dirac bino

DOE PAGES

Coloma, Pilar; Ipek, Seyda

2016-09-09

We show that, in U(1) R-symmetric supersymmetric models, the bino and its Dirac partner (the singlino) can play the role of right-handed neutrinos and generate the neutrino masses and mixing, without the need for traditional bilinear or trilinear R-parity violating operators. The two particles form a pseudo-Dirac pair, the “bi νo.” An inverse seesaw texture is generated for the neutrino-biνo sector, and the lightest neutrino is predicted to be massless. Lastly, unlike in most models with heavy right-handed neutrinos, the bi νo can be sizably produced at the LHC through its interactions with colored particles, while respecting low energy constraintsmore » from neutrinoless double-beta decay and charged lepton flavor violation.« less

Neutrino mass implications for muon decay parameters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erwin, Rebecca J.; Kile, Jennifer; Ramsey-Musolf, Michael J.

2007-02-01

We use the scale of neutrino mass and naturalness considerations to obtain model-independent expectations for the magnitude of possible contributions to muon decay Michel parameters from new physics above the electroweak symmetry-breaking scale. Focusing on Dirac neutrinos, we obtain a complete basis of dimension four and dimension six effective operators that are invariant under the gauge symmetry of the standard model and that contribute to both muon decay and neutrino mass. We show that - in the absence of fine tuning - the most stringent neutrino-mass naturalness bounds on chirality-changing vector operators relevant to muon decay arise from one-loop operatormore » mixing. The bounds we obtain on their contributions to the Michel parameters are 2 orders of magnitude stronger than bounds previously obtained in the literature. In addition, we analyze the implications of one-loop matching considerations and find that the expectations for the size of various scalar and tensor contributions to the Michel parameters are considerably smaller than derived from previous estimates of two-loop operator mixing. We also show, however, that there exist gauge-invariant operators that generate scalar and tensor contributions to muon decay but whose flavor structure allows them to evade neutrino-mass naturalness bounds. We discuss the implications of our analysis for the interpretation of muon-decay experiments.« less

Neutrinoless double beta decay in Gerda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 lambda mechanism of the 0nbb-decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Neutrinoless double beta decay and QCD running at low energy scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, M.; Hirsch, M.; Kovalenko, S. G.

2018-06-01

There is a common belief that the main uncertainties in the theoretical analysis of neutrinoless double beta (0 ν β β ) decay originate from the nuclear matrix elements. Here, we uncover another previously overlooked source of potentially large uncertainties stemming from nonperturbative QCD effects. Recently perturbative QCD corrections have been calculated for all dimension 6 and 9 effective operators describing 0 ν β β -decay and their importance for a reliable treatment of 0 ν β β -decay has been demonstrated. However, these perturbative results are valid at energy scales above ˜1 GeV , while the typical 0 ν β β scale is about ˜100 MeV . In view of this fact we examine the possibility of extrapolating the perturbative results towards sub-GeV nonperturbative scales on the basis of the QCD coupling constant "freezing" behavior using background perturbation theory. Our analysis suggests that such an infrared extrapolation does modify the perturbative results for both short-range and long-range mechanisms of 0 ν β β -decay in general only moderately. We also discuss that the tensor⊗tensor effective operator cannot appear alone in the low energy limit of any renormalizable high-scale model and then demonstrate that all five linearly independent combinations of the scalar and tensor operators, which can appear in renormalizable models, are infrared stable.

Neutrino physics with multi-ton scale liquid xenon detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baudis, L.; Ferella, A.; Kish, A.

2014-01-01

We study the sensitivity of large-scale xenon detectors to low-energy solar neutrinos, to coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering and to neutrinoless double beta decay. As a concrete example, we consider the xenon part of the proposed DARWIN (Dark Matter WIMP Search with Noble Liquids) experiment. We perform detailed Monte Carlo simulations of the expected backgrounds, considering realistic energy resolutions and thresholds in the detector. In a low-energy window of 2–30 keV, where the sensitivity to solar pp and {sup 7}Be-neutrinos is highest, an integrated pp-neutrino rate of 5900 events can be reached in a fiducial mass of 14 tons of natural xenon,more » after 5 years of data. The pp-neutrino flux could thus be measured with a statistical uncertainty around 1%, reaching the precision of solar model predictions. These low-energy solar neutrinos will be the limiting background to the dark matter search channel for WIMP-nucleon cross sections below ∼ 2 × 10{sup −48} cm{sup 2} and WIMP masses around 50 GeV⋅c{sup −2}, for an assumed 99.5% rejection of electronic recoils due to elastic neutrino-electron scatters. Nuclear recoils from coherent scattering of solar neutrinos will limit the sensitivity to WIMP masses below ∼ 6 GeV⋅c{sup −2} to cross sections above ∼ 4 × 10{sup −45}cm{sup 2}. DARWIN could reach a competitive half-life sensitivity of 5.6 × 10{sup 26} y to the neutrinoless double beta decay of {sup 136}Xe after 5 years of data, using 6 tons of natural xenon in the central detector region.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmed, Fahim; Neacsu, Andrei; Horoi, Mihai

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 themore » relativistic Coulomb distortion of the electron wave function and finite-size of the nucleus. As a result, the variation of the interference effect with the Q-value of the process is studied.« less

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

DOE PAGES

Ahmed, Fahim; Neacsu, Andrei; Horoi, Mihai

2017-03-31

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 themore » relativistic Coulomb distortion of the electron wave function and finite-size of the nucleus. As a result, the variation of the interference effect with the Q-value of the process is studied.« less

Recent Developments in Neutrino Science: A Whole Lot About Almost Nothing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norman, E B

2005-08-22

Results from Super-K, SNO, and KamLAND provide strong evidence that neutrinos undergo flavor-changing oscillations and therefore have non-zero mass. The {nu}-disappearance observations by KamLAND, assuming CPT conservation, point to matter enhanced (MSW) oscillations with large mixing angles as the solution to the solar neutrino problem--a result consistent with the MSW parameters recently defined by these experiments. This requires that the observed neutrino flavors (e, {mu}, and tau) are not mass eigenstates, but are linear combinations of the mass eigenstates of the neutrino. However, such oscillation experiments can only determine the differences in the masses of the neutrinos, not the absolutemore » scale of neutrino mass. What can be inferred from these experiments is that at least one species of neutrino has a mass greater than 55 meV. In fact, the WMAP observations of large-scale structure point to a sum-neutrino mass of {approx} 0.7 eV (roughly 0.25 eV/species assuming democracy between the flavors). Furthermore, there is still the important issue of whether the neutrino and anti-neutrino are distinct particles (i.e. Dirac type) or not (Majorana type). The only way to answer both of these questions is through neutrinoless double beta decay (DBD) experiments. CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) is a proposed next generation experiment designed to search for the neutrinoless DBD of {sup 130}Te using a bolometric technique. The source/detector will be composed of 988 5 x 5 x 5-cm single crystals of TeO{sub 2} all housed in a common dilution refrigerator and operated at a temperature of 8-10 mK. The total mass of {sup 130}Te contained in CUORE will be approximately 203 kg. Attached to each crystal will be one or more neutron-transmutation doped (NTD) germanium thermistors that will measure the small temperature rise produced in a crystal when radiation is absorbed. A schematic illustration of the CUORE detector is shown in Figure 1

Status of the neutrino decay solution to the solar neutrino problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choubey, S.; Goswami, S.; Majumdar, D.

2000-06-01

We re-examine the neutrino decay solution to the solar neutrino problem in the light of the SuperKamiokande (SK) data. For the decay solution the SK spectrum data by its own can provide a fit comparable to the fit obtained from the MSW solution. However when one combines the results from the total rates of the 37Cl and 71Ga experiments the fit becomes much poorer.

Constraints on decay plus oscillation solutions of the solar neutrino problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshipura, Anjan S.; Massó, Eduard; Mohanty, Subhendra

2002-12-01

We examine the constraints on the nonradiative decay of neutrinos from the observations of solar neutrino experiments. The standard oscillation hypothesis among three neutrinos solves the solar and atmospheric neutrino problems. The decay of a massive neutrino mixed with the electron neutrino results in the depletion of the solar neutrino flux. We introduce neutrino decay in the oscillation hypothesis and demand that decay does not spoil the successful explanation of solar and atmospheric observations. We obtain a lower bound on the ratio of the lifetime over the mass of ν2, τ2/m2>22.7 s/MeV for the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein solution of the solar neutrino problem and τ2/m2>27.8 s/MeV for the vacuum oscillation solution (at 99% C.L.).

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

Origin of a sensitive dependence of calculated {beta}{beta}-decay amplitudes on the particle-particle residual interaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodin, Vadim; Faessler, Amand

2011-07-15

In the present work the sensitivity of calculated {beta}{beta}-decay amplitudes to a realistic residual interaction is analyzed in the framework of the approach of O. A. Rumyantsev and M. H. Urin, Phys. Lett. B 443, 51 (1998). and V. A. Rodin, M. H. Urin, and A. Faessler, Nucl. Phys. A 747, 297 (2005). Both the Gamow-Teller (GT) and Fermi (F) matrix elements M{sup 2}{nu} for two-neutrino {beta}{beta} decay (2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay), along with the monopole transition contributions to the total matrix elements M{sup 0{nu}} of neutrinoless {beta}{beta} decay (0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay), are calculated within the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA). In the aforementionedmore » approach decompositions of M{sup 2{nu}} and M{sup 0{nu}} can be obtained in terms of the corresponding energy-weighted sum rules S. It is shown that in most of the cases almost the whole dependence of M{sup 2{nu}} and M{sup 0{nu}} on the particle-particle (p-p) renormalization parameter g{sub pp} is accounted for by the g{sub pp} dependence of the corresponding sum rules S. General expressions relating S to a realistic residual particle-particle interaction are derived, which show a pronounced sensitivity of S to the singlet-channel interaction in the case of F transitions and to the triplet-channel interaction in the case of GT transitions. Thus, the sensitivity of M{sup 2{nu}} and M{sup 0{nu}} to the SU(4)-symmetry-breaking part of the p-p residual interaction is dictated by the generic structure of the {beta}{beta}-decay amplitudes. Therefore, a choice of this part in a particular calculation needs a special caution. Finally, a better isospin-consistent way of renormalization of a realistic residual p-p interaction to use in QRPA calculations is suggested.« less

Neutrino mass as the probe of intermediate mass scales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senjanovic, G.

1980-01-01

A discussion of the calculability of neutrino mass is presented. The possibility of neutrinos being either Dirac or Majorana particles is analyzed in detail. Arguments are offered in favor of the Majorana case: the smallness of neutrino mass is linked to the maximality of parity violation in weak interactions. It is shown how the measured value of neutrino mass would probe the existence of an intermediate mass scale, presumably in the TeV region, at which parity is supposed to become a good symmetry. Experimental consequences of the proposed scheme are discussed, in particular the neutrino-less double ..beta.. decay, where observationmore » would provide a crucial test of the model, and rare muon decays such as ..mu.. ..-->.. e..gamma.. and ..mu.. ..-->.. ee anti e. Finally, the embedding of this model in an O(10) grand unified theory is analyzed, with the emphasis on the implications for intermediate mass scales that it offers. It is concluded that the proposed scheme provides a distinct and testable alternative for understanding the smallness of neutrino mass. 4 figures.« less

Radiative decay of massious neutrinos: Implications for physics and astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.

1981-01-01

The radiative lifetime tau for the decay of massious neutrinos is calculated using various physical models for neutrino decay. The results are related to the astrophysical problem of the detectability of the decay photons from cosmic neutrinos. Conversely, the astrophysical data are used to place lower limits on tau. However, an observed feature at approximately 1700 A in the ultraviolet background radiation at high galactic latitudes may be from the decay of neutrinos with mass approximately 14 eV. This would require a decay rate much larger than the predictions of standard models but could be indicative of a decay rate possible in composite models. It is considered that this may be an important test for substructure in leptons and quarks.

Uncertainties in nuclear transition matrix elements for neutrinoless {beta}{beta} decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rath, P. K.

Uncertainties in nuclear transition matrix elements M{sup (0{nu})} and M{sub N}{sup (0{nu})} due to the exchange of light and heavy Majorana neutrinos, respectively have been estimated by calculating sets of twelve nuclear transition matrix elements for the neutrinoless {beta}{beta} decay of {sup 94,96}Zr, {sup 98,100}Mo, {sup 104}Ru, {sup 110}Pd, {sup 128,130}Te and {sup 150}Nd isotopes in the case of 0{sup +}{yields}0{sup +} transition by considering four different parameterizations of a Hamiltonian with pairing plus multipolar effective two-body interaction and three different parameterizations of Jastrow short range correlations. Exclusion of nuclear transition matrix elements calculated with the Miller-Spencer parametrization reduces themore » uncertainties by 10%-15%.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

0{nu}{beta}{beta}-decay nuclear matrix elements with self-consistent short-range correlations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simkovic, Fedor; Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, JINR, RU-141 980 Dubna, Moscow region; Department of Nuclear Physics, Comenius University, Mlynska dolina F1, SK-842 15 Bratislava

A self-consistent calculation of nuclear matrix elements of the neutrinoless double-beta decays (0{nu}{beta}{beta}) of {sup 76}Ge, {sup 82}Se, {sup 96}Zr, {sup 100}Mo, {sup 116}Cd, {sup 128}Te, {sup 130}Te, and {sup 136}Xe is presented in the framework of the renormalized quasiparticle random phase approximation (RQRPA) and the standard QRPA. The pairing and residual interactions as well as the two-nucleon short-range correlations are for the first time derived from the same modern realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials, namely, from the charge-dependent Bonn potential (CD-Bonn) and the Argonne V18 potential. In a comparison with the traditional approach of using the Miller-Spencer Jastrow correlations, matrix elementsmore » for the 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay are obtained that are larger in magnitude. We analyze the differences among various two-nucleon correlations including those of the unitary correlation operator method (UCOM) and quantify the uncertainties in the calculated 0{nu}{beta}{beta}-decay matrix elements.« less

The Gerda search for neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Shaughnessy, Christopher; Gerda Collaboration

2013-10-01

The Germanium Detector Array (Gerda) is a search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge. High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors enriched in the isotope-76 are operated bare in liquid argon (LAr). LAr is used for both cooling of the HPGe diodes to their operating temperatures and for shielding from external radiation sources. From the measurements of the first phase that began data taking on 1 Nov. 2011 it is expected to have a sensitivity on the level of T1/2>2E25 yr at a 90% CL after 15 kġyr. The goal of this phase will be to probe the claim of an observation by part of the Heidelberg-Moscow collaboration. Efforts will then focus on increasing the sensitivity of the experiment by deploying additional enriched detectors that are in an advanced stage of production and by reducing the background index further by making use of pulse shape discrimination techniques as well as an active LAr veto. While the 0νββ region of interest continues to remain blinded, here the status of Phase-I data taking is presented along with the work towards improving the experimental sensitivity.

Neutrinoless double beta decay and chiral SU(3)

DOE PAGES

Cirigliano, Vincenzo; Dekens, Wouter Gerard; Graesser, Michael Lawrence; ...

2017-04-14

TeV-scale lepton number violation can affect neutrinoless double beta decay through dimension-9 ΔL=ΔI=2 operators involving two electrons and four quarks. Since the dominant effects within a nucleus are expected to arise from pion exchange, the π -→π +ee matrix elements of the dimension-9 operators are a key hadronic input. Here in this letter we provide estimates for the π -→π + matrix elements of all Lorentz scalar ΔI=2 four-quark operators relevant to the study of TeV-scale lepton number violation. The analysis is based on chiral SU(3) symmetry, which relates the π -→π + matrix elements of the ΔI=2 operators to themore » $K$ 0→$$\\bar{K}$$ 0 and K→ππ matrix elements of their ΔS=2 and ΔS=1 chiral partners, for which lattice QCD input is available. The inclusion of next-to-leading order chiral loop corrections to all symmetry relations used in the analysis makes our results robust at the 30% level or better, depending on the operator.« less

Constraints on texture zero and cofactor zero models for neutrino mass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

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

2014-06-24

Imposing a texture or cofactor zero on the neutrino mass matrix reduces the number of independent parameters from nine to seven. Since five parameters have been measured, only two independent parameters would remain in such models. We find the allowed regions for single texture zero and single cofactor zero models. We also find strong similarities between single texture zero models with one mass hierarchy and single cofactor zero models with the opposite mass hierarchy. We show that this correspondence can be generalized to texture-zero and cofactor-zero models with the same homogeneous costraints on the elements and cofactors.

A study of invisible neutrino decay at DUNE and its effects on θ 23 measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choubey, Sandhya; Goswami, Srubabati; Pramanik, Dipyaman

2018-02-01

We study the consequences of invisible decay of neutrinos in the context of the DUNE experiment. We assume that the third mass eigenstate is unstable and decays to a light sterile neutrino and a scalar or a pseudo-scalar. We consider DUNE running in 5 years neutrino and 5 years antineutrino mode and a detector volume of 40 kt. We obtain the expected sensitivity on the rest-frame life-time τ 3 normalized to the mass m 3 as τ3 /m 3 > 4 .50 × 10-11 s/eV at 90% C.L. for a normal hierarchical mass spectrum. We also find that DUNE can discover neutrino decay for τ3 /m 3 > 4 .27 × 10-11 s/eV at 90% C.L. In addition, for an unstable ν3 with an illustrative value of τ3 /m 3 = 1 .2 × 10-11 s/eV, the no decay case could get disfavoured at the 3 σ C.L. At 90% C.L. the expected precision range for this true value is obtained as 1 .71 × 10-11 > τ3 /m 3 > 9 .29 × 10-12 in units of s/eV. We also study the correlation between a non-zero τ3 /m 3 and standard oscillation parameters and find an interesting correlation in the appearance and disappearance channels with the mixing angle θ 23. This alters the octant sensitivity of DUNE, favorably (unfavorably) for true θ 23 in the lower (higher) octant. The effect of a decaying neutrino does not alter the hierarchy or CP violation discovery sensitivity of DUNE in a discernible way.

Evaluation of the Majorana phases of a general Majorana neutrino mass matrix: Testability of hierarchical flavour models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Rome; Chakraborty, Mainak; Ghosal, Ambar

2016-03-01

We evaluate the Majorana phases for a general 3 × 3 complex symmetric neutrino mass matrix on the basis of Mohapatra-Rodejohann's phase convention using the three rephasing invariant quantities I12, I13 and I23 proposed by Sarkar and Singh. We find them interesting as they allow us to evaluate each Majorana phase in a model independent way even if one eigenvalue is zero. Utilizing the solution of a general complex symmetric mass matrix for eigenvalues and mixing angles we determine the Majorana phases for both the hierarchies, normal and inverted, taking into account the constraints from neutrino oscillation global fit data as well as bound on the sum of the three light neutrino masses (Σimi) and the neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ0ν) parameter |m11 |. This methodology of finding the Majorana phases is applied thereafter in some predictive models for both the hierarchical cases (normal and inverted) to evaluate the corresponding Majorana phases and it is shown that all the sub cases presented in inverted hierarchy section can be realized in a model with texture zeros and scaling ansatz within the framework of inverse seesaw although one of the sub cases following the normal hierarchy is yet to be established. Except the case of quasi degenerate neutrinos, the methodology obtained in this work is able to evaluate the corresponding Majorana phases, given any model of neutrino masses.

Results on neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge from the GERDA experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palioselitis, Dimitrios

2015-05-01

The Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment is searching for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76Ge, a lepton number violating nuclear process predicted by extensions of the Standard Model. GERDA is an array of bare germanium diodes immersed in liquid argon located at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) in Italy. The results of the GERDA Phase I data taking with a total exposure of 21.6 kg yr and a background index of 0.01 cts/(keV kg yr) are presented in this paper. No signal was observed and a lower limit of T1/20ν > 2.1×1025 yr (90% C.L.) was derived for the half-life of the 0νββ decay of 76Ge. Phase II of the experiment aims to reduce the background around the region of interest by a factor of ten.

Sensitivity to neutrino decay with atmospheric neutrinos at the INO-ICAL detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choubey, Sandhya; Goswami, Srubabati; Gupta, Chandan; Lakshmi, S. M.; Thakore, Tarak

2018-02-01

Sensitivity of the magnetized Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector at the proposed India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) to invisible decay of the mass eigenstate ν3 using atmospheric neutrinos is explored. A full three-generation analysis including Earth matter effects is performed in a framework with both decay and oscillations. The wide energy range and baselines offered by atmospheric neutrinos are shown to be excellent for constraining the ν3 lifetime. We find that with an exposure of 500 kton -yr the ICAL atmospheric experiment could constrain the ν3 lifetime to τ3/m3>1.51 ×10-10 s /eV at the 90% C.L. This is 2 orders of magnitude tighter than the bound from MINOS. The effect of invisible decay on the precision measurement of θ23 and |Δ m322| is also studied.

Precise Penning trap measurements of double β-decay Q-values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redshaw, M.; Brodeur, M.; Bollen, G.; Bustabad, S.; Eibach, M.; Gulyuz, K.; Izzo, C.; Lincoln, D. L.; Novario, S. J.; Ringle, R.; Sandler, R.; Schwarz, S.; Valverde, A. A.

2015-10-01

The double β-decay (ββ -decay) Q-value, defined as the mass difference between parent and daughter atoms, is an important parameter for both two-neutrino ββ -decay (2 νββ) and neutrinoless ββ -decay (0 νββ) experiments. The Q-value enters into the calculation of the phase space factors, which relate the measured ββ -decay half-life to the nuclear matrix element and, in the case of 0 νββ , the effective Majorana mass of the neutrino. In addition, the Q-value defines the total kinetic energy of the two electrons emitted in 0 νββ , corresponding to the location of the single peak that is the sought after signature of 0 νββ . Hence, it is essential to have a precise and accurate Q-value determination. Over the last decade, the Penning trap mass spectrometry community has made a significant effort to provide precise ββ -decay Q-value determinations. Here we report on recent measurements with the Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap (LEBIT) facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) of the 48Ca, 82Se, and 96Zr Q-values. These measurements complete the determination of ββ -decay Q-values for the 11 ``best'' candidates (those with Q >2 MeV). We also report on a measurement of the 78Kr double electron capture (2EC) Q-value and discuss ongoing Penning trap measurements relating to ββ -decay and 2EC. Support from NSF Contract No. PHY-1102511, and DOE Grant No. 03ER-41268.

Hierarchical majorana neutrinos from democratic mass matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Masaki J. S.

2016-09-01

In this paper, we obtain the light neutrino masses and mixings consistent with the experiments, in the democratic texture approach. The essential ansatz is that νRi are assumed to transform as ;right-handed fields; 2R +1R under the S3L ×S3R symmetry. The symmetry breaking terms are assumed to be diagonal and hierarchical. This setup only allows the normal hierarchy of the neutrino mass, and excludes both of inverted hierarchical and degenerated neutrinos. Although the neutrino sector has nine free parameters, several predictions are obtained at the leading order. When we neglect the smallest parameters ζν and ζR, all components of the mixing matrix UPMNS are expressed by the masses of light neutrinos and charged leptons. From the consistency between predicted and observed UPMNS, we obtain the lightest neutrino masses m1 = (1.1 → 1.4) meV, and the effective mass for the double beta decay 〈mee 〉 ≃ 4.5 meV.

Calculation of the decay rate of tachyonic neutrinos against charged-lepton-pair and neutrino-pair Cerenkov radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jentschura, Ulrich D.; Nándori, István; Ehrlich, Robert

2017-10-01

We consider in detail the calculation of the decay rate of high-energy superluminal neutrinos against (charged) lepton pair Cerenkov radiation, and neutrino pair Cerenkov radiation, i.e., against the decay channels ν \\to ν {e}+ {e}- and ν \\to ν \\overline{ν } ν . Under the hypothesis of a tachyonic nature of neutrinos, these decay channels put constraints on the lifetime of high-energy neutrinos for terrestrial experiments as well as on cosmic scales. For the oncoming neutrino, we use the Lorentz-covariant tachyonic relation {E}ν =\\sqrt{{p}2-{m}ν 2}, where m ν is the tachyonic mass parameter. We derive both threshold conditions as well as on decay and energy loss rates, using the plane-wave fundamental bispinor solutions of the tachyonic Dirac equation. Various intricacies of rest frame versus lab frame calculations are highlighted. The results are compared to the observations of high-energy IceCube neutrinos of cosmological origin.

Research and Development Supporting a Next Generation Germanium Double Beta Decay Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rielage, Keith; Elliott, Steve; Chu, Pinghan; Goett, Johnny; Massarczyk, Ralph; Xu, Wenqin

2015-10-01

To improve the search for neutrinoless double beta decay, the next-generation experiments will increase in source mass and continue to reduce backgrounds in the region of interest. A promising technology for the next generation experiment is large arrays of Germanium p-type point contact detectors enriched in 76-Ge. The experience, expertise and lessons learned from the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR and GERDA experiments naturally lead to a number of research and development activities that will be useful in guiding a future experiment utilizing Germanium. We will discuss some R&D activities including a hybrid cryostat design, background reduction in cabling, connectors and electronics, and modifications to reduce assembly time. We acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.

Neutrino Oscillations and Neutrino Masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritzsch, Harald

In 1914 James Chadwick discovered that energy and momentum were not conserved in the beta decay of atomic nuclei. For the next 16 years this phenomenon was not understood. In 1930 Wolfgang Pauli suggested in a letter to the participants of a conference in Tuebingen, that in the beta decays not only an electron was emitted, but also a neutral particle, which could not be observed. The energy and momentum of this particle would be the observed missing energy and momentum. Enrico Fermi proposed a name for this hypothetical particle: neutrino...

Finding Mass Constraints Through Third Neutrino Mass Eigenstate Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

High-energy neutrinos from multibody decaying dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiroshima, Nagisa; Kitano, Ryuichiro; Kohri, Kazunori; Murase, Kohta

2018-01-01

Since the report of the PeV-TeV neutrinos by the IceCube Collaboration, various particle physics models have been proposed to explain the neutrino spectrum by dark matter particles decaying into neutrinos and other standard model particles. In such scenarios, simultaneous γ -ray emission is commonly expected. Therefore, multimessenger connections are generally important for the indirect searches of dark matters. The recent development of γ -ray astronomy puts stringent constraints on the properties of dark matter, especially by observations with the Fermi γ -ray satellite in the last several years. Motivated by the lack of γ -ray as well as the shape of the neutrino spectrum observed by IceCube, we discuss a scenario in which the DM is a PeV scale particle which couples strongly to other invisible particles and its decay products do not contain a charged particle. As an example to realize such possibilities, we consider a model of fermionic dark matter that decays into a neutrino and many invisible fermions. The dark matter decay is secluded in the sense that the emitted products are mostly neutrinos and dark fermions. One remarkable feature of this model is the resulting broadband neutrino spectra around the energy scale of the dark matter. We apply this model to multi-PeV dark matter, and discuss possible observable consequences in light of the IceCube data. In particular, this model could account for the large flux at medium energies of ˜10 - 100 TeV , possibly as well as the second peak at PeV, without violating the stringent γ -ray constraints from Fermi and air-shower experiments such as CASA-MIA.

Improved background rejection in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments using a magnetic field in a high pressure xenon TPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renner, J.; Cervera, A.; Hernando, J. A.; Imzaylov, A.; Monrabal, F.; Muñoz, J.; Nygren, D.; Gomez-Cadenas, J. J.

2015-12-01

We demonstrate that the application of an external magnetic field could lead to an improved background rejection in neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay experiments using a high-pressure xenon (HPXe) TPC. HPXe chambers are capable of imaging electron tracks, a feature that enhances the separation between signal events (the two electrons emitted in the 0νββ decay of 136Xe) and background events, arising chiefly from single electrons of kinetic energy compatible with the end-point of the 0νββ decay (0Qββ). Applying an external magnetic field of sufficiently high intensity (in the range of 0.5-1 Tesla for operating pressures in the range of 5-15 atmospheres) causes the electrons to produce helical tracks. Assuming the tracks can be properly reconstructed, the sign of the curvature can be determined at several points along these tracks, and such information can be used to separate signal (0νββ) events containing two electrons producing a track with two different directions of curvature from background (single-electron) events producing a track that should spiral in a single direction. Due to electron multiple scattering, this strategy is not perfectly efficient on an event-by-event basis, but a statistical estimator can be constructed which can be used to reject background events by one order of magnitude at a moderate cost (about 30%) in signal efficiency. Combining this estimator with the excellent energy resolution and topological signature identification characteristic of the HPXe TPC, it is possible to reach a background rate of less than one count per ton-year of exposure. Such a low background rate is an essential feature of the next generation of 0νββ experiments, aiming to fully explore the inverse hierarchy of neutrino masses.

Astrophysical tests for radiative decay of neutrinos and fundamental physics implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, F. W.; Brown, R. W.

1981-01-01

The radiative lifetime tau for the decay of massious neutrinos was calculated using various physical models for neutrino decay. The results were then related to the astrophysical problem of the detectability of the decay photons from cosmic neutrinos. Conversely, the astrophysical data were used to place lower limits on tau. These limits are all well below predicted values. However, an observed feature at approximately 1700 A in the ultraviolet background radiation at high galactic latitudes may be from the decay of neutrinos with mass approximately 14 eV. This would require a decay rate much larger than the predictions of standard models but could be indicative of a decay rate possible in composite models or other new physics. Thus an important test for substructure in leptons and quarks or other physics beyond the standard electroweak model may have been found.

Neutron-induced Backgrounds in 134Xe for Large-Scale Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moriguchi, Nina; Kidd, Mary; Tornow, Werner

2016-09-01

136Xe is used in large neutrinoless double-beta (0 νββ) decay experiments, such as KamLAND- Zen and EXO 200. Though highly purified, 136Xe still contains a significant amount of 134Xe. Recently, a new nuclear energy level was found in 134Xe. If 134Xe decays from this proposed excited state, it will emit a 2485.7 keV gamma ray. Because this energy lies near the region of interest of 136Xe νββ decay experiments (Q value 2457.8 keV), it could make a significant contribution to the background. A purified gaseous sample of 134Xe will be irradiated with neutrons of an incident energy of 4.0 MeV at Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory and monitored with high-purity germanium detectors. The spectra obtained from these detectors will be analyzed for the presence of the 2581 keV gamma ray. We will report on the status of this experiment. Future plans include expanding this measurement to higher initial neutron energies. Tennesse Tech University CISE Grant program.

Proton decay and light sterile neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helo, Juan C.; Hirsch, Martin; Ota, Toshihiko

2018-06-01

Within the standard model, non-renormalizable operators at dimension six ( d = 6) violate baryon and lepton number by one unit and thus lead to proton decay. Here, we point out that the proton decay mode with a charged pion and missing energy can be a characteristic signature of d = 6 operators containing a light sterile neutrino, if it is not accompanied by the standard π0 e + final state. We discuss this effect first at the level of effective operators and then provide a concrete model with new physics at the TeV scale, in which the lightness of the active neutrinos and the stability of the proton are related.

Double-β decay within a consistent deformed approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delion, D. S.; Suhonen, J.

2015-05-01

In this paper we present a timely application of the proton-neutron deformed quasiparticle random-phase approximation (p n -dQRPA), designed to describe in a consistent way the 1+ Gamow-Teller states in odd-odd deformed nuclei. For this purpose we apply a projection before variation procedure by using a single-particle basis with projected angular momentum, provided by the diagonalization of a spherical mean field plus quadrupole-quadrupole interaction. The residual Hamiltonian contains pairing plus proton-neutron dipole terms in particle-hole and particle-particle channels, with constant strengths. As an example we describe the two-neutrino double-beta (2 ν β β ) decay of 150Nd to the ground state of 150Sm. The experimental (p ,n ) type of strength in 150Nd and the (n ,p ) type of strength in 150Sm are reasonably reproduced and the 2 ν β β decay matrix element depicts a strong dependence upon the particle-particle strength gp p. The experimental half-life is reproduced for gp p=0.05 . It turns out that the measured half-lives for 2 ν β β transitions between other deformed superfluid partners with mass numbers A =82 ,96,100,128,130,238 are reproduced with fairly good accuracy by using this value of gp p.

Nuclear transition matrix elements for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge and 82Se isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rath, P. K.

2017-10-01

Within mechanisms involving light and heavy Majorana neutrinos, the nuclear transition matrix elements (NTMEs) for the neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge and 82Se isotopes are calculated. Uncertainties in the average NTMEs M¯ (0 v ) and M¯ (0 N ) due to the exchange of light and heavy Majorana neutrinos, respectively, turn out to be about 10% and 37%, respectively. Limits on the effective mass of light Majorana neutrino , heavy Majorana neutrino and Majoron-neutrino coupling constant of classical Majoron model are extracted.

Neutrino Oscillations: Eighty Years in Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowers, Rebecca Lyn

In order to discuss neutrino oscillations, it is necessary to have knowledge of the developments in the field spanning the last eighty years. The existence of the neutrino was posited by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 to account for the mass defect in beta decay, and to this day physicists are still endeavoring to answer fundamental questions about this enigmatic particle. The scope of this thesis includes a historical background of neutrino physics and a discussion of neutrinos and the Standard Model; subsequent to this is a discussion of the Solar Neutrino Problem, which provided the impetus for the proposal of neutrino oscillations. Bolstering the theory of neutrino oscillations (which is developed in the body of this thesis) are neutrino detector experiments and their results; these include the Homestake experiment, SNO, Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande, MINOS, and Double-Chooz. We also include relevant derivations, most particularly of the quantum mechanics of neutrino oscillations as treated in the wave packet formalism. We have amassed here the principle theories and experimental results -- a mere tip of the iceberg -- that have brought us to our current understanding of neutrino oscillations. We have also studied the quantum mechanics of neutrino oscillations and developed for ourselves the wave packet formalism describing the phenomenon.

Background-free search for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge with GERDA.

PubMed

2017-04-05

Many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics explain the dominance of matter over antimatter in our Universe by neutrinos being their own antiparticles. This would imply the existence of neutrinoless double-β decay, which is an extremely rare lepton-number-violating radioactive decay process whose detection requires the utmost background suppression. Among the programmes that aim to detect this decay, the GERDA Collaboration is searching for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76 Ge by operating bare detectors, made of germanium with an enriched 76 Ge fraction, in liquid argon. After having completed Phase I of data taking, we have recently launched Phase II. Here we report that in GERDA Phase II we have achieved a background level of approximately 10 -3 counts keV -1 kg -1 yr -1 . This implies that the experiment is background-free, even when increasing the exposure up to design level. This is achieved by use of an active veto system, superior germanium detector energy resolution and improved background recognition of our new detectors. No signal of neutrinoless double-β decay was found when Phase I and Phase II data were combined, and we deduce a lower-limit half-life of 5.3 × 10 25 years at the 90 per cent confidence level. Our half-life sensitivity of 4.0 × 10 25 years is competitive with the best experiments that use a substantially larger isotope mass. The potential of an essentially background-free search for neutrinoless double-β decay will facilitate a larger germanium experiment with sensitivity levels that will bring us closer to clarifying whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles.

Background-free search for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge with GERDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Belyaev, S. T.; Benato, G.; 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.; di Vacri, A.; Domula, A.; Doroshkevich, E.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Fedorova, O.; Freund, K.; Frodyma, N.; 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.; Janicskó Csáthy, J.; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; 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.; Lebedev, V. I.; Lehnert, B.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Medinaceli, E.; Miloradovic, M.; Mingazheva, R.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Nemchenok, I.; Palioselitis, D.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pullia, A.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Salamida, F.; Salathe, M.; Schmitt, C.; Schneider, B.; Schönert, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schütz, A.-K.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Selivanenko, O.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Vanhoefer, L.; Vasenko, A. A.; Veresnikova, A.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Walter, M.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wiesinger, C.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.; GERDA Collaboration

2017-04-01

Many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics explain the dominance of matter over antimatter in our Universe by neutrinos being their own antiparticles. This would imply the existence of neutrinoless double-β decay, which is an extremely rare lepton-number-violating radioactive decay process whose detection requires the utmost background suppression. Among the programmes that aim to detect this decay, the GERDA Collaboration is searching for neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge by operating bare detectors, made of germanium with an enriched 76Ge fraction, in liquid argon. After having completed Phase I of data taking, we have recently launched Phase II. Here we report that in GERDA Phase II we have achieved a background level of approximately 10-3 counts keV-1 kg-1 yr-1. This implies that the experiment is background-free, even when increasing the exposure up to design level. This is achieved by use of an active veto system, superior germanium detector energy resolution and improved background recognition of our new detectors. No signal of neutrinoless double-β decay was found when Phase I and Phase II data were combined, and we deduce a lower-limit half-life of 5.3 × 1025 years at the 90 per cent confidence level. Our half-life sensitivity of 4.0 × 1025 years is competitive with the best experiments that use a substantially larger isotope mass. The potential of an essentially background-free search for neutrinoless double-β decay will facilitate a larger germanium experiment with sensitivity levels that will bring us closer to clarifying whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles.

Photons coming from an opaque obstacle as a manifestation of heavy neutrino decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynoso, Matías M.; Romero, Ismael; Sampayo, Oscar A.

2018-05-01

Within the framework of physics beyond the standard model, we study the possibility that mesons produced in the atmosphere by the cosmic-ray flux decay to heavy Majorana neutrinos and the latter, in turn, decay mostly to photons in the low-mass region. We study the photon flux produced by sterile Majorana neutrinos (N ) decaying after passing through a massive and opaque object such as a mountain. To model the production of N 's in the atmosphere and their decay to photons, we consider the interaction between the Majorana neutrinos and the standard matter as modeled by an effective theory. We then calculate the heavy neutrino flux originated by the decay of mesons in the atmosphere. The surviving photon flux, originated by N decays, is calculated using transport equations that include the effects of Majorana neutrino production and decay.

An innovative bolometric Cherenkov-light detector for a double beta decay search

DOE PAGES

Novati, V.; Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.; ...

2017-10-31

Here, we present here an innovative cryogenic light detector capable to measure a few tens of eV signal thanks to the amplification assisted by the Neganov-Luke effect. The thermal signal boost in the presence of an electric field allows us to improve the signal-to-noise ratio reaching a baseline noise of around 20 eV. This device - coupled to an enriched 130TeO 2 bolometer (435 g) - registered 160 eV Cherenkov light signal induced by 2615 keV 208 Tl with a signal to noise ratio about 6:1. Since α particles emitted in decays of natural radionuclides do not produce the Cherenkovmore » radiation, we were then able to achieve an efficient α/γ separation in the region of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130 Te (Q-value is 2527 keV). Specifically, a rejection factor of 99.9% for α particles was obtained with a 98.3% acceptance of β/γ events. The achieved α rejection efficiency is required to reduce the dominant α background in the follow-up of the CUORE experiment (CUPID), a ton-scale bolometric search with particle identification.« less

An innovative bolometric Cherenkov-light detector for a double beta decay search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Novati, V.; Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.

Here, we present here an innovative cryogenic light detector capable to measure a few tens of eV signal thanks to the amplification assisted by the Neganov-Luke effect. The thermal signal boost in the presence of an electric field allows us to improve the signal-to-noise ratio reaching a baseline noise of around 20 eV. This device - coupled to an enriched 130TeO 2 bolometer (435 g) - registered 160 eV Cherenkov light signal induced by 2615 keV 208 Tl with a signal to noise ratio about 6:1. Since α particles emitted in decays of natural radionuclides do not produce the Cherenkovmore » radiation, we were then able to achieve an efficient α/γ separation in the region of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130 Te (Q-value is 2527 keV). Specifically, a rejection factor of 99.9% for α particles was obtained with a 98.3% acceptance of β/γ events. The achieved α rejection efficiency is required to reduce the dominant α background in the follow-up of the CUORE experiment (CUPID), a ton-scale bolometric search with particle identification.« less

Double β-decay nuclear matrix elements for the A=48 and A=58 systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skouras, L. D.; Vergados, J. D.

1983-11-01

The nuclear matrix elements entering the double β decays of the 48Ca-48Ti and 58Ni-58Fe systems have been calculated using a realistic two nucleon interaction and realistic shell model spaces. Effective transition operators corresponding to a variety of gauge theory models have been considered. The stability of such matrix elements against variations of the nuclear parameters is examined. Appropriate lepton violating parameters are extracted from the A=48 data and predictions are made for the lifetimes of the positron decays of the A=58 system. RADIOACTIVITY Double β decay. Gauge theories. Lepton nonconservation. Neutrino mass. Shell model calculations.

Search for double beta processes in {sup 106}Cd with enriched {sup 106}CdWO{sub 4} crystal scintillator in coincidence with four crystals HPGe detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Danevich, F. A., E-mail: danevich@kinr.kiev.ua; Chernyak, D. M.; Mokina, V. M.

2015-10-28

A radiopure cadmium tungstate crystal scintillator, enriched in {sup 106}Cd ({sup 106}CdWO{sub 4}), was used to search for double beta decay processes in {sup 106}Cd in coincidence with an ultra-low background set-up containing four high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors in a single cryostat. The experiment has been completed after 13085 h of data taking. New improved limits on most of the double beta processes in {sup 106}Cd have been set on the level of 10{sup 20}−10{sup 21} yr. Tn particular, the half-life limit on the two neutrino electron capture with positron emission, T{sub 1/2} ≥ 1.8 × 10{sup 21} yr, reachedmore » the region of theoretical predictions.« less

Neutrinos in large extra dimensions and short-baseline ν e appearance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carena, Marcela; Li, Ying -Ying; Machado, Camila S.

Here, we show that, in the presence of bulk masses, sterile neutrinos propagating in large extra dimensions (LED) can induce electron-neutrino appearance effects. This is in contrast to what happens in the standard LED scenario, and hence LED models with explicit bulk masses have the potential to address the MiniBooNE and LSND appearance results as well as the reactor and Gallium anomalies. A special feature in our scenario is that the mixing of the first Kaluza-Klein modes to active neutrinos can be suppressed, making the contribution of heavier sterile neutrinos to oscillations relatively more important. We study the implications ofmore » this neutrino mass generation mechanism for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments and show that the Short Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab will be able to efficiently probe such a scenario. In addition, this framework leads to massive Dirac neutrinos and thus precludes any signal in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.« less

Neutrinos in large extra dimensions and short-baseline ν e appearance

DOE PAGES

Carena, Marcela; Li, Ying -Ying; Machado, Camila S.; ...

2017-11-16

Here, we show that, in the presence of bulk masses, sterile neutrinos propagating in large extra dimensions (LED) can induce electron-neutrino appearance effects. This is in contrast to what happens in the standard LED scenario, and hence LED models with explicit bulk masses have the potential to address the MiniBooNE and LSND appearance results as well as the reactor and Gallium anomalies. A special feature in our scenario is that the mixing of the first Kaluza-Klein modes to active neutrinos can be suppressed, making the contribution of heavier sterile neutrinos to oscillations relatively more important. We study the implications ofmore » this neutrino mass generation mechanism for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments and show that the Short Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab will be able to efficiently probe such a scenario. In addition, this framework leads to massive Dirac neutrinos and thus precludes any signal in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.« less

Neutrinos in large extra dimensions and short-baseline νe appearance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carena, Marcela; Li, Ying-Ying; Machado, Camila S.; Machado, Pedro A. N.; Wagner, Carlos E. M.

2017-11-01

We show that, in the presence of bulk masses, sterile neutrinos propagating in large extra dimensions (LED) can induce electron-neutrino appearance effects. This is in contrast to what happens in the standard LED scenario, and hence LED models with explicit bulk masses have the potential to address the MiniBooNE and LSND appearance results as well as the reactor and Gallium anomalies. A special feature in our scenario is that the mixing of the first Kaluza-Klein modes to active neutrinos can be suppressed, making the contribution of heavier sterile neutrinos to oscillations relatively more important. We study the implications of this neutrino mass generation mechanism for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments and show that the Short Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab will be able to efficiently probe such a scenario. In addition, this framework leads to massive Dirac neutrinos and thus precludes any signal in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.

Masses of {sup 130}Te and {sup 130}Xe and Double-{beta}-Decay Q Value of {sup 130}Te

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Redshaw, Matthew; Mount, Brianna J.; Myers, Edmund G.

The atomic masses of {sup 130}Te and {sup 130}Xe have been obtained by measuring cyclotron frequency ratios of pairs of triply charged ions simultaneously trapped in a Penning trap. The results, with 1 standard deviation uncertainty, are M({sup 130}Te)=129.906 222 744(16) u and M({sup 130}Xe)=129.903 509 351(15) u. From the mass difference the double-{beta}-decay Q value of {sup 130}Te is determined to be Q{sub {beta}}{sub {beta}}({sup 130}Te)=2527.518(13) keV. This is a factor of 150 more precise than the result of the AME2003 [G. Audi et al., Nucl. Phys. A729, 337 (2003)].

Search for the Antineutrino rest mass in the tritium beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobashev, V. M.

Status and results of the tritium beta spectrum measurement on the “Troitsk ν-mass” set-up are discussed. Measurements carried out in 1994 to 1997 provided the lowest upper limit for electron antineutrino rest mass in the direct kinematics approach. Analysis of the spectrum revealed a narrow (less than 5 eV wide) bump-like structure located 5 to 12 eV below the end point with integral intensity ∼ 7·10 -11 of the total decay rate. A specific feature of this structure proved to be a drift of the position of the bump during 3 years of measurement. No other visible anomalies in the measured part of the spectrum were found after introduction of a correction for an effect of electron trapping in the source. After accounting for the bump, the shape of the whole measured part of the beta spectrum agrees with zero mν2, thus eliminating the problem of “negative mν2”. The combined result of the 94 and 96 runs without the 97 run data is: m ν2=1.5±5.9 stat±3.6 syst{eV 2}/{C 4} From here most conservative limit for the neutrino mass is: m ν < 3.8 {eV}/{c 2} at 95 % C.L. A new type of differential spectrometer, based on adiabatisity principle is proposed.

Addressing the Majorana vs. Dirac Question Using Neutrino Decays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kayser, Boris

We explain why it is so hard to determine whether neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles as long as the only neutrinos we study are ultra-relativistic. We then show how non-relativistic neutrinos could help, and focus on the angular distributions in the decays of an as-yet-to-be-discovered heavy neutrino $N$. We find that these angular distributions could very well tell us whether neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles.

Isotensor Axial Polarizability and Lattice QCD Input for Nuclear Double-β Decay Phenomenology.

PubMed

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

2017-08-11

The potential importance of short-distance nuclear effects in double-β decay is assessed using a lattice QCD calculation of the nn→pp transition and effective field theory methods. At the unphysical quark masses used in the numerical computation, these effects, encoded in the isotensor axial polarizability, 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-β decays should incorporate this previously neglected contribution if they are to provide reliable guidance for next-generation neutrinoless double-β decay searches. The prospects of constraining the isotensor axial polarizabilities of nuclei using lattice QCD input into nuclear many-body calculations are discussed.

A search for neutrino oscillations using the CHOOZ 1 km baseline reactor neutrino experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Jean

1999-10-01

Neutrino oscillation searches are an active field of research due to the implications their discovery may have for the solar neutrino anomaly as well as for the atmospheric neutrino anomaly. Their discovery may also have broad ramifications for the Standard Model of Particle Physics as a whole. Results from an oscillation search using the CHOOZ long baseline reactor neutrino experiment are presented in this thesis. These results are based on the data taken from June 1997 through April 1998 when the two reactors ran at combined thermal power levels ranging from zero power to their full power level of 8.5 GW. Electron flavored antineutrinos emanating from the reactors were detected through the inverse beta decay channel using a liquid scintillating calorimeter located at a distance of approximately 1 km from the reactor sources. The underground experimental site (300 MWE) provided natural shielding from the background of cosmic ray muons-leading to a background rate more than an order of magnitude lower than the full power signal rate. From the agreement between the detected and expected neutrino event rates no evidence for neutrino oscillations was found (at the 90% C.L.) for the oscillation parameter space governed by Δm 2 > 0.8 × 10-3 eV2 for maximal mixing and by sin2 2Θ > 0.18 for large values of Δm2.

A segmented, enriched N-type germanium detector for neutrinoless double beta-decay experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leviner, L. E.; Aalseth, C. E.; Ahmed, M. W.; Avignone, F. T.; Back, H. O.; Barabash, A. S.; Boswell, M.; De Braeckeleer, L.; Brudanin, V. B.; Chan, Y.-D.; Egorov, V. G.; Elliott, S. R.; Gehman, V. M.; Hossbach, T. W.; Kephart, J. D.; Kidd, M. F.; Konovalov, S. I.; Lesko, K. T.; Li, Jingyi; Mei, D.-M.; Mikhailov, S.; Miley, H.; Radford, D. C.; Reeves, J.; Sandukovsky, V. G.; Umatov, V. I.; Underwood, T. A.; Tornow, W.; Wu, Y. K.; Young, A. R.

2014-01-01

We present data characterizing the performance of the first segmented, N-type Ge detector, isotopically enriched to 85% 76Ge. This detector, based on the Ortec PT6×2 design and referred to as SEGA (Segmented, Enriched Germanium Assembly), was developed as a possible prototype for neutrinoless double beta-decay measurements by the MAJORANA collaboration. We present some of the general characteristics (including bias potential, efficiency, leakage current, and integral cross-talk) for this detector in its temporary cryostat. We also present an analysis of the resolution of the detector, and demonstrate that for all but two segments there is at least one channel that reaches the MAJORANA resolution goal below 4 keV FWHM at 2039 keV, and all channels are below 4.5 keV FWHM.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-08-01

The potential importance of short-distance nuclear effects in double-β decay is assessed using a lattice QCD calculation of the n n →p p transition and effective field theory methods. At the unphysical quark masses used in the numerical computation, these effects, encoded in the isotensor axial polarizability, 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-β decays should incorporate this previously neglected contribution if they are to provide reliable guidance for next-generation neutrinoless double-β decay searches. The prospects of constraining the isotensor axial polarizabilities of nuclei using lattice QCD input into nuclear many-body calculations are discussed.

Improved search for heavy neutrinos in the decay π →e ν

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar-Arevalo, A.; Aoki, M.; Blecher, M.; Britton, D. I.; Vom Bruch, D.; Bryman, D. A.; Chen, S.; Comfort, J.; Cuen-Rochin, S.; Doria, L.; Gumplinger, P.; Hussein, A.; Igarashi, Y.; Ito, S.; Kettell, S.; Kurchaninov, L.; Littenberg, L. S.; Malbrunot, C.; Mischke, R. E.; Numao, T.; Protopopescu, D.; Sher, A.; Sullivan, T.; Vavilov, D.; Pienu Collaboration

2018-04-01

A search for massive neutrinos has been made in the decay π+→e+ν . No evidence was found for extra peaks in the positron energy spectrum indicative of pion decays involving massive neutrinos (π →e+νh ). Upper limits (90% C.L.) on the neutrino mixing matrix element |Ue i|2 in the neutrino mass region 60 - 135 MeV /c2 were set and are an order of magnitude improvement over previous results.

Final scientific and technical report: New experiments to measure the neutrino mass scale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monreal, Benjamin

In this work, we made material progress towards future measurements of the mass of the neutrino. The neutrino is a fundamental particle, first observed in the 1950s and subjected to particularly intense study over the past 20 years. It is now known to have some, non-zero mass, but we are in an unusual situation of knowing the mass exists but not knowing what value it takes. The mass may be determined by precise measurements of certain radioactive decay distributions, particularly the beta decay of tritium. The KATRIN experiment is an international project which is nearing the beginning of a tritiummore » measurement campaign using a large electrostatic spectrumeter. This research included participation in KATRIN, including construction and delivery of a key calibration subsystem, the ``Rear Section''. To obtain sensitivity beyond KATRIN's, new techniques are required; this work included R&D on a new technique we call CRES (Cyclotron Resonance Electron Spectroscopy) which has promise to enable even more sensitive tritium decay measurements. We successfully carried out CRES spectroscopy in a model system in 2014, making an important step towards the design of a next-generation tritium experiment with new neutrino mass measurement abilities.« less

Sterile Neutrino Search with the Double Chooz Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellwig, D.; Matsubara, T.; Double Chooz Collaboration

2017-09-01

Double Chooz is a reactor antineutrino disappearance experiment located in Chooz, France. A far detector at a distance of about 1 km from reactor cores is operating since 2011; a near detector of identical design at a distance of about 400 m is operating since begin 2015. Beyond the precise measurement of θ 13, Double Chooz has a strong sensitivity to so called light sterile neutrinos. Sterile neutrinos are neutrino mass states not taking part in weak interactions, but may mix with known neutrino states. In this paper, we present an analysis method to search for sterile neutrinos and the expected sensitivity with the baselines of our detectors.

Search for heavy neutrinos in K + → μ + ν H decays

DOE PAGES

Artamonov, A. V.; Bassalleck, B.; Bhuyan, B.; ...

2015-03-02

Here, evidence of a heavy neutrino, ν H, in the K +→μ +ν H decays was sought using the E949 experimental data with an exposure of 1.70 × 10 12 stopped kaons. With the major background from the radiative K +→μ +ν μγ decay understood and suppressed, upper limits (90% C.L.) on the neutrino mixing matrix element between the muon and heavy neutrinos, |U μH| 2, were set at the level of 10 –7 to 10 –9 for the heavy neutrino mass region 175 to 300 MeV/c 2.

Improved search for heavy neutrinos in the decay π → e ν

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aguilar-Arevalo, A.; Aoki, M.; Blecher, M.

In this study, a search for massive neutrinos has been made in the decay π + → e +ν. No evidence was found for extra peaks in the positron energy spectrum indicative of pion decays involving massive neutrinos (π → e +ν h). Upper limits (90 % C.L.) on the neutrino mixing matrix element |U ei| 2 in the neutrino mass region 60–135 MeV/c 2 were set, which are an order of magnitude improvement over previous results.

Improved search for heavy neutrinos in the decay π → e ν

DOE PAGES

Aguilar-Arevalo, A.; Aoki, M.; Blecher, M.; ...

2018-04-17

In this study, a search for massive neutrinos has been made in the decay π + → e +ν. No evidence was found for extra peaks in the positron energy spectrum indicative of pion decays involving massive neutrinos (π → e +ν h). Upper limits (90 % C.L.) on the neutrino mixing matrix element |U ei| 2 in the neutrino mass region 60–135 MeV/c 2 were set, which are an order of magnitude improvement over previous results.

MOON for neutrino-less {beta}{beta} decays and {beta}{beta} nuclear matrix elements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ejiri, H.

2009-11-09

The MOON project aims at spectroscopic 0v{beta}{beta} studies with the v-mass sensitivity of 100-30 meV by measuring two beta rays from {sup 100}Mo and/or {sup 82}Se. The detector is a compact super-module of multi-layer PL scintillator plates. R and D works made by the pro to-type MOON-1 and the small PL plate show the possible energy resolution of around {sigma}{approx}2.2%, as required for the mass sensitivity. Nuclear matrix elements M{sup 2v} for 2v{beta}{beta} are shown to be given by the sum {sigma}{sub L}M{sub k} of the 2v{beta}{beta} matrix elements M{sub k} through intermediate quasi-particle states in the Fermi-surface, where Mimore » is obtained experimentally by using the GT(J{sup {pi}} = 1{sup +}) matrix elements of M{sub i}(k) and M{sub f}(k) for the successive single-{beta} transitions through the k-th intermediate state.« less

Atomic mass and double-β-decay Q value of 48Ca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redshaw, Matthew; Bollen, Georg; Brodeur, Maxime; Bustabad, Scott; Lincoln, David L.; Novario, Samuel J.; Ringle, Ryan; Schwarz, Stefan

2012-10-01

The possibility of detecting neutrinoless double-β-decay (0νββ-decay) in experiments that are currently in operation or under development provides the exciting opportunity to determine the Dirac or Majorana nature of the neutrino and its absolute mass scale. An important datum for interpreting 0νββ-decay experimental results is the Q value of the decay. Using Penning trap mass spectrometry we have measured the atomic mass of 48Ca to be M[48Ca] = 47.952 522 76(21) u which, combined with the mass of 48Ti evaluated by Audi [Nucl. Phys. ANUPABL0375-947410.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.003 729, 337 (2003)], provides a new determination of the 48Ca ββ-decay Q value: Qββ = 4262.96(84) keV.

Combining data from high-energy pp-reactions and neutrinoless double-beta decay: Limits on the mass of the right-handed boson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civitarese, Osvaldo; Suhonen, Jouni; Zuber, Kai

2016-10-01

From the recently established lower-limits on the nonobservability of the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge (GERDA collaboration) and 136Xe (EXO-200 and KamLAND-Zen collaborations), combined with the ATLAS and CMS data, we extract limits for the left-right (LR) mixing angle, ζ, of the SU(2)L ×SU(2)R electroweak Hamiltonian. For the theoretical analysis, which is a model dependent, we have adopted a minimal extension of the Standard Model (SM) of Electroweak Interactions belonging to the SU(2)L ×SU(2)R representation. The nuclear-structure input of the analysis consists of a set of matrix elements and phase-space factors, and the experimental lower-limits for the half-lives. The other input are the ATLAS and CMS cross-section measurements of the pp-collisions into two-jets and two-leptons, performed at the large hadron collider (LHC). Our analysis yields the limit ζ < 10-3 for MR > 3TeV, by combining the model-dependent limits extracted from the double-beta-decay measurements and those extracted from the results of the CMS and ATLAS measurements.

Texture zero neutrino models and their connection with resonant leptogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achelashvili, Avtandil; Tavartkiladze, Zurab

2018-04-01

Within the low scale resonant leptogenesis scenario, the cosmological CP asymmetry may arise by radiative corrections through the charged lepton Yukawa couplings. While in some cases, as one expects, decisive role is played by the λτ coupling, we show that in specific neutrino textures only by inclusion of the λμ the cosmological CP violation is generated at 1-loop level. With the purpose to relate the cosmological CP violation to the leptonic CP phase δ, we consider an extension of MSSM with two right handed neutrinos (RHN), which are degenerate in mass at high scales. Together with this, we first consider two texture zero 3 × 2 Dirac Yukawa matrices of neutrinos. These via see-saw generated neutrino mass matrices augmented by single ΔL = 2 dimension five (d = 5) operator give predictive neutrino sectors with calculable CP asymmetries. The latter is generated through λμ,τ coupling(s) at 1-loop level. Detailed analysis of the leptogenesis is performed. We also revise some one texture zero Dirac Yukawa matrices, considered earlier, and show that addition of a single ΔL = 2, d = 5 entry in the neutrino mass matrices, together with newly computed 1-loop corrections to the CP asymmetries, give nice accommodation of the neutrino sector and desirable amount of the baryon asymmetry via the resonant leptogenesis even for rather low RHN masses (∼few TeV-107 GeV).

Neutrino Mixing and the Double Tetrahedral Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bentov, Yoni; Zee, A.

2013-11-01

In the spirit of a previous study of the tetrahedral group T ≃A4, we discuss a minimalist scheme to derive the neutrino mixing matrix using the double tetrahedral group T‧, the double cover of T. The new features are three distinct two-dimensional representations and complex Clebsch-Gordan coefficients, which can result in a geometric source of CP violation in the neutrino mass matrix. In an appendix, we derive explicitly the relevant group theory for the tetrahedral group T and its double cover T‧.

Neutrinos as the messengers of CPT violation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borissov, Liubomir Anguelov

CPT violation has the potential to explain all three existing neutrino oscillation signals without enlarging the neutrino sector. CPT violation in the Dirac mass terms of the three neutrino flavors preserves Lorentz invariance, but generates in dependent masses for neutrinos and antineutrinos. This specific signature can be motivated by braneworld scenarios with extra dimensions, where neutrinos are the natural messengers for Standard Model physics of CPT violation in the bulk. A simple model of maximal CPT violation is sufficient to explain the exisiting neutrino data, while accommodating the recent results from the KamLAND experiment and making dramatic predictions for the ongoing MiniBooNE experiment. In addition, the model fits the existing SuperKamiokande data, at least as well as the standard atmospheric neutrino oscillation models. Another attractive feature of the presented model is that it provides a new promising mechanism for baryogenesis, which obviates two of the three Sakharov conditions necessary to generate the baryon asymmetry of the universe. CPT-violating scenarios can give new insights about the possible nature of neutrinos. Majorana neutrino masses are still allowed, but in general, there are no longer Majorana neutrinos in the conventional sense. However, CPT-violating models still have interesting consequences for neutrinoless double beta decay. Compared to the usual case, while the larger mass scale (from LSND) may appear, a greater degree of suppression can also occur.

Double-β decay matrix elements from lattice quantum chromodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-09-01

A lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) calculation of the nuclear matrix element relevant to the n n →p p e e ν¯eν¯e transition is described in detail, expanding on the results presented in Ref. [P. E. Shanahan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 062003 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.062003]. This matrix element, which involves two insertions of the weak axial current, is an important input for phenomenological determinations of double-β decay rates of nuclei. From this exploratory study, performed using unphysical values of the quark masses, the long-distance deuteron-pole contribution to the matrix element is separated from shorter-distance hadronic contributions. This polarizability, which is only accessible in double-weak processes, cannot be constrained from single-β decay of nuclei, and is found to be smaller than the long-distance contributions in this calculation, but non-negligible. In this work, technical aspects of the LQCD calculations, and of the relevant formalism in the pionless effective field theory, are described. Further calculations of the isotensor axial polarizability, in particular near and at the physical values of the light-quark masses, are required for precise determinations of both two-neutrino and neutrinoless double-β decay rates in heavy nuclei.

Mini-LENS: developing a charged-current approach to measuring CNO and pp solar neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogelaar, R. Bruce

2014-03-01

The Low-Energy Neutrino Spectroscopy (LENS) experiment is based on neutrino detection via a charged-current interaction with 115In and offers the ability to cleanly observe both pp and CNO neutrinos. In contrast, elastic-scattering detectors, such as Borexino and SNO + suffer from virtually inseparable backgrounds. Thus, LENS might be uniquely positioned to resolve the solar metallicity question via measurement of the CNO neutrino flux, as well as test the predicted equivalence of solar luminosity as measured by photons versus neutrinos The mini-LENS program is testing the performance of the optically-segmented 3D lattice geometry unique to LENS. This first-of-a-kind lattice design is also suited for a range of other applications where high segmentation and large light collection are required (eg: sterile neutrinos with sources, double beta decay, and surface detection of reactor neutrinos). The current status and recent design changes of miniLENS at KURF will be presented. funded by NSF: 1001394.

Search for Majorana Neutrinos Near the Inverted Mass Hierarchy Region with KamLAND-Zen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Hachiya, T.; Hayashi, A.; Hayashida, S.; Ikeda, H.; Inoue, K.; Ishidoshiro, K.; Karino, Y.; Koga, M.; Matsuda, S.; Mitsui, T.; Nakamura, K.; Obara, S.; Oura, T.; Ozaki, H.; Shimizu, I.; Shirahata, Y.; Shirai, J.; Suzuki, A.; Takai, T.; Tamae, K.; Teraoka, Y.; Ueshima, K.; Watanabe, H.; Kozlov, A.; Takemoto, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Fushimi, K.; Banks, T. I.; Berger, B. E.; Fujikawa, B. K.; O'Donnell, T.; Winslow, L. A.; Efremenko, Y.; Karwowski, H. J.; Markoff, D. M.; Tornow, W.; Detwiler, J. A.; Enomoto, S.; Decowski, M. P.; KamLAND-Zen Collaboration

2016-08-01

We present an improved search for neutrinoless double-beta (0 ν β β ) decay of 136Xe in the KamLAND-Zen experiment. Owing to purification of the xenon-loaded liquid scintillator, we achieved a significant reduction of the Agm110 contaminant identified in previous searches. Combining the results from the first and second phase, we obtain a lower limit for the 0 ν β β decay half-life of T1/2 0 ν>1.07 ×1 026 yr at 90% C.L., an almost sixfold improvement over previous limits. Using commonly adopted nuclear matrix element calculations, the corresponding upper limits on the effective Majorana neutrino mass are in the range 61-165 meV. For the most optimistic nuclear matrix elements, this limit reaches the bottom of the quasidegenerate neutrino mass region.

Astrophysics related programs at center for underground physics (CUP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yeongduk

2018-04-01

We are developing experimental programs related to particle astrophysics at the Center for Underground Physics (CUP); searching for neutrino-less double beta decay (0νββ) of 100Mo nuclei and sterile neutrinos in the mass range of eV using reactor neutrinos. Expected sensitivities of AMoRE double beta decay experiment and the results from recent NEOS experiment are described. Utilizing the facilities for ultra-low radioactivity measurement at the center, we are planning to measure the decay of 180mTa which is important to the nucleosynthesis of heavy nuclei.

Texture one zero Dirac neutrino mass matrix with vanishing determinant or trace condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Madan

2018-06-01

In the light of non-zero and relatively large value of rector mixing angle (θ13), we have performed a detailed analysis of texture one zero neutrino mass matrix Mν in the scenario of vanishing determinant/trace conditions, assuming the Dirac nature of neutrinos. In both the scenarios, normal mass ordering is ruled out for all the six possibilities of Mν, however for inverted mass ordering, only two are found to be viable with the current neutrino oscillation data at 3σ confidence level. Numerical and some approximate analytical results are presented.

Extracting information from 0νββ decay and LHC pp-cross sections: Limits on the left-right mixing angle and right-handed boson mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-10-01

The existence of massive neutrinos forces the extension of the Standard Model of electroweak interactions, to accommodate them and/or right-handed currents. This is one of the fundamental questions in todays's physics. The consequences of it would reflect upon several decay processes, like the very exotic nuclear double-beta-decay. By the other hand, high-energy proton-proton reactions of the type performed at the LHC accelerator can provide information about the existence of a right-handed generation of the W and Z-bosons. Here we shall address the possibility of performing a joint analysis of the results reported by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations (σ(pp- > 2l + jets)) and the latest measurements of nuclear-double-beta decays reported by the GERDA and EXO collaborations.

Results on Neutrinoless Double-β Decay of Ge76 from Phase I of the GERDA Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Andreotti, E.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Barnabé Heider, M.; 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.; Ioannucci, L.; Janicskó Csáthy, J.; 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.; Liu, X.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Machado, A. A.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Misiaszek, M.; Nemchenok, I.; Nisi, S.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; 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.

2013-09-01

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a process that violates lepton number conservation. It is predicted to occur in extensions of the standard model of particle physics. This Letter reports the results from phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratory (Italy) searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of the isotope Ge76. Data considered in the present analysis have been collected between November 2011 and May 2013 with a total exposure of 21.6 kg yr. A blind analysis is performed. The background index is about 1×10-2counts/(keVkgyr) after pulse shape discrimination. No signal is observed and a lower limit is derived for the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay of Ge76, T1/20ν>2.1×1025yr (90% C.L.). The combination with the results from the previous experiments with Ge76 yields T1/20ν>3.0×1025yr (90% C.L.).

The SNO+ Scintillator Purification Plant and Projected Sensitivity to Solar Neutrinos in the Pure Scintillator Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pershing, Teal; SNO+ Collaboration

2016-03-01

The SNO+ detector is a neutrino and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment utilizing the renovated SNO detector. In the second phase of operation, the SNO+ detector will contain 780 tons of organic liquid scintillator composed of 2 g/L 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) in linear alkylbenzene (LAB). In this phase, SNO+ will strive to detect solar neutrinos in the sub-MeV range, including CNO production neutrinos and pp production neutrinos. To achieve the necessary detector sensitivity, a four-part scintillator purification plant has been constructed in SNOLAB for the removal of ionic and radioactive impurities. We present an overview of the SNO+ scintillator purification plant stages, including distillation, water extraction, gas stripping, and metal scavenger columns. We also give the projected SNO+ sensitivities to various solar-produced neutrinos based on the scintillator plant's projected purification efficiency.

Double charmonia production in exclusive Z-boson decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likhoded, A. K.; Luchinsky, A. V.

2018-05-01

This paper is devoted to systematic analysis of double charmonium production in exclusive Z-boson decays in the framework of non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics (NRQCD) and leading twist light-cone (LC) models. Theoretical predictions for branching fractions of all considered decays are presented. According to the obtained results in the case of the allowed helicity suppression rule processes, the effect of internal quark motion increases the branching fractions by a factor 1.5, while for forbidden reactions the LC predictions are strictly zero, while NRQCD ones are significantly smaller than for allowed.

Heavy neutrino decay at SHALON

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinitsyna, V. G.; Masip, M.; Sinitsyna, V. Y.

2013-06-01

The SHALON Cherenkov telescope has recorded over 2 × 106 extensive air showers during the past 17 years. The analysis of the signal at different zenith angles has included observations from the sub-horizontal direction Θ = 97° This inclination defines an Earth skimming trajectory with 7 km of air and around 1000 km of rock in front of the telescope. During a period of 324 hours of observation, after a cut of shower-like events that may be caused by chaotic sky flashes or reflections on the snow of vertical showers, we have detected 5 air showers of TeV energies. We argue that these events may be caused by the decay of a long-lived penetrating particle entering the atmosphere from the ground and decaying in front of the telescope. We show that this particle can it not be a muon or a tau lepton. As a possible explanation, we discuss two scenarios with an unstable neutrino of mass m ≈ 0.5 GeV and cτ ≈ 30 m. Remarkably, one of these models has been recently proposed to explain an excess of electron-like neutrino events at MiniBooNE.

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay with the Upgraded EXO-200 Detector

DOE PAGES

Albert, J. B.; Anton, G.; Badhrees, I.; ...

2018-02-15

Results from a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) of 136Xe are presented using the first year of data taken with the upgraded EXO-200 detector. Relative to previous searches by EXO-200, the energy resolution of the detector has been improved to σ/E = 1.23 % , the electric field in the drift region has been raised by 50%, and a system to suppress radon in the volume between the cryostat and lead shielding has been implemented. In addition, analysis techniques that improve topological discrimination between 0νββ and background events have been developed. Incorporating these hardware and analysis improvements, the medianmore » 90% confidence level 0νββ half-life sensitivity after combining with the full data set acquired before the upgrade has increased twofold to 3.7 × 10 25 yr . Finally, no statistically significant evidence for 0νββ is observed, leading to a lower limit on the 0νββ half-life of 1.8 × 10 25 yr at the 90% confidence level.« less

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay with the Upgraded EXO-200 Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, J. B.; Anton, G.; Badhrees, I.; Barbeau, P. S.; Bayerlein, R.; Beck, D.; Belov, V.; Breidenbach, M.; Brunner, T.; Cao, G. F.; Cen, W. R.; Chambers, C.; Cleveland, B.; Coon, M.; Craycraft, A.; Cree, W.; Daniels, T.; Danilov, M.; Daugherty, S. J.; Daughhetee, J.; Davis, J.; Delaquis, S.; Der Mesrobian-Kabakian, A.; DeVoe, R.; Didberidze, T.; Dilling, J.; Dolgolenko, A.; Dolinski, M. J.; Fairbank, W.; Farine, J.; Feyzbakhsh, S.; Fierlinger, P.; Fudenberg, D.; Gornea, R.; Graham, K.; Gratta, G.; Hall, C.; Hansen, E. V.; Hoessl, J.; Hufschmidt, P.; Hughes, M.; Jamil, A.; Jewell, M. J.; Johnson, A.; Johnston, S.; Karelin, A.; Kaufman, L. J.; Koffas, T.; Kravitz, S.; Krücken, R.; Kuchenkov, A.; Kumar, K. S.; Lan, Y.; Leonard, D. S.; Li, G. S.; Li, S.; Licciardi, C.; Lin, Y. H.; MacLellan, R.; Michel, T.; Mong, B.; Moore, D.; Murray, K.; Nelson, R.; Njoya, O.; Odian, A.; Ostrovskiy, I.; Piepke, A.; Pocar, A.; Retière, F.; Rowson, P. C.; Russell, J. J.; Schmidt, S.; Schubert, A.; Sinclair, D.; Stekhanov, V.; Tarka, M.; Tolba, T.; Tsang, R.; Vogel, P.; Vuilleumier, J.-L.; Wagenpfeil, M.; Waite, A.; Walton, T.; Weber, M.; Wen, L. J.; Wichoski, U.; Wrede, G.; Yang, L.; Yen, Y.-R.; Zeldovich, O. Ya.; Zettlemoyer, J.; Ziegler, T.; EXO-200 Collaboration

2018-02-01

Results from a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0 ν β β ) of 136Xe are presented using the first year of data taken with the upgraded EXO-200 detector. Relative to previous searches by EXO-200, the energy resolution of the detector has been improved to σ /E =1.23 % , the electric field in the drift region has been raised by 50%, and a system to suppress radon in the volume between the cryostat and lead shielding has been implemented. In addition, analysis techniques that improve topological discrimination between 0 ν β β and background events have been developed. Incorporating these hardware and analysis improvements, the median 90% confidence level 0 ν β β half-life sensitivity after combining with the full data set acquired before the upgrade has increased twofold to 3.7 ×1025 yr . No statistically significant evidence for 0 ν β β is observed, leading to a lower limit on the 0 ν β β half-life of 1.8 ×1025 yr at the 90% confidence level.

Search for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay with the Upgraded EXO-200 Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Albert, J. B.; Anton, G.; Badhrees, I.

Results from a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) of 136Xe are presented using the first year of data taken with the upgraded EXO-200 detector. Relative to previous searches by EXO-200, the energy resolution of the detector has been improved to σ/E = 1.23 % , the electric field in the drift region has been raised by 50%, and a system to suppress radon in the volume between the cryostat and lead shielding has been implemented. In addition, analysis techniques that improve topological discrimination between 0νββ and background events have been developed. Incorporating these hardware and analysis improvements, the medianmore » 90% confidence level 0νββ half-life sensitivity after combining with the full data set acquired before the upgrade has increased twofold to 3.7 × 10 25 yr . Finally, no statistically significant evidence for 0νββ is observed, leading to a lower limit on the 0νββ half-life of 1.8 × 10 25 yr at the 90% confidence level.« less

Tom Bonner Prize Lecture: The Beta Spectrum of Tritium and the Problem of Neutrino Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, R. G. Hamish

1997-04-01

Enrico Fermi showed more than 60 years ago that the shape of beta spectra was sensitive to the mass of the unobserved particle, the neutrino, proposed by Wolfgang Pauli. With the discovery of tritium and its small decay energy, increasingly stringent limits were placed on the electron antineutrino mass. A roadblock at about 50 eV, namely the atomic and molecular structure of tritium-containing substances, was surmounted in the 1980s with the development at Los Alamos of methods for high-resolution beta spectroscopy with gases, together with worldwide theoretical work on the structure of diatomic T2 and T^3He^+. It was then possible to reach the very interesting region of cosmological relevance below 20 eV. An unexpected and strange new roadblock has now been encountered in all experiments on T_2. The spectrum near the endpoint is not consistent with theory either with or without neutrino mass. The questions now are, do the experiments all report the same phenomenon, and (if so) is it atomic theory, particle theory, or perhaps cosmology that needs repair?

Search for heavy neutrino decays in the BEBC beam dump experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper-Sarkar, A. M.; Haywood, S. J.; Parker, M. A.; Sarkar, S.; Barnham, K. W. J.; Bostock, P.; Faccini-Turluer, M. L.; Grässler, H.; Guy, J.; Hulth, P. O.; Hultqvist, K.; Idschok, U.; Klein, H.; Kreutzmann, H.; Krstic, J.; Mobayyen, M. M.; Morrison, D. R. O.; Nellen, B.; Talebzadeh, M.; Venus, W.; Vignaud, D.; Wachsmuth, H.; Wittek, W.; Wünsch, B.; WA66 Collaboration

1985-10-01

New limits on lepton mixing parameters are derived from a search for decays of heavy neutrinos in a proton beam dump experiment. The limits | Uøi| 2, | Ue i| 2 < 10 -6-10 -7 are obtained for neutrino mass eigenstates vi of mass between 0.5 and 1.75 GeV, which can be produced through mixing in charmed D meson decays. This is the first such limit on | Uøi| 2 for neutrino masses greater than 0.5 GeV. For the mass eigenstate v3 in particular, we obtain the limits | Uø3 | 2 < 10 -7-10 -8, | Ue3 | 2 < 10 -9-10 -10 for the mass range 150-190 MeV, assuming the v3 to be produced directly in charmed F meson decays.

Search for Majorana Neutrinos Near the Inverted Mass Hierarchy Region with KamLAND-Zen.

PubMed

Gando, A; Gando, Y; Hachiya, T; Hayashi, A; Hayashida, S; Ikeda, H; Inoue, K; Ishidoshiro, K; Karino, Y; Koga, M; Matsuda, S; Mitsui, T; Nakamura, K; Obara, S; Oura, T; Ozaki, H; Shimizu, I; Shirahata, Y; Shirai, J; Suzuki, A; Takai, T; Tamae, K; Teraoka, Y; Ueshima, K; Watanabe, H; Kozlov, A; Takemoto, Y; Yoshida, S; Fushimi, K; Banks, T I; Berger, B E; Fujikawa, B K; O'Donnell, T; Winslow, L A; Efremenko, Y; Karwowski, H J; Markoff, D M; Tornow, W; Detwiler, J A; Enomoto, S; Decowski, M P

2016-08-19

We present an improved search for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of ^{136}Xe in the KamLAND-Zen experiment. Owing to purification of the xenon-loaded liquid scintillator, we achieved a significant reduction of the ^{110m}Ag contaminant identified in previous searches. Combining the results from the first and second phase, we obtain a lower limit for the 0νββ decay half-life of T_{1/2}^{0ν}>1.07×10^{26}  yr at 90% C.L., an almost sixfold improvement over previous limits. Using commonly adopted nuclear matrix element calculations, the corresponding upper limits on the effective Majorana neutrino mass are in the range 61-165 meV. For the most optimistic nuclear matrix elements, this limit reaches the bottom of the quasidegenerate neutrino mass region.

Role of neutrino mixing in accelerated proton decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blasone, M.; Lambiase, G.; Luciano, G. G.; Petruzziello, L.

2018-05-01

The decay of accelerated protons has been analyzed both in the laboratory frame (where the proton is accelerated) and in the comoving frame (where the proton is at rest and interacts with the Fulling-Davies-Unruh thermal bath of electrons and neutrinos). The equality between the two rates has been exhibited as an evidence of the necessity of Fulling-Davies-Unruh effect for the consistency of quantum field theory formalism. Recently, it has been argued that neutrino mixing can spoil such a result, potentially opening new scenarios in neutrino physics. In the present paper, we analyze in detail this problem, and we find that, assuming flavor neutrinos to be fundamental and working within a certain approximation, the agreement can be restored.

Discriminating Majorana neutrino textures in light of the baryon asymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borah, Manikanta; Borah, Debasish; Das, Mrinal Kumar

2015-06-01

We study all possible texture zeros in the Majorana neutrino mass matrix which are allowed from neutrino oscillation as well as cosmology data when the charged lepton mass matrix is assumed to take the diagonal form. In the case of one-zero texture, we write down the Majorana phases which are assumed to be equal and the lightest neutrino mass as a function of the Dirac C P phase. In the case of two-zero texture, we numerically evaluate all the three C P phases and lightest neutrino mass by solving four real constraint equations. We then constrain texture zero mass matrices from the requirement of producing correct baryon asymmetry through the mechanism of leptogenesis by assuming the Dirac neutrino mass matrix to be diagonal. Adopting a type I seesaw framework, we consider the C P -violating out of equilibrium decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino as the source of lepton asymmetry. Apart from discriminating between the texture zero mass matrices and light neutrino mass hierarchy, we also constrain the Dirac and Majorana C P phases so that the observed baryon asymmetry can be produced. In two-zero texture, we further constrain the diagonal form of the Dirac neutrino mass matrix from the requirement of producing correct baryon asymmetry.

First direct determination of the 48Ca double-β decay Q value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bustabad, S.; Bollen, G.; Brodeur, M.; Lincoln, D. L.; Novario, S. J.; Redshaw, M.; Ringle, R.; Schwarz, S.; Valverde, A. A.

2013-08-01

The low-energy beam and ion trap Penning trap mass spectrometer was used for an improved determination of the 48Ca double-β decay Q value: Qββ=4268.121(79)keV. The new value is 1.2 keV greater than the value in the 2012 atomic mass evaluation [Chin. Phys. CCPCHCQ1674-113710.1088/1674-1137/36/12/003 36, 1603 (2012)], a shift of three σ, and is a factor of 5 more precise. Accurate knowledge of this Q value is important for experimental searches to observe neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) in 48Ca and is essential for extracting the effective mass of the electron neutrino if the 48Ca half-life of 0νββ was experimentally determined.

Status of the CUORE and results from the CUORE-0 neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sisti, M.; Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.; Azzolini, O.; Balata, M.; Banks, T. I.; Bari, G.; Beeman, J.; Bellini, F.; Bersani, A.; Biassoni, M.; Brofferio, C.; Bucci, C.; Cai, X. Z.; Camacho, A.; Caminata, A.; Canonica, L.; Cao, X. G.; Capelli, S.; Cappelli, L.; Carbone, L.; Cardani, L.; Casali, N.; Cassina, L.; Chiesa, D.; Chott, N.; Clemenza, M.; Copello, S.; Cosmelli, C.; Cremonesi, O.; Creswick, R. J.; Cushman, J. S.; Dafinei, I.; Dally, A.; Datskov, V.; Dell'Oro, S.; Deninno, M. M.; Di Domizio, S.; di Vacri, M. L.; Drobizhev, A.; Ejzak, L.; Fang, D. Q.; Farach, H. A.; Faverzani, M.; Fernandes, G.; Ferri, E.; Ferroni, F.; Fiorini, E.; Franceschi, M. A.; Freedman, S. J.; Fujikawa, B. K.; Giachero, A.; Gironi, L.; Giuliani, A.; Gorla, P.; Gotti, C.; Gutierrez, T. D.; Haller, E. E.; Han, K.; Heeger, K. M.; Hennings-Yeomans, R.; Hickerson, K. P.; Huang, H. Z.; Kadel, R.; Keppel, G.; Kolomensky, Yu. G.; Li, Y. L.; Ligi, C.; Lim, K. E.; Liu, X.; Ma, Y. G.; Maiano, C.; Maino, M.; Martinez, M.; Maruyama, R. H.; Mei, Y.; Moggi, N.; Morganti, S.; Napolitano, T.; Nastasi, M.; Nisi, S.; Nones, C.; Norman, E. B.; Nucciotti, A.; O'Donnell, T.; Orio, F.; Orlandi, D.; Ouellet, J. L.; Pagliarone, C. E.; Pallavicini, M.; Palmieri, V.; Pattavina, L.; Pavan, M.; Pedretti, M.; Pessina, G.; Pettinacci, V.; Piperno, G.; Pira, C.; Pirro, S.; Pozzi, S.; Previtali, E.; Rosenfeld, C.; Rusconi, C.; Sala, E.; Sangiorgio, S.; Scielzo, N. D.; Smith, A. R.; Taffarello, L.; Tenconi, M.; Terranova, F.; Tian, W. D.; Tomei, C.; Trentalange, S.; Ventura, G.; Vignati, M.; Wang, B. S.; Wang, H. W.; Wielgus, L.; Wilson, J.; Winslow, L. A.; Wise, T.; Woodcraft, A.; Zanotti, L.; Zarra, C.; Zhang, G. Q.; Zhu, B. X.; Zucchelli, S.

2016-04-01

CUORE is a 741 kg array of TeO2 bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. The detector is being constructed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, where it will start taking data in 2015. If the target background of 0.01 counts / (keV ṡkg ṡy) will be reached, in five years of data taking CUORE will have a 1σ half life sensitivity of 1026 y. CUORE-0 is a smaller experiment constructed to test and demonstrate the performances expected for CUORE. The detector is a single tower of 52 CUORE-like bolometers that started taking data in spring 2013. The status and perspectives of CUORE will be discussed, and the first CUORE-0 data will be presented.

Light sterile neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gariazzo, S.; Giunti, C.; Laveder, M.; Li, Y. F.; Zavanin, E. M.

2016-03-01

The theory and phenomenology of light sterile neutrinos at the eV mass scale is reviewed. The reactor, gallium and Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector anomalies are briefly described and interpreted as indications of the existence of short-baseline oscillations which require the existence of light sterile neutrinos. The global fits of short-baseline oscillation data in 3 + 1 and 3 + 2 schemes are discussed, together with the implications for β-decay and neutrinoless double-β decay. The cosmological effects of light sterile neutrinos are briefly reviewed and the implications of existing cosmological data are discussed. The review concludes with a summary of future perspectives. This review is dedicated to the memory of Hai-Wei Long, our dear friend and collaborator, who passed away on 29 May 2015. He was an exceptionally kind person and an enthusiastic physicist. We deeply miss him.

High intensity neutrino oscillation facilities in Europe

DOE PAGES

Edgecock, T. R.; Caretta, O.; Davenne, T.; ...

2013-02-20

The EUROnu project has studied three possible options for future, high intensity neutrino oscillation facilities in Europe. The first is a Super Beam, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of pions created by bombarding targets with a 4 MW proton beam from the CERN High Power Superconducting Proton Linac. The far detector for this facility is the 500 kt MEMPHYS water Cherenkov, located in the Fréjus tunnel. The second facility is the Neutrino Factory, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of μ + and μ – beams in a storage ring. The far detector in thismore » case is a 100 kt magnetized iron neutrino detector at a baseline of 2000 km. The third option is a Beta Beam, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of beta emitting isotopes, in particular 6He and 18Ne, also stored in a ring. The far detector is also the MEMPHYS detector in the Fréjus tunnel. EUROnu has undertaken conceptual designs of these facilities and studied the performance of the detectors. Based on this, it has determined the physics reach of each facility, in particular for the measurement of CP violation in the lepton sector, and estimated the cost of construction. These have demonstrated that the best facility to build is the Neutrino Factory. Furthermore, if a powerful proton driver is constructed for another purpose or if the MEMPHYS detector is built for astroparticle physics, the Super Beam also becomes very attractive.« less

Extracting information from 0νββ decay and LHC pp-cross sections: Limits on the left-right mixing angle and right-handed boson mass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Civitarese, O., E-mail: osvaldo.civitarese@fisica.unlp.edu.ar; Suhonen, J.; Zuber, K.

2015-10-28

The existence of massive neutrinos forces the extension of the Standard Model of electroweak interactions, to accommodate them and/or right-handed currents. This is one of the fundamental questions in todays’s physics. The consequences of it would reflect upon several decay processes, like the very exotic nuclear double-beta-decay. By the other hand, high-energy proton-proton reactions of the type performed at the LHC accelerator can provide information about the existence of a right-handed generation of the W and Z-bosons. Here we shall address the possibility of performing a joint analysis of the results reported by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations (σ(pp− >more » 2l + jets)) and the latest measurements of nuclear-double-beta decays reported by the GERDA and EXO collaborations.« less

Study of a spherical Xenon gas TPC for neutrinoless double beta detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meregaglia, A.; Busto, J.; Cerna, C.; Chauveau, M.; Dastgheibi-Fard, A.; Jollet, C.; Jullian, S.; Katsioulas, I.; Giomataris, I.; Gros, M.; Lautridou, P.; Marquet, C.; Navick, X. F.; Perrot, F.; Piquemal, F.; Simard, L.; Zampaolo, M.

2018-01-01

Several efforts are ongoing for the development of spherical gaseous time projection chamber detectors for the observation of rare phenomena such as weakly interacting massive particles or neutrino interactions. The proposed detector, thanks to its simplicity, low energy threshold and energy resolution, could be used to observe the ββ0ν process i.e. the neutrinoless double beta decay. In this work, a specific setup is presented for the measurement of ββ0ν on 50 kg of 136Xe. The different backgrounds are studied, demonstrating the possibility to reach a total background per year in the detector mass at the level of 2 events per year. The obtained results are competitive with the present generation of experiments and could represent the first step of a more ambitious roadmap including the ββ0ν search with different gases with the same detector and therefore the same background sources. The constraints in terms of detector constructions and material purity are also addressed, showing that none of them represents a show stopper for the proposed experimental setup.

Results on neutrinoless double-β decay of 76Ge from phase I of the GERDA experiment.

PubMed

Agostini, M; Allardt, M; Andreotti, E; Bakalyarov, A M; Balata, M; Barabanov, I; Barnabé Heider, M; 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; Ioannucci, L; Janicskó Csáthy, J; 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; Liu, X; Lubashevskiy, A; Lubsandorzhiev, B; Lutter, G; Macolino, C; Machado, A A; Majorovits, B; Maneschg, W; Misiaszek, M; Nemchenok, I; Nisi, S; O'Shaughnessy, C; 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

2013-09-20

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a process that violates lepton number conservation. It is predicted to occur in extensions of the standard model of particle physics. This Letter reports the results from phase I of the Germanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratory (Italy) searching for neutrinoless double beta decay of the isotope (76)Ge. Data considered in the present analysis have been collected between November 2011 and May 2013 with a total exposure of 21.6 kg yr. A blind analysis is performed. The background index is about 1 × 10(-2) counts/(keV kg yr) after pulse shape discrimination. No signal is observed and a lower limit is derived for the half-life of neutrinoless double beta decay of (76)Ge, T(1/2)(0ν) >2.1 × 10(25) yr (90% C.L.). The combination with the results from the previous experiments with (76)Ge yields T(1/2)(0ν)>3.0 × 10(25) yr (90% C.L.).

Elastic and Inelastic Scattering of Neutrons from Neon and Argon: Impact on Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay and Dark Matter Experimental Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacMullin, Sean Patrick

In underground physics experiments, such as neutrinoless double-beta decay and dark matter searches, fast neutrons may be the dominant and potentially irreducible source of background. Experimental data for the elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections of neutrons from argon and neon, which are target and shielding materials of interest to the dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay communities, were previously unavailable. Unmeasured neutron scattering cross sections are often accounted for incorrectly in Monte-Carlo simulations. Elastic scattering cross sections were measured at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) using the neutron time-of-flight technique. Angular distributions for neon were measured at 5.0 and 8.0 MeV. One full angular distribution was measured for argon at 6.0 MeV. The cross-section data were compared to calculations using a global optical model. Data were also fit using the spherical optical model. These model fits were used to predict the elastic scattering cross section at unmeasured energies and also provide a benchmark where the global optical models are not well constrained. Partial gamma-ray production cross sections for (n,xngamma ) reactions in natural argon and neon were measured using the broad spectrum neutron beam at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). Neutron energies were determined using time of flight and resulting gamma rays from neutron-induced reactions were detected using the GErmanium Array for Neutron Induced Excitations (GEANIE). Partial gamma-ray production cross sections for six transitions in 40Ar, two transitions in 39Ar and the first excited state transitions is 20Ne and 22Ne were measured from threshold to a neutron energy where the gamma-ray yield dropped below the detection sensitivity. Measured (n,xngamma) cross sections were compared with calculations using the TALYS and CoH3 nuclear reaction codes. These new measurements will help to identify potential backgrounds in

Superluminal Neutrinos at OPERA Confront Pion Decay Kinematics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cowsik, Ramanath; Nussinov, Shmuel; Schmidt College of Science, Chapman University,Orange California 92866

2011-12-16

Violation of Lorentz invariance (VLI) has been suggested as an explanation of the superluminal velocities of muon neutrinos reported by OPERA. In this Letter, we show that the amount of VLI required to explain this result poses severe difficulties with the kinematics of the pion decay, extending its lifetime and reducing the momentum carried away by the neutrinos. We show that the OPERA experiment limits {alpha}=(v{sub {nu}}-c)/c<4x10{sup -6}. We then take recourse to cosmic-ray data on the spectrum of muons and neutrinos generated in Earth's atmosphere to provide a stronger bound on VLI: (v-c)/c<10{sup -12}.

Production of heavy sterile neutrinos from vector boson decay at electroweak temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lello, Louis; Boyanovsky, Daniel; Pisarski, Robert D.

2017-02-01

In the standard model extended with a seesaw mass matrix, we study the production of sterile neutrinos from the decay of vector bosons at temperatures near the masses of the electroweak bosons. We derive a general quantum kinetic equation for the production of sterile neutrinos and their effective mixing angles, which is applicable over a wide range of temperature, to all orders in interactions of the standard model and to leading order in a small mixing angle for the neutrinos. We emphasize the relation between the production rate and Landau damping at one-loop order and show that production rates and effective mixing angles depend sensitively upon the neutrino's helicity. Sterile neutrinos with positive helicity interact more weakly with the medium than those with negative helicity, and their effective mixing angle is not modified significantly. Negative helicity states couple more strongly to the vector bosons, but their mixing angle is strongly suppressed by the medium. Consequently, if the mass of the sterile neutrino is ≲8.35 MeV , there are fewer states with negative helicity produced than those with positive helicity. There is an Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein-type resonance in the absence of lepton asymmetry, but due to screening by the damping rate, the production rate is not enhanced. Sterile neutrinos with negative helicity freeze out at Tf-≃5 GeV , whereas positive helicity neutrinos freeze out at Tf+≃8 GeV , with both distributions far from thermal. As the temperature decreases, due to competition between a decreasing production rate and an increasing mixing angle, the distribution function for states with negative helicity is broader in momentum and hotter than that for those with positive helicity. Sterile neutrinos produced via vector boson decay do not satisfy the abundance, lifetime, and cosmological constraints to be the sole dark matter component in the Universe. Massive sterile neutrinos produced via vector boson decay might solve the 7Li

Explaining a CMS e e j j excess with R -parity violating supersymmetry and implications for neutrinoless double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allanach, Ben; Biswas, Sanjoy; Mondal, Subhadeep; Mitra, Manimala

2015-01-01

A recent CMS search for the right-handed gauge boson WR reports an interesting deviation from the Standard Model. The search has been conducted in the e e j j channel and has shown a 2.8 σ excess around me e j j˜2 TeV . In this work, we explain the reported CMS excess with R -parity violating supersymmetry. We consider resonant selectron and sneutrino production, followed by the three body decays of the neutralino and chargino via an R -parity violating coupling. We fit the excess for slepton masses around 2 TeV. The scenario can further be tested in neutrinoless double beta decay (0 ν β β ) experiments. GERDA Phase-II will probe a significant portion of the good-fit parameter space.

Neutron radiative capture reactions on nuclei of relevance to 0νββ, dark matter and neutrino/antineutrino searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tornow, W.; Bhike, Megha

2015-05-01

A program is underway at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) to measure the neutron capture cross section in the 0.5 to 15 MeV energy range on nuclei whose radioactive daughters could potentially create backgrounds in searches for rare events. Here, we refer to neutrino-less double-beta decay and dark-matter searches, and to detectors built for neutrino and/or antineutrino studies. Neutron capture cross-section data obtained by using the activation method are reported for 40Ar, 74,76Ge, 128,130Te and 136Xe and compared to model calculations and evaluations.

Signature of heavy sterile neutrinos at CEPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Wei; Wu, Xiao-Hong

2018-03-01

We study the production of heavy sterile neutrino N , e+e-→N ν (ν ¯), at the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) and its l j j signal in its decay to three charged fermions. We study background events for this process which are mainly events coming from W pair production. We study the production of a single heavy sterile neutrino and the sensitivity of CEPC to the mixing of the sterile neutrino with active neutrinos. We study the production of two degenerate heavy sterile neutrinos in a low energy seesaw model by taking into account the constraints on mixings of sterile neutrinos from the neutrinoless double β decay experiment and the masses and mixings of active neutrinos. We show that CEPC under proposal has a good sensitivity to the mixing of sterile neutrinos with active neutrinos for a mass of a sterile neutrino around 100 GeV.

Status of the CUORE and results from the CUORE-0 neutrinoless double beta decay experiments

DOE PAGES

Sisti, M.; Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.; ...

2016-05-31

CUORE is a 741 kg array of TeO 2 bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. The detector is being constructed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, where it will start taking data in 2015. If the target background of 0.01 counts/(keV·kg·y) will be reached, in five years of data taking CUORE will have a 1σ half life sensitivity of 10 26y. CUORE-0 is a smaller experiment constructed to test and demonstrate the performances expected for CUORE. The detector is a single tower of 52 CUORE-like bolometers that started taking data in spring 2013.more » The status and perspectives of CUORE will be discussed, and the first CUORE-0 data will be presented.« less

Production of heavy sterile neutrinos from vector boson decay at electroweak temperatures

DOE PAGES

Lello, Louis; Boyanovsky, Daniel; Pisarski, Robert D.

2017-02-22

Here, in the standard model extended with a seesaw mass matrix, we study the production of sterile neutrinos from the decay of vector bosons at temperatures near the masses of the electroweak bosons. We derive a general quantum kinetic equation for the production of sterile neutrinos and their effective mixing angles, which is applicable over a wide range of temperature, to all orders in interactions of the standard model and to leading order in a small mixing angle for the neutrinos. We emphasize the relation between the production rate and Landau damping at one-loop order and show that production rates and effective mixing angles depend sensitively upon the neutrino’s helicity. Sterile neutrinos with positive helicity interact more weakly with the medium than those with negative helicity, and their effective mixing angle is not modified significantly. Negative helicity states couple more strongly to the vector bosons, but their mixing angle is strongly suppressed by the medium. Consequently, if the mass of the sterile neutrino is ≲ 8.35 MeV , there are fewer states with negative helicity produced than those with positive helicity. There is an Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein-type resonance in the absence of lepton asymmetry, but due to screening by the damping rate, the production rate is not enhanced. Sterile neutrinos with negative helicity freeze out at Tmore » $$-\\atop{f}$$ ≃ 5 GeV , whereas positive helicity neutrinos freeze out at T$$+\\atop{f}$$≃ 8 GeV , with both distributions far from thermal. As the temperature decreases, due to competition between a decreasing production rate and an increasing mixing angle, the distribution function for states with negative helicity is broader in momentum and hotter than that for those with positive helicity. Sterile neutrinos produced via vector boson decay do not satisfy the abundance, lifetime, and cosmological constraints to be the sole dark matter component in the Universe. Massive sterile neutrinos

Results on $$\\beta \\beta $$ decay with emission of two neutrinos or Majorons in $$^{76}$$ Ge from GERDA Phase I: GERDA Collaboration

DOE PAGES

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; ...

2015-09-09

A search for neutrinoless ββ decay processes accompanied with Majoron emission has been performed using data collected during Phase I of the GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN (Italy). Processes with spectral indices n = 1,2,3,7 were searched for. No signals were found and lower limits of the order of 10 23 yr on their half-lives were derived, yielding substantially improved results compared to previous experiments with 76Ge. A new result for the half-life of the neutrino-accompanied ββ decay of 76Ge with significantly reduced uncertainties is also given, resulting in T 2νmore » 1/2 = (1.926 ± 0.094) × 10 21 yr.« less

Search for Majorana Neutrinos Near the Inverted Mass Hierarchy Region with KamLAND-Zen

DOE PAGES

Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Hachiya, T.; ...

2016-08-16

Here, we present an improved search for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of Xe 136 in the KamLAND-Zen experiment. Owing to purification of the xenon-loaded liquid scintillator, we achieved a significant reduction of the Ag 110m contaminant identified in previous searches. Combining the results from the first and second phase, we obtain a lower limit for the 0νββ decay half-life of Tmore » $$0v\\atop{1/2}$$ > 1.07×10 26 yr at 90% C.L., an almost sixfold improvement over previous limits. Using commonly adopted nuclear matrix element calculations, the corresponding upper limits on the effective Majorana neutrino mass are in the range 61-165 meV. Finally, for the most optimistic nuclear matrix elements, this limit reaches the bottom of the quasidegenerate neutrino mass region.« less

Experimental Constraints on Neutrino Spectra Following Fission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Napolitano, Jim; Daya Bay Collaboration

2016-09-01

We discuss new initiatives to constrain predictions of fission neutrino spectra from nuclear reactors. These predictions are germane to the understanding of reactor flux anomalies; are needed to reduce systematic uncertainty in neutrino oscillation spectra; and inform searches for the diffuse supernova neutrino background. The initiatives include a search for very high- Q beta decay components to the neutrino spectrum from the Daya Bay power plant; plans for a measurement of the β- spectrum from 252Cf fission products; and precision measurements of the 235U fission neutrino spectrum from PROSPECT and other very short baseline reactor experiments.

Search for Neutrino Decay at SHALON

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinitsyna, V. G.; Masip, M.; Nikolsky, S. I.; Sinitsyna, V. Y.

2012-08-01

The SHALON Cherenkov telescope has recorded over 2 × 106 extensive air showers during the past 17 years. The analysis of the signal at different zenith angles has included observations from the sub-horizontal direction Θ = 97°. This inclination defines an Earth skimming trajectory with 7 km of air and around 1000 km of rock in front of the telescope. During a period of 324 hours of observation, after a cut of shower-like events that may be caused by chaotic sky flashes or reflections on the snow of vertical showers, we have detected 5 air showers of TeV energies. We argue that these events may be caused by the decay of a long-lived penetrating particle entering the atmosphere from the ground and decaying in front of the telescope. We show that this particle can it not be a muon or a tau lepton. As a possible explanation, we discuss two scenarios with an unstable neutrino of mass m ≈ 0.5 GeV and cτ ≈ 30m. Remarkably, one of these models has been recently proposed to explain an excess of electron-like neutrino events at MiniBooNE.

Neutrino Oscillations and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wark, David

2001-04-01

When the existence of the neutrino was almost apologetically first proposed by Wolfgang Pauli it was intended to explain the mysterious apparent absence of energy and momentum in beta decay. 70 years later the neutrino has indeed solved that mystery, but it has generated still more of its own. Are neutrinos massive? Is it possible to create a neutrino with its spin in the same direction as its momentum? What fraction of the mass of the Universe is made up of neutrinos? Are the flavour labels which we put on neutrinos, like electron and muon, really fixed or can they change? Why does no experiment see the predicted flux of neutrinos from the Sun? Why do there appear to be roughly equal numbers of muon and electron neutrinos created in our atmosphere, rather than the 2:1 ratio we would expect? Many of these questions were coupled when Bruno Pontecorvo first suggested that the shortfall in solar neutrino measurements were caused by neutrino oscillations - neutrinos spontaneously changing flavour as they travel from the Sun. 30 years later we still await definitive proof of that conjecture, and providing that proof is the reason for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. The talk will discuss the current state of neutrino oscillations studies, and show how the unique capabilities of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory can provide definitive proof of whether neutrino oscillations are the long-sought answer to the solar neutrino problem.

Experimental study of the rearrangements of valence protons and neutrons amongst single-particle orbits during double- β decay in Mo 100

DOE PAGES

Freeman, S. J.; Sharp, D. K.; McAllister, S. A.; ...

2017-11-27

The rearrangements of protons and neutrons amongst the valence single-particle orbitals during double-beta decay of Mo-100 have been determined by measuring cross sections in (d, p), (p, d), (He-3, a), and (He-3, d) reactions on Mo-98,Mo-100 and Ru-100,Ru-102 targets. The deduced nucleon occupancies reveal significant discrepancies when compared with theoretical calculations; the same calculations have previously been used to determine the nuclear matrix element associated with the decay probability of double-beta decay of the Mo-100 system.

Experimental study of the rearrangements of valence protons and neutrons amongst single-particle orbits during double- β decay in Mo 100

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freeman, S. J.; Sharp, D. K.; McAllister, S. A.

The rearrangements of protons and neutrons amongst the valence single-particle orbitals during double-beta decay of Mo-100 have been determined by measuring cross sections in (d, p), (p, d), (He-3, a), and (He-3, d) reactions on Mo-98,Mo-100 and Ru-100,Ru-102 targets. The deduced nucleon occupancies reveal significant discrepancies when compared with theoretical calculations; the same calculations have previously been used to determine the nuclear matrix element associated with the decay probability of double-beta decay of the Mo-100 system.

Beta-decay rate and beta-delayed neutron emission probability of improved gross theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koura, Hiroyuki

2014-09-01

A theoretical study has been carried out on beta-decay rate and beta-delayed neutron emission probability. The gross theory of the beta decay is based on an idea of the sum rule of the beta-decay strength function, and has succeeded in describing beta-decay half-lives of nuclei overall nuclear mass region. The gross theory includes not only the allowed transition as the Fermi and the Gamow-Teller, but also the first-forbidden transition. In this work, some improvements are introduced as the nuclear shell correction on nuclear level densities and the nuclear deformation for nuclear strength functions, those effects were not included in the original gross theory. The shell energy and the nuclear deformation for unmeasured nuclei are adopted from the KTUY nuclear mass formula, which is based on the spherical-basis method. Considering the properties of the integrated Fermi function, we can roughly categorized energy region of excited-state of a daughter nucleus into three regions: a highly-excited energy region, which fully affect a delayed neutron probability, a middle energy region, which is estimated to contribute the decay heat, and a region neighboring the ground-state, which determines the beta-decay rate. Some results will be given in the presentation. A theoretical study has been carried out on beta-decay rate and beta-delayed neutron emission probability. The gross theory of the beta decay is based on an idea of the sum rule of the beta-decay strength function, and has succeeded in describing beta-decay half-lives of nuclei overall nuclear mass region. The gross theory includes not only the allowed transition as the Fermi and the Gamow-Teller, but also the first-forbidden transition. In this work, some improvements are introduced as the nuclear shell correction on nuclear level densities and the nuclear deformation for nuclear strength functions, those effects were not included in the original gross theory. The shell energy and the nuclear deformation for

MeV-scale sterile neutrino decays at the Fermilab Short-Baseline Neutrino program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballett, Peter; Pascoli, Silvia; Ross-Lonergan, Mark

2017-04-01

Nearly-sterile neutrinos with masses in the MeV range and below would be produced in the beam of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab. In this article, we study the potential for SBN to discover these particles through their subsequent decays in its detectors. We discuss the decays which will be visible at SBN in a minimal and non-minimal extension of the Standard Model, and perform simulations to compute the parameter space constraints which could be placed in the absence of a signal. We demonstrate that the SBN programme can extend existing bounds on well constrained channels such as N → ν l + l - and N → l ± π ∓ while, thanks to the strong particle identification capabilities of liquid-Argon technology, also place bounds on often neglected channels such as N → νγ and N → νπ 0. Furthermore, we consider the phenomenological impact of improved event timing information at the three detectors. As well as considering its role in background reduction, we note that if the light-detection systems in SBND and ICARUS can achieve nanosecond timing resolution, the effect of finite sterile neutrino mass could be directly observable, providing a smoking-gun signature for this class of models. We stress throughout that the search for heavy nearly-sterile neutrinos is a complementary new physics analysis to the search for eV-scale oscillations, and would extend the BSM programme of SBN while requiring no beam or detector modifications.

Atmospheric neutrinos and proton decay in Super-Kamiokande and Hyper-Kamiokande

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zepeng; Super-Kamiokande Collaboration; Hyper-Kamiokande Collaboration

2017-06-01

Super-Kamiokande is a 50 kton water Cherenkov detector, which has been in operation since 1996. Super-Kamiokande atmospheric neutrino data have a preference for the normal neutrino mass hierarchy (Δχ2 = χNH2- χIH2 = - 4.3) when the constraints from reactor neutrino experiments are included. The search for tau neutrino appearance from neutrino oscillations has resulted in a 4.6σ exclusion of the hypothesis of no tau appearance. Hyper-Kamiokande is a proposed next-generation water Cherenkov detector, which will be a natural extension of Super-Kamiokande. The proposed experiment will have two cylindrical tanks containing 520 kton of water in total. Hyper-K will search for CP violation using the neutrino beam from J-PARC, and will have a broad physics program including studies of atmospheric neutrinos, supernova burst neutrinos, geo-neutrinos and searches for proton decay.

The processing of enriched germanium for the Majorana Demonstrator and R&D for a next generation double-beta decay experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone III, F. T.

The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in 76Ge to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. The processing of Ge for germanium detectors is a well-known technology. However, because of the high cost of Ge enriched in 76Ge special procedures were required to maximize the yield of detector mass and to minimize exposure to cosmic rays. These procedures include careful accounting for the material; shielding it to reduce cosmogenic generation of radioactive isotopes; and development of special reprocessing techniques for contaminated solid germanium, shavings, grindings, acid etchant and cutting fluidsmore » from detector fabrication. Processing procedures were developed that resulted in a total yield in detector mass of 70%. However, none of the acid-etch solution and only 50% of the cutting fluids from detector fabrication were reprocessed. Had they been processed, the projections for the recovery yield would be between 80% and 85%. Maximizing yield is critical to justify a possible future ton-scale experiment. A process for recovery of germanium from the acid-etch solution was developed with yield of about 90%. All material was shielded or stored underground whenever possible to minimize the formation of 68Ge by cosmic rays, which contributes background in the double-beta decay region of interest and cannot be removed by zone refinement and crystal growth. Formation of 68Ge was reduced by a significant factor over that in natural abundance detectors not protected from cosmic rays.« less

The processing of enriched germanium for the Majorana Demonstrator and R&D for a next generation double-beta decay experiment

DOE PAGES

Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone III, F. T.; ...

2017-10-07

The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in 76Ge to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. The processing of Ge for germanium detectors is a well-known technology. However, because of the high cost of Ge enriched in 76Ge special procedures were required to maximize the yield of detector mass and to minimize exposure to cosmic rays. These procedures include careful accounting for the material; shielding it to reduce cosmogenic generation of radioactive isotopes; and development of special reprocessing techniques for contaminated solid germanium, shavings, grindings, acid etchant and cutting fluidsmore » from detector fabrication. Processing procedures were developed that resulted in a total yield in detector mass of 70%. However, none of the acid-etch solution and only 50% of the cutting fluids from detector fabrication were reprocessed. Had they been processed, the projections for the recovery yield would be between 80% and 85%. Maximizing yield is critical to justify a possible future ton-scale experiment. A process for recovery of germanium from the acid-etch solution was developed with yield of about 90%. All material was shielded or stored underground whenever possible to minimize the formation of 68Ge by cosmic rays, which contributes background in the double-beta decay region of interest and cannot be removed by zone refinement and crystal growth. Formation of 68Ge was reduced by a significant factor over that in natural abundance detectors not protected from cosmic rays.« less

The processing of enriched germanium for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR and R&D for a next generation double-beta decay experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone, F. T., III; Barabash, A. S.; Bertrand, F. E.; Bradley, A. W.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, M.; Buuck, M.; Caja, J.; Caja, M.; Caldwell, T. S.; Christofferson, C. D.; Chu, P.-H.; Cuesta, C.; Detwiler, J. A.; Dunagan, C.; Dunstan, D. T.; Efremenko, Yu.; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Gilliss, T.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Goett, J.; Green, M. P.; Gruszko, J.; Guinn, I. S.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Haufe, C. R. S.; Henning, R.; Hoppe, E. W.; Jasinski, B. R.; Kidd, M. F.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; Lopez, A. M.; MacMullin, J.; Martin, R. D.; Massarczyk, R.; Meijer, S. J.; Mertens, S.; Meyer, J. H.; Myslik, J.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Poon, A. W. P.; Radford, D. C.; Rager, J.; Reine, A. L.; Reising, J. A.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Shanks, B.; Shirchenko, M.; Suriano, A. M.; Tedeschi, D.; Toth, L. M.; Trimble, J. E.; Varner, R. L.; Vasilyev, S.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; White, B. R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wiseman, C.; Xu, W.; Yakushev, E.; Yu, C.-H.; Yumatov, V.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhu, B. X.

2018-01-01

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in 76 Ge to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. The processing of Ge for germanium detectors is a well-known technology. However, because of the high cost of Ge enriched in 76 Ge special procedures were required to maximize the yield of detector mass and to minimize exposure to cosmic rays. These procedures include careful accounting for the material; shielding it to reduce cosmogenic generation of radioactive isotopes; and development of special reprocessing techniques for contaminated solid germanium, shavings, grindings, acid etchant and cutting fluids from detector fabrication. Processing procedures were developed that resulted in a total yield in detector mass of 70%. However, none of the acid-etch solution and only 50% of the cutting fluids from detector fabrication were reprocessed. Had they been processed, the projections for the recovery yield would be between 80% and 85%. Maximizing yield is critical to justify a possible future ton-scale experiment. A process for recovery of germanium from the acid-etch solution was developed with yield of about 90%. All material was shielded or stored underground whenever possible to minimize the formation of 68Ge by cosmic rays, which contributes background in the double-beta decay region of interest and cannot be removed by zone refinement and crystal growth. Formation of 68Ge was reduced by a significant factor over that in natural abundance detectors not protected from cosmic rays.

Radiative decay of keV-mass sterile neutrino in magnetized electron plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrynina, Alexandra; Mikheev, Nicolay; Raffelt, Georg

2017-10-01

The radiative decay of sterile neutrinos with typical masses of 10 keV is investigated in the presence of an external magnetic field and degenerate electron plasma. Full account is taken of the modified photon dispersion relation relative to vacuum. The limiting cases of relativistic and nonrelativistic plasma are analyzed. The decay rate calculated in a strongly magnetized plasma, as a function of the electron number density, is compared with the unmagnetized plasma limit. It is found that the presence of the strong magnetic field in the electron plasma suppresses the catalyzing influence of the plasma by itself on the sterile-neutrino decay rate.

Measurement of the electron shake-off in the β-decay of laser-trapped 6He atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Ran; Bagdasarova, Yelena; Garcia, Alejandro; Storm, Derek; Sternberg, Matthew; Swanson, Erik; Wauters, Frederik; Zumwalt, David; Bailey, Kevin; Leredde, Arnaud; Mueller, Peter; O'Connor, Thomas; Flechard, Xavier; Liennard, Etienne; Knecht, Andreas; Naviliat-Cuncic, Oscar

2016-03-01

Electron shake-off is an important process in many high precision nuclear β-decay measurements searching for physics beyond the standard model. 6He being one of the lightest β-decaying isotopes, has a simple atomic structure. Thus, it is well suited for testing calculations of shake-off effects. Shake-off probabilities from the 23S1 and 23P2 initial states of laser trapped 6He matter for the on-going beta-neutrino correlation study at the University of Washington. These probabilities are obtained by analyzing the time-of-flight distribution of the recoil ions detected in coincidence with the beta particles. A β-neutrino correlation independent analysis approach was developed. The measured upper limit of the double shake-off probability is 2 ×10-4 at 90% confidence level. This result is ~100 times lower than the most recent calculation by Schulhoff and Drake. This work is supported by DOE, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract Nos. DE-AC02-06CH11357 and DE-FG02-97ER41020.

Detection prospects of the cosmic neutrino background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yu-Feng

2015-04-01

The existence of the cosmic neutrino background (CνB) is a fundamental prediction of the standard Big Bang cosmology. Although current cosmological probes provide indirect observational evidence, the direct detection of the CνB in a laboratory experiment is a great challenge to the present experimental techniques. We discuss the future prospects for the direct detection of the CνB, with the emphasis on the method of captures on beta-decaying nuclei and the PTOLEMY project. Other possibilities using the electron-capture (EC) decaying nuclei, the annihilation of extremely high-energy cosmic neutrinos (EHECνs) at the Z-resonance, and the atomic de-excitation method are also discussed in this review (talk given at the International Conference on Massive Neutrinos, Singapore, 9-13 February 2015).

Probing the Dirac or Majorana nature of the heavy neutrinos in pure leptonic decays at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbelaéz, Carolina; Dib, Claudio; Schmidt, Iván; Vasquez, Juan Carlos

2018-03-01

We propose a strategy for distinguishing the Dirac/Majorana character of heavy neutrinos with masses below the W -boson mass, using purely leptonic decays at the LHC. The strategy makes use of a forward-backward asymmetry of the opposite-charge lepton in the W+→l+l+l'-ν decay. In order to check the experimental feasibility of the model, we show—through a numerical analysis and for different ranges of the heavy neutrino masses—that in the decay W+→e+e+μ-ν one can distinguish the positron from the W decay from the positron coming from the heavy neutrino. Finally, we estimate the number of events at the LHC Run II for a Dirac and Majorana N neutrino with an integrated luminosity of 120 fb-1 . Signals can be found if heavy-to-light neutrino mixings are |UN μ|2,|UN e|2≳10-6.

The MGDO software library for data analysis in Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, M.; Detwiler, J. A.; Finnerty, P.; Kröninger, K.; Lenz, D.; Liu, J.; Marino, M. G.; Martin, R.; Nguyen, K. D.; Pandola, L.; Schubert, A. G.; Volynets, O.; Zavarise, P.

2012-07-01

The Gerda and Majorana experiments will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge using isotopically enriched high-purity germanium detectors. Although the experiments differ in conceptual design, they share many aspects in common, and in particular will employ similar data analysis techniques. The collaborations are jointly developing a C++ software library, MGDO, which contains a set of data objects and interfaces to encapsulate, store and manage physical quantities of interest, such as waveforms and high-purity germanium detector geometries. These data objects define a common format for persistent data, whether it is generated by Monte Carlo simulations or an experimental apparatus, to reduce code duplication and to ease the exchange of information between detector systems. MGDO also includes general-purpose analysis tools that can be used for the processing of measured or simulated digital signals. The MGDO design is based on the Object-Oriented programming paradigm and is very flexible, allowing for easy extension and customization of the components. The tools provided by the MGDO libraries are used by both Gerda and Majorana.

PREFACE: Prospects in Neutrino Physics 2013 - NuPhys2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-04-01

The first "Prospects in Neutrino Physics 2013 - NuPhys2013" conference was held at the Institute of Physics, IoP, London, 19-20 December 2013 and was attended by about 130 delegates from institutions worldwide. Lunch and coffee breaks allowed discussions among delegates and speakers to take place in an informal setting. This conference is unique in discussing the worldwide strategy to address unresolved issues in neutrino physics, and shape the future directions of particle physics. We discussed the current status and focussed especially on the prospects of future experiments, their performance and physics reach. It is particularly timely due to the recent measurements in neutrino physics and planned worldwide experiments. The following topics were addressed: • Theory and Phenomenology Perspectives • Future Long and Short Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Experiments • Reactor neutrino and flux • Neutrinoless double beta decays • Solar, atmospheric, supernova neutrinos • Neutrino cosmology in which both the phenomenological and experimental aspects were equally addressed. World-leading experts in the different neutrino areas were invited to give review talks. To encourage and facilitate the participation of early-career researchers and PhD students, a poster session formed a key aspect of this meeting. The conference was organized by Francesca Di Lodovico and Silvia Pascoli. It was sponsored by the IoP through their Topic Research Meeting Grant, and also supported by Durham IPPP, ERC-207282, FP7 invisibles project, Queen Mary University of London.

/(3+1)-spectrum of neutrino masses: a chance for LSND?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peres, O. L. G.; Smirnov, A. Y.

2001-04-01

If active to active neutrino transitions are dominant modes of the atmospheric (νμ-->ντ) and the solar neutrino oscillations (νe-->νμ/ντ), as is indicated by recent data, the favoured scheme which accommodates the LSND result - the so-called /(2+2)-scheme - should be discarded. We introduce the parameters ηsatm and ηssun which quantify an involvement of the sterile component in the solar and atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The /(2+2)-scheme predicts ηsatm+ηssun=1 and the experimental proof of deviation from this equality will discriminate the scheme. In this connection the /(3+1)-scheme is revisited in which the fourth (predominantly sterile) neutrino is isolated from a block of three flavour neutrinos by the mass gap Δm2LSND~(0.4-10) eV2. We find that in the /(3+1)-scheme the LSND result can be reconciled with existing bounds on νe- and νμ-disappearance at 95-99% C.L. The generic prediction of the scheme is the νe- and νμ-disappearance probabilities at the level of present experimental bounds. The possibility to strengthen the bound on νμ-disappearance in the KEK - front detector experiment is studied. We consider phenomenology of the /(3+1)-scheme, in particular, its implications for the atmospheric neutrinos, neutrinoless double beta decay searches, supernova neutrinos and primordial nucleosynthesis.

HOLMES: The electron capture decay of [Formula: see text]Ho to measure the electron neutrino mass with sub-eV sensitivity.

PubMed

Alpert, B; Balata, M; Bennett, D; Biasotti, M; Boragno, C; Brofferio, C; Ceriale, V; Corsini, D; Day, P K; De Gerone, M; Dressler, R; Faverzani, M; Ferri, E; Fowler, J; Gatti, F; Giachero, A; Hays-Wehle, J; Heinitz, S; Hilton, G; Köster, U; Lusignoli, M; Maino, M; Mates, J; Nisi, S; Nizzolo, R; Nucciotti, A; Pessina, G; Pizzigoni, G; Puiu, A; Ragazzi, S; Reintsema, C; Gomes, M Ribeiro; Schmidt, D; Schumann, D; Sisti, M; Swetz, D; Terranova, F; Ullom, J

The European Research Council has recently funded HOLMES, a new experiment to directly measure the neutrino mass. HOLMES will perform a calorimetric measurement of the energy released in the decay of [Formula: see text]Ho. The calorimetric measurement eliminates systematic uncertainties arising from the use of external beta sources, as in experiments with beta spectrometers. This measurement was proposed in 1982 by A. De Rujula and M. Lusignoli, but only recently the detector technological progress allowed to design a sensitive experiment. HOLMES will deploy a large array of low temperature microcalorimeters with implanted [Formula: see text]Ho nuclei. The resulting mass sensitivity will be as low as 0.4 eV. HOLMES will be an important step forward in the direct neutrino mass measurement with a calorimetric approach as an alternative to spectrometry. It will also establish the potential of this approach to extend the sensitivity down to 0.1 eV. We outline here the project with its technical challenges and perspectives.

Understanding the SNO+ Detector

DOE PAGES

Kamdin, K.

2015-03-24

SNO+, a large liquid scintillator experiment, is the successor of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment. The scintillator volume will be loaded with large quantities of 130Te, an isotope that undergoes double beta decay, in order to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. In addition to this search, SNO+ has a broad physics program due to its sensitivity to solar and supernova neutrinos, as well as reactor and geo anti-neutrinos. SNO+ can also place competitive limits on certain modes of invisible nucleon decay during its first phase. The detector is currently undergoing commissioning in preparation for its first phase, inmore » which the detector is filled with ultra pure water. This will be followed by a pure scintillator phase, and then a Tellurium-loaded scintillator phase to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. Here we present the work done to model detector aging, which was first observed during SNO. The aging was found to reduce the optical response of the detector. We also describe early results from electronics calibration of SNO+.« less

GraXe, graphene and xenon for neutrinoless double beta decay searches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Martín-Albo, J.; Monrabal, F.

2012-02-01

We propose a new detector concept, GraXe (to be pronounced as grace), to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in {sup 136}XE. GraXe combines a popular detection medium in rare-event searches, liquid xenon, with a new, background-free material, graphene. In our baseline design of GraXe, a sphere made of graphene-coated titanium mesh and filled with liquid xenon (LXe) enriched in the {sup 136}XE isotope is immersed in a large volume of natural LXe instrumented with photodetectors. Liquid xenon is an excellent scintillator, reasonably transparent to its own light. Graphene is transparent over a large frequency range, and impermeable to themore » xenon. Event position could be deduced from the light pattern detected in the photosensors. External backgrounds would be shielded by the buffer of natural LXe, leaving the ultra-radiopure internal volume virtually free of background. Industrial graphene can be manufactured at a competitive cost to produce the sphere. Enriching xenon in the isotope {sup 136}XE is easy and relatively cheap, and there is already near one ton of enriched xenon available in the world (currently being used by the EXO, KamLAND-Zen and NEXT experiments). All the cryogenic know-how is readily available from the numerous experiments using liquid xenon. An experiment using the GraXe concept appears realistic and affordable in a short time scale, and its physics potential is enormous.« less

Spectral distance decay: Assessing species beta-diversity by quantile regression

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rocchinl, D.; Nagendra, H.; Ghate, R.; Cade, B.S.

2009-01-01

Remotely sensed data represents key information for characterizing and estimating biodiversity. Spectral distance among sites has proven to be a powerful approach for detecting species composition variability. Regression analysis of species similarity versus spectral distance may allow us to quantitatively estimate how beta-diversity in species changes with respect to spectral and ecological variability. In classical regression analysis, the residual sum of squares is minimized for the mean of the dependent variable distribution. However, many ecological datasets are characterized by a high number of zeroes that can add noise to the regression model. Quantile regression can be used to evaluate trend in the upper quantiles rather than a mean trend across the whole distribution of the dependent variable. In this paper, we used ordinary least square (ols) and quantile regression to estimate the decay of species similarity versus spectral distance. The achieved decay rates were statistically nonzero (p < 0.05) considering both ols and quantile regression. Nonetheless, ols regression estimate of mean decay rate was only half the decay rate indicated by the upper quantiles. Moreover, the intercept value, representing the similarity reached when spectral distance approaches zero, was very low compared with the intercepts of upper quantiles, which detected high species similarity when habitats are more similar. In this paper we demonstrated the power of using quantile regressions applied to spectral distance decay in order to reveal species diversity patterns otherwise lost or underestimated by ordinary least square regression. ?? 2009 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Beta-spectrum shapes of forbidden β decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostensalo, Joel; Suhonen, Jouni

2018-03-01

The neutrinoless ββ decay of atomic nuclei continues to attract fervent interest due to its potential to confirm the possible Majorana nature of the neutrino, and thus the nonconservation of the lepton number. At the same time, the direct dark matter experiments are looking for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) through their scattering on nuclei. The neutrino-oscillation experiments on reactor antineutrinos base their analyses on speculations of β-spectrum shapes of nuclear decays, thus leading to the notorious “reactor antineutrino anomaly.” In all these experimental efforts, one encounters the problem of β-spectrum shapes of forbidden β decays, either as unwanted backgrounds or unknown components in the analyses of data. In this work, the problem of spectrum shapes is discussed and illustrated with a set of selected examples. The relation of the β-spectrum shapes to the problem of the effective value of the weak axial-vector coupling strength gA and the enhancement of the axial-charge matrix element is also pointed out.

Search for two-neutrino double electron capture of 124Xe with XENON100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Duchovni, E.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Le Calloch, M.; Levy, C.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Meng, Y.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Orrigo, S. E. A.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C. D.; Wall, R.; Wang, H.; Weber, M.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-02-01

Two-neutrino double electron capture is a rare nuclear decay where two electrons are simultaneously captured from the atomic shell. For 124Xe this process has not yet been observed and its detection would provide a new reference for nuclear matrix element calculations. We have conducted a search for two-neutrino double electron capture from the K shell of 124Xe using 7636 kg d of data from the XENON100 dark matter detector. Using a Bayesian analysis we observed no significant excess above background, leading to a lower 90% credibility limit on the half-life T1 /2>6.5 ×1020 yr. We have also evaluated the sensitivity of the XENON1T experiment, which is currently being commissioned, and found a sensitivity of T1 /2>6.1 ×1022 yr after an exposure of 2 t yr .

Majorana CP-violating phases, RG running of neutrino mixing parameters and charged lepton flavour violating decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petcov, S. T.; Shindou, T.; Takanishi, Y.

2006-03-01

We consider the MSSM with see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation and soft SUSY breaking with flavour-universal boundary conditions at the GUT scale, in which the lepton flavour violating (LFV) decays μ→e+γ, τ→μ+γ, etc., are predicted with rates that can be within the reach of present and planned experiments. These predictions depend critically on the matrix of neutrino Yukawa couplings Y which can be expressed in terms of the light and heavy right-handed (RH) neutrino masses, neutrino mixing matrix U, and an orthogonal matrix R. We investigate the effects of Majorana CP-violation phases in U, and of the RG running of light neutrino masses and mixing angles from M to the RH Majorana neutrino mass scale M, on the predictions for the rates of LFV decays μ→e+γ, τ→μ+γ and τ→e+γ. The case of quasi-degenerate heavy RH Majorana neutrinos is considered. Results for neutrino mass spectrum with normal hierarchy, values of the lightest ν-mass in the range 0⩽m⩽0.30 eV, and in the cases of R=1 and complex matrix R≠1 are presented. We find that the effects of the Majorana CP-violation phases and of the RG evolution of neutrino mixing parameters can change by few orders of magnitude the predicted rates of the LFV decays μ→e+γ and τ→e+γ. The impact of these effects on the τ→μ+γ decay rate is typically smaller and only possible for m≳0.10 eV. If the RG running effects are negligible, in a large region of soft SUSY breaking parameter space the ratio of the branching ratios of the μ→e+γ and τ→e+γ ( τ→μ+γ) decays is entirely determined in the case of R≅1 by the values of the neutrino mixing parameters at M.

Status of the AMoRE Experiment Searching for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Using Low-Temperature Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, H. S.; Choi, S.; Danevich, F. A.; Fleischmann, A.; Jeon, J. A.; Kang, C. S.; Kang, W. G.; Kim, G. B.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, H. L.; Kim, I.; Kim, S. K.; Kim, S. R.; Kim, Y. H.; Kim, Y. D.; Kornoukhov, V.; Kwon, D. H.; Lee, C.; Lee, H. J.; Lee, M. K.; Lee, S. H.; Oh, S. Y.; So, J. H.; Yoon, Y. S.

2018-05-01

The goal of the Advanced Mo-based Rare process Experiment (AMoRE) is to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of ^{100} Mo using low-temperature detectors consisting of Mo-based scintillating crystals read out via metallic magnetic calorimeters. Heat and light signals are measured simultaneously at millikelvin temperatures, which are reached using a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator. The AMoRE-Pilot experiment, using six ^{100} Mo-enriched, ^{48} Ca-depleted calcium molybdate crystals with a total mass of about 1.9 kg, has been running in the 700-m-deep Yangyang underground laboratory as the pilot phase of the AMoRE project. Several setup improvements through different runs allowed us to achieve a high energy resolution and an efficient particle discrimination. This article briefly presents the status of the AMoRE-Pilot experiment, as well as the plans for the next, larger-scale, experimental stages.

First Result on the Neutrinoless Double-β Decay of Se 82 with CUPID-0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzolini, O.; Barrera, M. T.; Beeman, J. W.; Bellini, F.; Beretta, M.; Biassoni, M.; Brofferio, C.; Bucci, C.; Canonica, L.; Capelli, S.; Cardani, L.; Carniti, P.; Casali, N.; Cassina, L.; Clemenza, M.; Cremonesi, O.; Cruciani, A.; D'Addabbo, A.; Dafinei, I.; Di Domizio, S.; Ferroni, F.; Gironi, L.; Giuliani, A.; Gorla, P.; Gotti, C.; Keppel, G.; Marini, L.; Martinez, M.; Morganti, S.; Nagorny, S.; Nastasi, M.; Nisi, S.; Nones, C.; Orlandi, D.; Pagnanini, L.; Pallavicini, M.; Palmieri, V.; Pattavina, L.; Pavan, M.; Pessina, G.; Pettinacci, V.; Pirro, S.; Pozzi, S.; Previtali, E.; Puiu, A.; Reindl, F.; Rusconi, C.; Schäffner, K.; Tomei, C.; Vignati, M.; Zolotarova, A. S.

2018-06-01

We report the result of the search for neutrinoless double beta decay of Se 82 obtained with CUPID-0, the first large array of scintillating Zn Se 82 cryogenic calorimeters implementing particle identification. We observe no signal in a 1.83 kg yr Se 82 exposure, and we set the most stringent lower limit on the 0 ν β β Se 82 half-life T1/2 0 ν>2.4 ×1024 yr (90% credible interval), which corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass mβ β<(376 - 770 ) meV depending on the nuclear matrix element calculations. The heat-light readout provides a powerful tool for the rejection of α particles and allows us to suppress the background in the region of interest down to (3.6-1.4+1.9)×10-3 counts /(keV kg yr ) , an unprecedented level for this technique.

Exploring the hidden interior of the Earth with directional neutrino measurements

DOE PAGES

Leyton, Michael; Dye, Stephen; Monroe, Jocelyn

2017-07-10

Roughly 40% of the Earth’s total heat flow is powered by radioactive decays in the crust and mantle. Geo-neutrinos produced by these decays provide important clues about the origin, formation and thermal evolution of our planet, as well as the composition of its interior. Previous measurements of geo-neutrinos have all relied on the detection of inverse beta decay reactions, which are insensitive to the contribution from potassium and do not provide model-independent information about the spatial distribution of geo-neutrino sources within the Earth. Here in this paper we present a method for measuring previously unresolved components of Earth’s radiogenic heatingmore » using neutrino-electron elastic scattering and low-background, direction-sensitive tracking detectors.We calculate the exposures needed to probe various contributions to the total geo-neutrino flux, specifically those associated to potassium, the mantle and the core. The measurements proposed here chart a course for pioneering exploration of the veiled inner workings of the Earth.« less

Exploring the hidden interior of the Earth with directional neutrino measurements.

PubMed

Leyton, Michael; Dye, Stephen; Monroe, Jocelyn

2017-07-10

Roughly 40% of the Earth's total heat flow is powered by radioactive decays in the crust and mantle. Geo-neutrinos produced by these decays provide important clues about the origin, formation and thermal evolution of our planet, as well as the composition of its interior. Previous measurements of geo-neutrinos have all relied on the detection of inverse beta decay reactions, which are insensitive to the contribution from potassium and do not provide model-independent information about the spatial distribution of geo-neutrino sources within the Earth. Here we present a method for measuring previously unresolved components of Earth's radiogenic heating using neutrino-electron elastic scattering and low-background, direction-sensitive tracking detectors. We calculate the exposures needed to probe various contributions to the total geo-neutrino flux, specifically those associated to potassium, the mantle and the core. The measurements proposed here chart a course for pioneering exploration of the veiled inner workings of the Earth.

Exploring the hidden interior of the Earth with directional neutrino measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leyton, Michael; Dye, Stephen; Monroe, Jocelyn

Roughly 40% of the Earth’s total heat flow is powered by radioactive decays in the crust and mantle. Geo-neutrinos produced by these decays provide important clues about the origin, formation and thermal evolution of our planet, as well as the composition of its interior. Previous measurements of geo-neutrinos have all relied on the detection of inverse beta decay reactions, which are insensitive to the contribution from potassium and do not provide model-independent information about the spatial distribution of geo-neutrino sources within the Earth. Here in this paper we present a method for measuring previously unresolved components of Earth’s radiogenic heatingmore » using neutrino-electron elastic scattering and low-background, direction-sensitive tracking detectors.We calculate the exposures needed to probe various contributions to the total geo-neutrino flux, specifically those associated to potassium, the mantle and the core. The measurements proposed here chart a course for pioneering exploration of the veiled inner workings of the Earth.« less

Exploring the hidden interior of the Earth with directional neutrino measurements

PubMed Central

Leyton, Michael; Dye, Stephen; Monroe, Jocelyn

2017-01-01

Roughly 40% of the Earth’s total heat flow is powered by radioactive decays in the crust and mantle. Geo-neutrinos produced by these decays provide important clues about the origin, formation and thermal evolution of our planet, as well as the composition of its interior. Previous measurements of geo-neutrinos have all relied on the detection of inverse beta decay reactions, which are insensitive to the contribution from potassium and do not provide model-independent information about the spatial distribution of geo-neutrino sources within the Earth. Here we present a method for measuring previously unresolved components of Earth’s radiogenic heating using neutrino-electron elastic scattering and low-background, direction-sensitive tracking detectors. We calculate the exposures needed to probe various contributions to the total geo-neutrino flux, specifically those associated to potassium, the mantle and the core. The measurements proposed here chart a course for pioneering exploration of the veiled inner workings of the Earth. PMID:28691700

Beta-decay spectroscopy relevant to the r-process nucleosynthesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nishimura, Shunji; Collaboration: RIBF Decay Collaboration

2012-11-12

A scientific program of beta-decay spectroscopy relevant to r-process nucleosynthesis has been started using high intensity U-beam at the RIBF. The first results of {beta}-decay half-lives of very neutron-rich Kr to Tc nuclides, all of which lie close to the r-process path, suggest a systematic enhancement of the the {beta}-decay rates of the Zr and Nb isotopes around A110 with respect to the predictions of the deformed quasiparticle-random-phase-approximation model (FRDM + QRPA). An impact of the results on the astrophysical r-process is discussed together with the future perspective of the {beta}-decay spectroscopy with the EURICA.

Determining the neutrino mass with cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy—Project 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashtari Esfahani, Ali; Asner, David M.; Böser, Sebastian; Cervantes, Raphael; Claessens, Christine; de Viveiros, Luiz; Doe, Peter J.; Doeleman, Shepard; Fernandes, Justin L.; Fertl, Martin; Finn, Erin C.; Formaggio, Joseph A.; Furse, Daniel; Guigue, Mathieu; Heeger, Karsten M.; Jones, A. Mark; Kazkaz, Kareem; Kofron, Jared A.; Lamb, Callum; LaRoque, Benjamin H.; Machado, Eric; McBride, Elizabeth L.; Miller, Michael L.; Monreal, Benjamin; Mohanmurthy, Prajwal; Nikkel, James A.; Oblath, Noah S.; Pettus, Walter C.; Hamish Robertson, R. G.; Rosenberg, Leslie J.; Rybka, Gray; Rysewyk, Devyn; Saldaña, Luis; Slocum, Penny L.; Sternberg, Matthew G.; Tedeschi, Jonathan R.; Thümmler, Thomas; VanDevender, Brent A.; E Vertatschitsch, Laura; Wachtendonk, Megan; Weintroub, Jonathan; Woods, Natasha L.; Young, André; Zayas, Evan M.

2017-05-01

The most sensitive direct method to establish the absolute neutrino mass is observation of the endpoint of the tritium beta-decay spectrum. Cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) is a precision spectrographic technique that can probe much of the unexplored neutrino mass range with { O }({eV}) resolution. A lower bound of m({ν }e)≳ 9(0.1) {meV} is set by observations of neutrino oscillations, while the KATRIN experiment—the current-generation tritium beta-decay experiment that is based on magnetic adiabatic collimation with an electrostatic (MAC-E) filter—will achieve a sensitivity of m({ν }e)≲ 0.2 {eV}. The CRES technique aims to avoid the difficulties in scaling up a MAC-E filter-based experiment to achieve a lower mass sensitivity. In this paper we review the current status of the CRES technique and describe Project 8, a phased absolute neutrino mass experiment that has the potential to reach sensitivities down to m({ν }e)≲ 40 {meV} using an atomic tritium source.

Dark matter searches for monoenergetic neutrinos arising from stopped meson decay in the Sun

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rott, Carsten; In, Seongjin; Kumar, Jason

Dark matter can be gravitationally captured by the Sun after scattering off solar nuclei. Annihilations of the dark matter trapped and accumulated in the centre of the Sun could result in one of the most detectable and recognizable signals for dark matter. Searches for high-energy neutrinos produced in the decay of annihilation products have yielded extremely competitive constraints on the spin-dependent scattering cross sections of dark matter with nuclei. Recently, the low energy neutrino signal arising from dark-matter annihilation to quarks which then hadronize and shower has been suggested as a competitive and complementary search strategy. These high-multiplicity hadronic showersmore » give rise to a large amount of pions which will come to rest in the Sun and decay, leading to a unique sub-GeV neutrino signal. We here improve on previous works by considering the monoenergetic neutrino signal arising from both pion and kaon decay. We consider searches at liquid scintillation, liquid argon, and water Cherenkov detectors and find very competitive sensitivities for few-GeV dark matter masses.« less

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Ultrahigh-energy neutrinos from astrophysical sources and superheavy particle decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryabov, Vladimir A.

2006-09-01

Problems in the fields of neutrino astronomy and ultrahigh-energy astrophysics are reviewed. Neutrino fluxes produced in various astrophysical sources (bottom-up acceleration scenarios) and resulting from the decay of superheavy particles (top-down scenarios) are considered. Neutrino oscillation processes and the absorption and regeneration of neutrinos inside the earth are analyzed and some other factors affecting the intensity and flavor composition of astrophysical neutrino fluxes are discussed. Details of ultrahigh-energy neutrino interactions are discussed within the Standard Model, as well as using nonstandard scenarios predicting an anomalous increase in the inelastic neutrino-nucleon cross section. Ultrahigh-energy neutrino detection techniques currently in use in new-generation neutrino telescopes and cosmic ray detectors are also discussed.

Particle physics meets cosmology - The search for decaying neutrinos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henry, R. C.

1982-01-01

The fundamental physical implications of the possible detection of massive neutrinos are discussed, with an emphasis on the Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) of matter. The Newtonian and general-relativistic pictures of the fundamental forces are compared, and the reduction of electromagnetic and weak forces to one force in the GUTs is explained. The cosmological consequences of the curved-spacetime gravitation concept are considered. Quarks, leptons, and neutrinos are characterized in a general treatment of elementary quantum mechanics. The universe is described in terms of quantized fields, the noninteractive 'particle' fields and the force fields, and cosmology becomes the study of the interaction of gravitation with the other fields, of the 'freezing out' of successive fields with the expansion and cooling of the universe. While the visible universe is the result of the clustering of the quark and electron fields, the distribution of the large number of quanta in neutrino field, like the mass of the neutrino, are unknown. Cosmological models which attribute anomalies in the observed motions of galaxies and stars to clusters or shells of massive neutrinos are shown to be consistent with a small but nonzero neutrino mass and a universe near the open/closed transition point, but direct detection of the presence of massive neutrinos by the UV emission of their decay is required to verify these hypotheses.

Determining the neutrino mass with cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy—Project 8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esfahani, Ali Ashtari; Asner, David M.; Böser, Sebastian

The most sensitive direct method to establish the absolute neutrino mass is observation of the endpoint of the tritium beta-decay spectrum. Cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) is a precision spectrographic technique that can probe much of the unexplored neutrino mass range withmore » $${ \\mathcal O }(\\mathrm{eV})$$ resolution. A lower bound of $$m({\

Determining the neutrino mass with cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy—Project 8

DOE PAGES

Esfahani, Ali Ashtari; Asner, David M.; Böser, Sebastian; ...

2017-03-30

The most sensitive direct method to establish the absolute neutrino mass is observation of the endpoint of the tritium beta-decay spectrum. Cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) is a precision spectrographic technique that can probe much of the unexplored neutrino mass range withmore » $${ \\mathcal O }(\\mathrm{eV})$$ resolution. A lower bound of $$m({\

New simple A{sub 4} neutrino model for nonzero {theta}{sub 13} and large {delta}{sub CP}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishimori, Hajime

In a new simple application of the non-Abelian discrete symmetry A{sub 4} to charged-lepton and neutrino mass matrices, we show that for the current experimental central value of sin{sup 2} 2{theta}{sub 13} Asymptotically-Equal-To 0.1, leptonic CP violation is necessarily large, i.e. Double-Vertical-Line tan{delta}{sub CP} Double-Vertical-Line > 1.3. We also consider T{sub 7} model with one parameter to be complex, thus allowing for one Dirac CP phase {delta}{sub CP} and two Majorana CP phases {alpha}{sub 1,2}. We find a slight modification to this correlation as a function of {delta}{sub CP}. For a given set of input values of {Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 21},more » {Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 32}, {theta}{sub 12}, and {theta}{sub 13}, we obtain sin{sup 2} 2{theta}{sub 23} and m{sub ee} (the effective Majorana neutrino mass in neutrinoless double beta decay) as functions of tan {delta}{sub CP}. We find that the structure of this model always yields small Double-Vertical-Line tan {delta}{sub CP} Double-Vertical-Line .« less

New precision measurements of free neutron beta decay with cold neutrons

DOE PAGES

Baeßler, Stefan; Bowman, James David; Penttilä, Seppo I.; ...

2014-10-14

Precision measurements in free neutron beta decay serve to determine the coupling constants of beta decay, and offer several stringent tests of the standard model. This study describes the free neutron beta decay program planned for the Fundamental Physics Beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and finally puts it into the context of other recent and planned measurements of neutron beta decay observables.

Constraining secret gauge interactions of neutrinos by meson decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhti, P.; Farzan, Y.

2017-05-01

Secret coupling of neutrinos to a new light vector boson, Z', with a mass smaller than 100 MeV is motivated within a myriad of scenarios which are designed to explain various anomalies in particle physics and cosmology. Due to the longitudinal component of the massive vector boson, the rates of three-body decay of charged mesons (M ) such as the pion and the kaon to the light lepton plus neutrino and Z' (M →l ν Z') are enhanced by a factor of (mM/mZ')2. On the other hand, the standard two body decay M →l ν is suppressed by a factor of (ml/mM)2 due to chirality. We show that in the case of (M →e ν Z'), the enhancement of mM4/me2mZ'2˜1 0 8-1 010 relative to two-body decay (M →e ν ) enables us to probe very small values of gauge coupling for νe. The strongest bound comes from the RK≡Br (K →e +ν )/Br (K →μ +ν ) measurement in the NA62 experiment. The bound can be significantly improved by customized searches for signals of three-body charged meson decay into the positron plus missing energy in the NA62 and/or PIENU data.

Beta-spectrometer with Si-detectors for the study of 144Ce-144Pr decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, I. E.; Bakhlanov, S. V.; Bazlov, N. V.; Chmel, E. A.; Derbin, A. V.; Drachnev, I. S.; Kotina, I. M.; Muratova, V. N.; Pilipenko, N. V.; Semyonov, D. A.; Unzhakov, E. V.; Yeremin, V. K.

2018-05-01

Here we present the specifications of a newly developed beta-spectrometer, based on full absorption Si(Li) detector and thin transmission detector, allowing one to perform efficient separation beta-radiation and accompanying X-rays and gamma radiation. Our method is based on registration of coincident events from both detectors. The spectrometer can be used for precision measurements of various beta-spectra, namely for the beta-spectrum shape study of 144Pr, which is considered to be an advantageous anti-neutrino source for sterile neutrino searches.

Neutron capture cross-section studies of Tellurium isotopes for neutrinoless double beta decay applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhike, Megha; Tornow, Werner

2014-09-01

The CUORE detector at Gran Sasso, aimed at searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 130Te, employs an array of TeO2 bolometer modules. To understand and identify the contribution of muon and (α,n) induced neutrons to the CUORE background, fast neutron cature cross-section data of the tellurium isotopes 126Te, 128Te and 130Te have been measured with the activation method at eight different energies in the neutron energy range 0.5-7.5 MeV. Plastic pill boxes of diameter 1.6 cm and width 1 cm containing Te were irradiated with mono-energetic neutrons produced via the 3H(p,n)3He and 2H(d,n)3He reactions. The cross-sections were determined relative to the 197Au(n, γ)198Au and 115In(n,n')115m In standard cross sections. The activities of the products were measured using 60% lead-shielded HPGe detectors at TUNL's low background counting facility. The present results are compared with the evaluated data from TENDL-2012, ENDF/B-VII.1, JEFF-3.2 and JENDL-4.0, as well as with literature data.

Improved description of the 2 ν β β -decay and a possibility to determine the effective axial-vector coupling constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šimkovic, Fedor; Dvornický, Rastislav; Štefánik, Dušan; Faessler, Amand

2018-03-01

An improved formalism of the two-neutrino double-beta decay (2 ν β β -decay) rate is presented, which takes into account the dependence of energy denominators on lepton energies via the Taylor expansion. Until now, only the leading term in this expansion has been considered. The revised 2 ν β β -decay rate and differential characteristics depend on additional phase-space factors weighted by the ratios of 2 ν β β -decay nuclear matrix elements with different powers of the energy denominator. For nuclei of experimental interest all phase-space factors are calculated by using exact Dirac wave functions with finite nuclear size and electron screening. For isotopes with measured 2 ν β β -decay half-life the involved nuclear matrix elements are determined within the quasiparticle random-phase approximation with partial isospin restoration. The importance of correction terms to the 2 ν β β -decay rate due to Taylor expansion is established and the modification of shape of single and summed electron energy distributions is discussed. It is found that the improved calculation of the 2 ν β β -decay predicts slightly suppressed 2 ν β β -decay background to the neutrinoless double-beta decay signal. Furthermore, an approach to determine the value of effective weak-coupling constant in nuclear medium gAeff is proposed.

Baryon asymmetry from leptogenesis with four zero neutrino Yukawa textures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikary, Biswajit; Ghosal, Ambar; Roy, Probir

2011-01-01

The generation of the right amount of baryon asymmetry η of the Universe from supersymmetric leptogenesis is studied within the type-I seesaw framework with three heavy singlet Majorana neutrinos Ni (i = 1,2,3) and their superpartners. We assume the occurrence of four zeroes in the neutrino Yukawa coupling matrix Yν, taken to be μτ symmetric, in the weak basis where Ni (with real masses Mi > 0) and the charged leptons lα (α = e,μ,τ) are mass diagonal. The quadrant of the single nontrivial phase, allowed in the corresponding light neutrino mass matrix mν, gets fixed and additional constraints ensue from the requirement of matching η with its observed value. Special attention is paid to flavor effects in the washout of the lepton asymmetry. We also comment on the role of small departures from high scale μτ symmetry due to RG evolution.

The processing of enriched germanium for the Majorana   Demonstrator  and R&D for a next generation double-beta decay experiment

DOE PAGES

Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone III, F. T.; ...

2017-10-07

The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of point-contact Ge detectors fabricated from Ge isotopically enriched to 88% in 76Ge to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. The processing of Ge for germanium detectors is a well-known technology. However, because of the high cost of Ge enriched in 76Ge special procedures were required to maximize the yield of detector mass and to minimize exposure to cosmic rays. These procedures include careful accounting for the material; shielding it to reduce cosmogenic generation of radioactive isotopes; and development of special reprocessing techniques for contaminated solid germanium, shavings, grindings, acid etchant and cutting fluidsmore » from detector fabrication. Processing procedures were developed that resulted in a total yield in detector mass of 70%. However, none of the acid-etch solution and only 50% of the cutting fluids from detector fabrication were reprocessed. Had they been processed, the projections for the recovery yield would be between 80% and 85%. Maximizing yield is critical to justify a possible future ton-scale experiment. A process for recovery of germanium from the acid-etch solution was developed with yield of about 90%. All material was shielded or stored underground whenever possible to minimize the formation of 68Ge by cosmic rays, which contributes background in the double-beta decay region of interest and cannot be removed by zone refinement and crystal growth. Formation of 68Ge was reduced by a significant factor over that in natural abundance detectors not protected from cosmic rays.« less

What can we learn on supernova neutrino spectra with water Cherenkov detectors?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallo Rosso, Andrea; Vissani, Francesco; Volpe, Maria Cristina

2018-04-01

We investigate the precision with which the supernova neutrino spectra can be reconstructed in water Cherenkov detectors, in particular the large scale Hyper-Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande. To this aim, we consider quasi-thermal neutrino spectra modified by the Mikheev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect for the case of normal ordering. We perform three 9 degrees of freedom likelihood analyses including first inverse-beta decay only, then the combination of inverse beta decay and elastic scattering on electrons and finally a third analysis that also includes neutral scattering neutrino-oxygen events. A tenth parameter is added in the analyses to account for the theoretical uncertainty on the neutral current neutrino-oxygen cross section. By assuming a 100% efficiency in Hyper-Kamiokande, we show that one can reconstruct the electron antineutrino average energy and pinching parameter with an accuracy of ~2% and ~7% percent respectively, while the antineutrino integrated luminosity can be pinned down at ~3% percent level. As for the muon and tau neutrinos, the average energy and the integrated luminosity can be measured with ~7% precision. These results represent a significant improvement with respect Super-Kamiokande, particularly for the pinching parameter defining the electron antineutrino spectra. As for electron neutrinos, the determination of the emission parameters requires the addition of supplementary detection channels.

Can neutrino decay-driven mock gravity save hot dark matter?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Splinter, Randall J.; Melott, Adrian L.

1992-01-01

The radiative decay of a 30 eV neutrino with a lifetime of order 10 exp 23-24 s has recently been shown to yield a satisfactory explanation of a wide range of problems in astrophysics. In this paper, it is investigated whether the photon flux generated by the radiative decay of a massive neutrino is capable of generating sufficient radiation pressure to cause a 'mock gravitational' collapse of primordial hydrogen clouds. It is shown that when using neutral hydrogen as a source of opacity for mock gravity the time scale for mock gravitational collapse is significantly larger than the expansion time scale. Thus, the model fails as a source of galactic seed perturbations. Furthermore, it is argued that nonlinear feedback mechanisms will be unable to increase the collapse rate of the cloud under mock gravity.

Search for double-beta decay of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba with the KamLAND-Zen experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakura, K.; Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Hachiya, T.; Hayashida, S.; Ikeda, H.; Inoue, K.; Ishidoshiro, K.; Ishikawa, T.; Ishio, S.; Koga, M.; Matsuda, S.; Mitsui, T.; Motoki, D.; Nakamura, K.; Obara, S.; Otani, M.; Oura, T.; Shimizu, I.; Shirahata, Y.; Shirai, J.; Suzuki, A.; Tachibana, H.; Tamae, K.; Ueshima, K.; Watanabe, H.; Xu, B. D.; Yoshida, H.; Kozlov, A.; Takemoto, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Fushimi, K.; Banks, T. I.; Berger, B. E.; Fujikawa, B. K.; O'Donnell, T.; Winslow, L. A.; Efremenko, Y.; Karwowski, H. J.; Markoff, D. M.; Tornow, W.; Detwiler, J. A.; Enomoto, S.; Decowski, M. P.

2016-02-01

A search for double-beta decays of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba has been performed with the first phase data set of the KamLAND-Zen experiment. The 01+, 21+ and 22+ transitions of 0 νββ decay were evaluated in an exposure of 89.5 kg ṡyr of 136Xe, while the same transitions of 2 νββ decay were evaluated in an exposure of 61.8 kg ṡyr. No excess over background was found for all decay modes. The lower half-life limits of the 21+ state transitions of 0 νββ and 2 νββ decay were improved to T1/20ν (0+ →21+) > 2.6 ×1025 yr and T1/22ν (0+ →21+) > 4.6 ×1023 yr (90% C.L.), respectively. We report on the first experimental lower half-life limits for the transitions to the 01+ state of 136Xe for 0 νββ and 2 νββ decay. They are T1/20ν (0+ →01+) > 2.4 ×1025 yr and T1/22ν (0+ → 01+) > 8.3 ×1023 yr (90% C.L.). The transitions to the 22+ states are also evaluated for the first time to be T1/20ν (0+ →22+) > 2.6 ×1025 yr and T1/22ν (0+ →22+) > 9.0 ×1023 yr (90% C.L.). These results are compared to recent theoretical predictions.

Probing neutrino mass hierarchy by comparing the charged-current and neutral-current interaction rates of supernova neutrinos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lai, Kwang-Chang; Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics; Lee, Fei-Fan

2016-07-22

The neutrino mass hierarchy is one of the neutrino fundamental properties yet to be determined. We introduce a method to determine neutrino mass hierarchy by comparing the interaction rate of neutral current (NC) interactions, ν(ν-bar)+p→ν(ν-bar)+p, and inverse beta decays (IBD), ν-bar{sub e}+p→n+e{sup +}, of supernova neutrinos in scintillation detectors. Neutrino flavor conversions inside the supernova are sensitive to neutrino mass hierarchy. Due to Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effects, the full swapping of ν-bar{sub e} flux with the ν-bar{sub x} (x=μ, τ) one occurs in the inverted hierarchy, while such a swapping does not occur in the normal hierarchy. As a result, more highmore » energy IBD events occur in the detector for the inverted hierarchy than the high energy IBD events in the normal hierarchy. By comparing IBD interaction rate with the mass hierarchy independent NC interaction rate, one can determine the neutrino mass hierarchy.« less

Probing neutrino mass hierarchy by comparing the charged-current and neutral-current interaction rates of supernova neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Kwang-Chang; Lee, Fei-Fan; Lee, Feng-Shiuh; Lin, Guey-Lin; Liu, Tsung-Che; Yang, Yi

2016-07-01

The neutrino mass hierarchy is one of the neutrino fundamental properties yet to be determined. We introduce a method to determine neutrino mass hierarchy by comparing the interaction rate of neutral current (NC) interactions, ν(bar nu) + p → ν(bar nu) + p, and inverse beta decays (IBD), bar nue + p → n + e+, of supernova neutrinos in scintillation detectors. Neutrino flavor conversions inside the supernova are sensitive to neutrino mass hierarchy. Due to Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effects, the full swapping of bar nue flux with the bar nux (x = μ, τ) one occurs in the inverted hierarchy, while such a swapping does not occur in the normal hierarchy. As a result, more high energy IBD events occur in the detector for the inverted hierarchy than the high energy IBD events in the normal hierarchy. By comparing IBD interaction rate with the mass hierarchy independent NC interaction rate, one can determine the neutrino mass hierarchy.

Seesaw at Lhc Through Left-Right Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senjanović, Goran

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 left-right symmetric theories, which led originally to neutrino mass and 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. Moreover, LHC can measure the masses of the right-handed neutrinos and the right-handed leptonic mixing matrix, which could in turn be used to predict the rates for neutrinoless double decay and lepton flavor violating violating processes. The LR scale at the LHC energies offers great hope of observing these low energy processes in the present and upcoming experiments.

Questions Students Ask: Beta Decay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koss, Jordan; Hartt, Kenneth

1988-01-01

Answers a student's question about the emission of a positron from a nucleus. Discusses the problem from the aspects of the uncertainty principle, beta decay, the Fermi Theory, and modern physics. (YP)

Physics capabilities of the SNO+ experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arushanova, E.; Back, A. R.; SNO+ Collaboration

2017-09-01

SNO+ will soon enter its first phase of physics data-taking. The Canadian-based detector forms part of the SNOLAB underground facility, in a Sudbury nickel mine; its location providing more than two kilometres of rock overburden. We present an overview of the SNO+ experiment and its physics capabilities. Our primary goal is the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, where our expected sensitivity would place an upper limit of 1.9 × 1026 y, at 90% CL, on the half-life of neutrinoless double-beta decay in 130Te. We also intend to build on the success of SNO by studying the solar neutrino spectrum. In the unloaded scintillator phase SNO+ has the ability to make precision measurements of the fluxes of low-energy pep neutrinos and neutrinos from the CNO cycle. Other physics goals include: determining the spectrum of reactor antineutrinos, to further constrain Δ {m}122; detecting neutrinos produced by a galactic supernova and investigating certain modes of nucleon decay.

Change of Nuclear Configurations in the Neutrinoless Double-β Decay of 130Te → 130Xe and 136Xe → 136Ba

DOE PAGES

Entwisle, J. P.; Kay, B. P.; Tamii, A.; ...

2016-06-13

The change in the configuration of valence protons between the initial and final states in the neutrinoless double-beta decay of Te-130 -> Xe-130 and of Xe-136 -> Ba-136 has been determined by measuring the cross sections of the (d,He-3) reaction with 101-MeV deuterons. Together with our recent determination of the relevant neutron configurations involved in the process, a quantitative comparison with the latest shell-model and interacting-boson-model calculations reveals significant discrepancies. These are the same calculations used to determine the nuclear matrix elements governing the rate of neutrinoless double-beta decay in these systems.

Determination of the direct double- β -decay Q value of Zr 96 and atomic masses of Zr 90 - 92 , 94 , 96 and Mo 92 , 94 - 98 , 100

DOE PAGES

Gulyuz, K.; Ariche, J.; Bollen, G.; ...

2015-05-06

Experimental searches for neutrinoless double-β decay offer one of the best opportunities to look for physics beyond the standard model. Detecting this decay would confirm the Majorana nature of the neutrino, and a measurement of its half-life can be used to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale. Important to both tasks is an accurate knowledge of the Q value of the double-β decay. The LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometer was used for the first direct experimental determination of the ⁹⁶Zr double-β decay Q value: Q ββ=3355.85(15) keV. This value is nearly 7 keV larger than the 2012 Atomic Mass Evaluationmore » [M. Wang et al., Chin. Phys. C 36, 1603 (2012)] value and one order of magnitude more precise. The 3-σ shift is primarily due to a more accurate measurement of the ⁹⁶Zr atomic mass: m(⁹⁶Zr)=95.90827735(17) u. Using the new Q value, the 2νββ-decay matrix element, |M 2ν|, is calculated. Improved determinations of the atomic masses of all other zirconium ( 90-92,94,96Zr) and molybdenum ( 92,94-98,100Mo) isotopes using both ¹²C₈ and ⁸⁷Rb as references are also reported.« less

PREFACE: 1st Franco-Algerian Workshop on Neutrino Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mebarki, N.; Mimouni, J.; Vanucci, F.; Aissaoui, H.

2015-04-01

Standard Model of particle physics. The various contributions covered in this scientific meeting lie between oral and posters presentations including many specialized topics like neutrinos' oscillations, the various large experiments like Borexino and Opera, the geo-neutrinos, as more theoretical topics like Majorana neutrinos and the double beta decay, anomalies in neutrino physics, neutrino models beyond the standard model and in curved space-time. We hope that putting in print the various contributions to this exciting meeting will be a valuable contribution to the literature to both professional as well as young researchers in neutrino physics. This workshop couldn't have taken place without the generous and unfaltering support of the DGRSTD which fully financed it through its various stages. Editors Profs. The editors: Mebarki N., Mimouni J., Vanucci F., Aissaoui H.

Capturing Neutrinos from a Star's Final Hours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hensley, Kerry

2018-04-01

Patton (University of Washington) and collaborators first used a stellar evolution model to explore neutrino production in massive stars. They modeled the evolution of two massive stars 15 and 30 times the mass of our Sun from the onset of nuclear fusion to the moment of collapse.The authors found that in the last few hours before collapse, during which the material in the stars cores is rapidly upcycled into heavier elements, the flux from beta-process neutrinos rivals that of thermal neutrinos and even exceeds it at high energies. So now we know there are many beta-process neutrinos but can we spot them?Neutrino and antineutrino fluxes at Earth from the last 2 hours of a 30-solar-mass stars life compared to the flux from background sources. The rows represent calculations using two different neutrino mass hierarchies. Click to enlarge. [Patton et al. 2017]Observing Elusive NeutrinosFor an imminent supernova at a distance of 1 kiloparsec, the authors find that the presupernova electron neutrino flux rises above the background noise from the Sun, nuclear reactors, and radioactive decay within the Earth in the final two hours before collapse.Based on these calculations, current and future neutrino observatories should be able to detect tens of neutrinos from a supernova within 1 kiloparsec, about 30% of which would be beta-process neutrinos. As the distance to the star increases, the time and energy window within which neutrinos can be observed gradually narrows, until it closes for stars at a distance of about 30 kiloparsecs.Are there any nearby supergiants soon to go supernova so these predictions can be tested? At a distance of only 650 light-years, the red supergiant star Betelgeuse should produce detectable neutrinos when it explodes an exciting opportunity for astronomers in the far future!CitationKelly M. Patton et al 2017ApJ8516. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa95c4

Investigations of 2β decay of {sup 106}Cd and {sup 58}Ni with HPGe spectrometer OBELIX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rukhadze, E.; Fajt, L.; Hodák, R.

2015-08-17

Investigations of double beta decay processes to excited states of daughter nuclei were performed at the Modane underground laboratory (LSM, France, 4800 m w.e.) using the high sensitivity spectrometer OBELIX [1], which is a common activity of JINR Dubna, IEAP CTU in Prague and LSM. The spectrometer is based on the HPGe detector with the sensitive volume of 600 cm{sup 3} and relative efficiency of 160%. Investigation of resonant neutrino-less double electron capture of {sup 106}Cd was performed with ∼23.2 g of {sup 106}Cd (enrichment of 99.57%) during ∼17 days. The experiment with natural Ni (∼21.7 kg of mass) was also carried out duringmore » ∼47 days. The preliminary experimental limits for 0νEC/EC resonant decay to the excited states of {sup 106}Pd and different modes of β β decay {sup 58}Ni are presented.« less

Limits to the radiative decays of neutrinos and axions from gamma-ray observations of SN 1987A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolb, Edward W.; Turner, Michael S.

1989-01-01

Gamma-ray observations obtained by the SMM gamma-ray spectrometer in the energy range 4.1-6.4 MeV are used to provide limits on the possible radiative decay of neutrinos and axions emitted by SN 1987A. For branching ratio values for the radiative decay modes of less than about 0.0001, the present limits are more stringent than those based upon the photon flux from decaying relic neutrinos. The data are also used to set an axion mass limit.

Measurement of scintillation and ionization yield with high-pressure gaseous mixtures of Xe and TMA for improved neutrinoless double beta decay and dark matter searches

DOE PAGES

Nakajima, Y.; Goldschmidt, A.; Matis, H. S.; ...

2016-03-18

The gaseous Xenon(Xe) time projection chamber (TPC) is an attractive detector technique for neutrinoless double beta decay and WIMP dark matter searches. While it is less dense compared to Liquid Xe detectors, it has intrinsic advantages in tracking capability and better energy resolution. The performance of gaseous Xe can be further improved by molecular additives such as trimethylamine(TMA), which is expected to (1) cool down the ionization electrons, (2) convert Xe excitation energy to TMA ionizations through Penning transfer, and (3) produce scintillation and electroluminescence light in a more easily detectable wavelength (300 nm). In order to test the feasibilitymore » of the performance improvements with TMA, in this paper we made the first direct measurement of Penning and fluorescence transfer efficiency with gaseous mixtures of Xe and TMA. While we observed a Penning transfer efficiency up to ~35%, we found strong suppression of primary scintillation light with TMA. We also found that the primary scintillation light with Xe and TMA mixture can be well characterized by ~3% fluorescence transfer from Xe to TMA, with further suppression due to TMA self-quenching. No evidence of the scintillation light produced by recombination of TMA ions was found. This strong suppression of scintillation light makes dark matter searches quite challenging, while the possibility of improved neutrinoless double beta decay searches remains open. Finally, this work has been carried out within the context of the NEXT collaboration.« less

The beta(+) decay and cosmic-ray half-life of Mn-54

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dacruz, M. T. F.; Norman, E. B.; Chan, Y. D.; Garcia, A.; Larimer, R. M.; Lesko, K. T.; Stokstad, R. G.; Wietfeldt, F. E.

1993-03-01

We performed a search for the beta(+) branch of Mn-54 decay. As a cosmic ray, Mn-54, deprived of its atomic electrons, can decay only via beta(+) and beta(-) decay, with a half-life of the order of 106 yr. This turns Mn-54 into a suitable cosmic chronometer for the study of cosmic-ray confinement times. We searched for coincident back-to-back 511-keV gamma-rays using two germanium detectors inside a Nal(Tl) annulus. An upper limit of 2 x 10-8 was found for the beta(+) decay branch, corresponding to a lower limit of 13.7 for the log ft value.

Measurement of theta13 in the double Chooz experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Guang

Neutrino oscillation has been established for over a decade. The mixing angle theta13 is one of the parameters that is most difficult to measure due to its small value. Currently, reactor antineutrino experiments provide the best knowledge of theta13, using the electron antineutrino disappearance phenomenon. The most compelling advantage is the high intensity of the reactor antineutrino rate. The Double Chooz experiment, located on the border of France and Belgium, is such an experiment, which aims to have one of the most precise theta 13 measurements in the world. Double Chooz has a single-detector phase and a double-detector phase. For the single-detector phase, the limit of the theta 13 sensitivity comes mostly from the reactor flux. However, the uncertainty on the reactor flux is highly suppressed in the double-detector phase. Oscillation analyses for the two phases have different strategies but need similar inputs, including background estimation, detection systematics evaluation, energy reconstruction and so on. The Double Chooz detectors are filled with gadolinium (Gd) doped liquid scintillator and use the inverse beta decay (IBD) signal so that for each phase, there are two independent theta13 measurements based on different neutron capturer (Gd or hydrogen). Multiple oscillation analyses are performed to provide the best 13 results. In addition to the 13 measurement, Double Chooz is also an excellent \\playground" to do diverse physics research. For example, a 252Cf calibration source study has been done to understand the spontaneous decay of this radioactive source. Further, Double Chooz also has the ability to do a sterile neutrino search in a certain mass region. Moreover, some new physics ideas can be tested in Double Chooz. In this thesis, the detailed methods to provide precise theta13 measurement will be described and the other physics topics will be introduced.

A search for radiative neutrino decay from supernovae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Richard S.; Svoboda, Robert C.

1993-01-01

This document presents the data analysis procedures proposed for use with the COMPTEL instrument aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) in the search for radiative neutrino decay from supernovae. The proposed analysis methodology is an extension of a standard procedure used by the COMPTEL team in searching for a variety of source types. We have applied the procedures to a set of simulated data to demonstrate the feasibility of the method to this project.

Axion-familon model with a harmless 17 keV neutrino

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Ann E.

1985-09-01

A model is discussed in which e + τ-μ emerges as an approximate, but very good, accidental symmetry of the lepton mass matrices. Consequently a heavy neutrino can be accommodated without conflicts with νμ oscillation or neutrinoless double β decay data. The model has a Goldstone boson which may be interpreted as the axion, the majoron, or a familon. The decay of the heavy neutrino can proceed at a rate just compatible with cosmology if the K+ --> π+ + Goldstone boson branching ratio is at the present experimental limit. Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows.

Physics Division annual report, 1 January-31 December 1984

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1985-10-01

A brief overview of each of the several areas of research is given with a list of resulting publications. Areas of research include electron-positron annihilation, neutrino interactions, neutrinoless double beta decay of /sup 100/Mo, double beta decay of /sup 76/Ge, antiproton-proton interactions, right-handed gauge boson effects, muon decay asymmetry parameter measurements, supernovae detection, Nemesis search, and detector development. Areas of theoretical research include electroweak interactions, strong interactions, nonperturbative dynamics, supersymmetry, and cosmology and particle physics. 34 figs. (WRF)

The Majorana Demonstrator Status and Preliminary Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, C.-H.; Alvis, S. I.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone, F. T.; Barabash, A. S.; Barton, C. J.; Bertrand, F. E.; Bode, T.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, M.; Buuck, M.; Caldwell, T. S.; Chan, Y.-D.; Christofferson, C. D.; Chu, P.-H.; Cuesta, C.; Detwiler, J. A.; Dunagan, C.; Efremenko, Yu; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Gilliss, T.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M.; Gruszko, J.; Guinn, I. S.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Haufe, C. R.; Hehn, L.; Henning, R.; Hoppe, E. W.; Howe, M. A.; Keeter, K. J.; Kidd, M. F.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; Lopez, A. M.; Martin, R. D.; Massarczyk, R.; Meijer, S. J.; Mertens, S.; Myslik, J.; Othman, G.; Pettus, W.; Poon, A. W. P.; Radford, D. C.; Rager, J.; Reine, A. L.; Rielage, K.; Ruof, N. W.; Shanks, B.; Shirchenko, M.; Suriano, A. M.; Tedeschi, D.; Varner, R. L.; Vasilyev, S.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; White, B. R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wiseman, C.; Xu, W.; Yakushev, E.; Yumatov, V.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhu, B. Z.

2018-05-01

The MAJORANA Collaboration is using an array of high-purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. Searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay are understood to be the only viable experimental method for testing the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Observation of this decay would imply violation of lepton number, that neutrinos are Majorana in nature, and provide information on the neutrino mass. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR comprises 44.1 kg of p-type point-contact Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched in 76Ge) surrounded by a low-background shield system. The experiment achieved a high efficiency of converting raw Ge material to detectors and an unprecedented detector energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at Qββ. The MAJORANA collaboration began taking physics data in 2016. This paper summarizes key construction aspects of the Demonstrator and shows preliminary results from initial data.

Discovering intermediate mass sterile neutrinos through τ-→π-μ-e+ν (or ν ¯ ) decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, C. S.; López Castro, G.; Sahoo, Dibyakrupa

2017-10-01

Distinguishing the Dirac and Majorana nature of neutrinos remains one of the most important tasks in neutrino physics. By assuming that the τ-→π-μ-e+ν (or ν ¯ ) decay is resonantly enhanced by the exchange of an intermediate mass sterile neutrino N , we show that the energy spectrum of emitted pions and muons can be used to easily distinguish between the Dirac and Majorana nature of N . This method takes advantage of the fact that the flavor of light neutrinos is not identified in the tau decay under consideration. We find that it is particularly advantageous, because of no competing background events, to search for N in the mass range me+mμ≤mN≤mμ+mπ, where mX denotes the mass of particle X ∈{e ,μ ,π ,N }.

Analysis techniques for the evaluation of the neutrinoless double-β decay lifetime in 130Te with the CUORE-0 detector

DOE PAGES

Alduino, C.; Alfonso, K.; Artusa, D. R.; ...

2016-04-25

Here, we describe in detail the methods used to obtain the lower bound on the lifetime of neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay in 130Te and the associated limit on the effective Majorana mass of the neutrino using the CUORE-0 detector. CUORE-0 is a bolometric detector array located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso that was designed to validate the background reduction techniques developed for CUORE, a next-generation experiment scheduled to come online in 2016. CUORE-0 is also a competitive 0νββ decay search in its own right and functions as a platform to further develop the analysis tools and procedures tomore » be used in CUORE. These include data collection, event selection and processing, as well as an evaluation of signal efficiency. In particular, we describe the amplitude evaluation, thermal gain stabilization, energy calibration methods, and the analysis event selection used to create our final 0νββ search spectrum. We define our high level analysis procedures, with emphasis on the new insights gained and challenges encountered. We outline in detail our fitting methods near the hypothesized 0νββ decay peak and catalog the main sources of systematic uncertainty. Finally, we derive the 0νββ decay half-life limits previously reported for CUORE-0, T 0ν 1/2 > 2.7×10 24yr, and in combination with the Cuoricino limit, T 0ν 1/2 > 4.0×10 24yr.« less

Analysis techniques for the evaluation of the neutrinoless double- β decay lifetime in Te 130 with the CUORE-0 detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alduino, C.; Alfonso, K.; Artusa, D. R.

2016-04-25

We describe in detail the methods used to obtain the lower bound on the lifetime of neutrinoless double-beta ( 0 ν β β ) decay in 130 Te and the associated limit on the effective Majorana mass of the neutrino using the CUORE-0 detector. CUORE-0 is a bolometric detector array located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso that was designed to validate the background reduction techniques developed for CUORE, a next-generation experiment scheduled to come online in 2016. CUORE-0 is also a competitive 0 ν β β decay search in its own right and functions as a platform tomore » further develop the analysis tools and procedures to be used in CUORE. These include data collection, event selection and processing, as well as an evaluation of signal efficiency. In particular, we describe the amplitude evaluation, thermal gain stabilization, energy calibration methods, and the analysis event selection used to create our final 0 ν β β search spectrum. We define our high level analysis procedures, with emphasis on the new insights gained and challenges encountered. We outline in detail our fitting methods near the hypothesized 0 ν β β decay peak and catalog the main sources of systematic uncertainty. Finally, we derive the 0 ν β β decay half-life limits previously reported for CUORE-0, T 0 ν 1 / 2 > 2.7 × 10 24 yr , and in combination with the Cuoricino limit, T 0 ν 1 / 2 > 4.0 × 10 24 yr .« less

Search for double-beta decay of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba with the KamLAND-Zen experiment

DOE PAGES

Asakura, K.; Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; ...

2015-11-27

A search for double-beta decays of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba has been performed with the first phase data set of the KamLAND-Zen experiment. The 0 1 + , 2 1 + and 2 2 + transitions of 0νββ decay were evaluated in an exposure of 89.5 kg•yr of 136Xe, while the same transitions of 2νββ decay were evaluated in an exposure of 61.8 kg•yr. No excess over background was found for all decay modes. The lower half-life limits of the 2 1 + state transitions of 0νββ and 2νββ decay were improved to Tmore » $$0v\\atop{1/2}$$(0 + →2 1 +) > 2.6×10 25 yr and T$$2v\\atop{1/2}$$ (0 + →2 1 +) > 4.6×10 23 yr (90% C.L.), respectively. We report on the first experimental lower half-life limits for the transitions to the 0 1 + state of 136Xe for 0νββ and 2νββ decay. They are T$$0v\\atop{1/2}$$(0 + →0 1 +) > 2.4×10 25 yr and T$$2v\\atop{1/2}$$(0 + →0 1 +) > 8.3×10 23 yr (90% C.L.). The transitions to the 2 2 + states are also evaluated for the first time to be T$$0v\\atop{1/2}$$(0 + →2 2 +) > 2.6×10 25 yr and T$$2v\\atop{1/2}$$(0 + →2 2 +) > 9.0×10 23 yr (90% C.L.). Finally, these results are compared to recent theoretical predictions.« less

First Measurement of θ 13 From Delayed Neutron Capture on Hydrogen in the Double Chooz Experiment

DOE PAGES

Abe, Y.; Aberle, C.; dos Anjos, J. C.; ...

2013-04-27

The Double Chooz experiment has determined the value of the neutrino oscillation parameter θ 13 from an analysis of inverse beta decay interactions with neutron capture on hydrogen. The analysis presented here uses a three times larger fiducial volume than the standard Double Chooz assessment, which is restricted to a region doped with gadolinium (Gd), yielding an exposure of 113.1 GW-ton-years. The data sample used in this analysis is distinct from that of the Gd analysis, and the systematic uncertainties are also largely independent, with some exceptions, such as the reactor neutrino flux prediction. A combined rate- and energy-dependent fitmore » finds sin 22θ 13 = 0.097±0.034(stat.)±0.034(syst.), excluding the no-oscillation hypothesis at 2.0σ. This result is consistent with previous measurements of sin 22θ 13.« less

The Low Energy Neutrino Spectrometry (LENS) Experiment and LENS prototype, μLENS, initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokley, Zachary

2012-03-01

LENS is a low energy solar neutrino detector that will measure the solar neutrino spectrum above 115 keV, >95% of the solar neutrino flux, in real time. The fundamental neutrino reaction in LENS is charged-current based capture on 115-In detected in a liquid scintillator medium. The reaction yields the prompt emission of an electron and the delayed emission of 2 gamma rays that serve as a time & space coincidence tag. Sufficient spatial resolution is used to exploit this signature and suppress background, particularly due to 115-In beta decay. A novel design of optical segmentation (Scintillation Lattice or SL) channels the signal light along the three primary axes. The channeling is achieved via total internal reflection by suitable low index gaps in the segmentation. The spatial resolution of a nuclear event is obtained digitally, much more precisely than possible by common time of flight methods. Advanced Geant4 analysis methods have been developed to suppress adequately the severe background due to 115-In beta decay, achieving at the same time high detection efficiency. LENS physics and detection methods along with initial results characterizing light transport in the as built μLENS prototype will be presented.

Searches for Decaying Sterile Neutrinos with the X-Ray Quantum Calorimeter Sounding Rocket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfinger, David; XQC Collaboration

2016-01-01

Rocket borne X-ray spectrometers can produce high-resolution spectra for wide field-of-view observations. This is useful in searches for dark matter candidates that produce X-ray lines in the Milky Way, such as decaying keV scale sterile neutrinos. In spite of exposure times and effective areas that are significantly smaller than satellite observatories, similar sensitivity to decaying sterile neutrinos can be attained due to the high spectral resolution and large field of view. We present recent results of such a search analyzing the telemetered data from the 2011 flight of the X-Ray Quantum Colorimeter instrument as well as ongoing progress in expanding the data set to include the more complete onboard data over additional flights.

Purification of lanthanides for double beta decay experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Polischuk, O. G.; Barabash, A. S.; Belli, P.

2013-08-08

There are several potentially double beta active isotopes among the lanthanide elements. However, even high purity grade lanthanide compounds contain {sup 238}U, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232,228}Th typically on the level of ∼ (0.1 - 1) Bq/kg. The liquid-liquid extraction technique was used to remove traces of U, Ra and Th from CeO{sub 2}, Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The radioactive contamination of the samples before and after the purification was tested by using ultra-low-background HPGe γ spectrometry at the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy). After the purification the radioactive contamination of gadolinium oxidemore » by Ra and Th was decreased at least one order of magnitude. The efficiency of the approach to purify cerium oxide from Ra was on same level, while the radioactive contamination of neodymium sample before and after the purification is below the sensitivity of analytical methods. The purification method is much less efficient for chemically very similar radioactive elements like lanthanum, lutetium and actinium. R and D of the methods to remove the pollutions with improved efficiency is in progress.« less

Neutrinoless ββ decay mediated by the exchange of light and heavy neutrinos: the role of nuclear structure correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menéndez, J.

2018-01-01

Neutrinoless β β decay nuclear matrix elements calculated with the shell model and energy-density functional theory typically disagree by more than a factor of two in the standard scenario of light-neutrino exchange. In contrast, for a decay mediated by sterile heavy neutrinos the deviations are reduced to about 50%, an uncertainty similar to the one due to short-range effects. We compare matrix elements in the light- and heavy-neutrino-exchange channels, exploring the radial, momentum transfer and angular momentum-parity matrix element distributions, and considering transitions that involve correlated and uncorrelated nuclear states. We argue that the shorter-range heavy-neutrino exchange is less sensitive to collective nuclear correlations, and that discrepancies in matrix elements are mostly due to the treatment of long-range correlations in many-body calculations. Our analysis supports previous studies suggesting that isoscalar pairing correlations, which affect mostly the longer-range part of the neutrinoless β β decay operator, are partially responsible for the differences between nuclear matrix elements in the standard light-neutrino-exchange mechanism.

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. I. Double beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irastorza, I. G.; Aznar, F.; Castel, J.; Cebrián, S.; Dafni, T.; Galán, J.; Garcia, J. A.; Garza, J. G.; Gómez, H.; Herrera, D. C.; Iguaz, F. J.; Luzon, G.; Mirallas, H.; Ruiz, E.; Seguí, L.; Tomás, A.

2016-01-01

As part of the T-REX project, a number of R&D and prototyping activities have been carried out during the last years to explore the applicability of gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with Micromesh Gas Structures (Micromegas) in rare event searches like double beta decay, axion research and low-mass WIMP searches. In both this and its companion paper, we compile the main results of the project and give an outlook of application prospects for this detection technique. While in the companion paper we focus on axions and WIMPs, in this paper we focus on the results regarding the measurement of the double beta decay (DBD) of 136Xe in a high pressure Xe (HPXe) TPC. Micromegas of the microbulk type have been extensively studied in high pressure Xe and Xe mixtures. Particularly relevant are the results obtained in Xe + trimethylamine (TMA) mixtures, showing very promising results in terms of gain, stability of operation, and energy resolution at high pressures up to 10 bar. The addition of TMA at levels of ~ 1% reduces electron diffusion by up to a factor of 10 with respect to pure Xe, improving the quality of the topological pattern, with a positive impact on the discrimination capability. Operation with a medium size prototype of 30 cm diameter and 38 cm of drift (holding about 1 kg of Xe at 10 bar in the fiducial volume, enough to contain high energy electron tracks in the detector volume) has allowed to test the detection concept in realistic experimental conditions. Microbulk Micromegas are able to image the DBD ionization signature with high quality while, at the same time, measuring its energy deposition with a resolution of at least a ~ 3% FWHM @ Qββ. This value was experimentally demonstrated for high-energy extended tracks at 10 bar, and is probably improvable down to the ~ 1% FWHM levels as extrapolated from low energy events. In addition, first results on the topological signature information (one straggling track ending in two blobs) show promising

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. I. Double beta decay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Irastorza, I.G.; Aznar, F.; Castel, J., E-mail: igor.irastorza@cern.ch, E-mail: faznar@unizar.es, E-mail: jfcastel@unizar.es

2016-01-01

As part of the T-REX project, a number of R and D and prototyping activities have been carried out during the last years to explore the applicability of gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with Micromesh Gas Structures (Micromegas) in rare event searches like double beta decay, axion research and low-mass WIMP searches. In both this and its companion paper, we compile the main results of the project and give an outlook of application prospects for this detection technique. While in the companion paper we focus on axions and WIMPs, in this paper we focus on the results regarding the measurementmore » of the double beta decay (DBD) of {sup 136}Xe in a high pressure Xe (HPXe) TPC. Micromegas of the microbulk type have been extensively studied in high pressure Xe and Xe mixtures. Particularly relevant are the results obtained in Xe + trimethylamine (TMA) mixtures, showing very promising results in terms of gain, stability of operation, and energy resolution at high pressures up to 10 bar. The addition of TMA at levels of ∼ 1% reduces electron diffusion by up to a factor of 10 with respect to pure Xe, improving the quality of the topological pattern, with a positive impact on the discrimination capability. Operation with a medium size prototype of 30 cm diameter and 38 cm of drift (holding about 1 kg of Xe at 10 bar in the fiducial volume, enough to contain high energy electron tracks in the detector volume) has allowed to test the detection concept in realistic experimental conditions. Microbulk Micromegas are able to image the DBD ionization signature with high quality while, at the same time, measuring its energy deposition with a resolution of at least a ∼ 3% FWHM @ Q{sub ββ}. This value was experimentally demonstrated for high-energy extended tracks at 10 bar, and is probably improvable down to the ∼ 1% FWHM levels as extrapolated from low energy events. In addition, first results on the topological signature information (one straggling track

GERDA results and the future perspectives for the neutrinoless double beta decay search using 76Ge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Biernat, J.; Bode, T.; Borowicz, D.; 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.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Giordano, M.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Hakenmüller, J.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Hiller, R.; Hofmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Janicskó Csáthy, J.; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; Kermaidic, Y.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, 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.; Miloradovic, M.; Mingazheva, R.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Nemchenok, I.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pertoldi, L.; Pullia, A.; Ransom, C.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Salamida, F.; Schneider, B.; Schönert, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schütz, A.-K.; Schulz, O.; Schwingenheuer, B.; 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.

2018-03-01

The GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) is a low background experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) of INFN designed to search for the rare neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) of 76Ge. In the first phase (Phase I) of the experiment, high purity germanium diodes were operated in a “bare” mode and immersed in liquid argon. The overall background level of 10‑2cts/(keV ṡkg ṡyr) was a factor of ten better than those of its predecessors. No signal was found and a lower limit was set on the half-life for the 0νββ decay of 76Ge T1/20ν > 2.1 × 1025 yr (90% CL), while the corresponding median sensitivity was 2.4 × 1025 yr (90% CL). A second phase (Phase II) started at the end of 2015 after a major upgrade. Thanks to the increased detector mass and performance of the enriched germanium diodes and due to the introduction of liquid argon instrumentation techniques, it was possible to reduce the background down to 10‑3cts/(keV ṡkg ṡyr). After analyzing 23.2 kgṡyr of these new data no signal was seen. Combining these with the data from Phase I a stronger half-life limit of the 76Ge 0νββ decay was obtained: T1/20ν > 8.0 × 1025 yr (90% CL), reaching a sensitivity of 5.8 × 1025 yr (90% CL). Phase II will continue for the collection of an exposure of 100 kg ṡyr. If no signal is found by then the GERDA sensitivity will have reached 1.4 × 1026 yr for setting a 90% CL. limit. After the end of GERDA Phase II, the flagship experiment for the search of 0νββ decay of 76Ge will be LEGEND. LEGEND experiment is foreseen to deploy up to 1-ton of 76Ge. After ten years of data taking, it will reach a sensitivity beyond 1028 yr, and hence fully cover the inverted hierarchy region.

Novel field cage design for the PandaX III double beta decay experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaiyabin, P.; Giboni, K. L.; Han, K.; Ji, X.; Juyal, P.; Kobdaj, C.; Liu, J.; Lomon, J.; Pasaja, N.; Poolcharuansin, P.; Rujirawat, S.; Songsiriritthigul, P.; Yan, Y.; Zhao, L.

2017-10-01

PandaX III is a High Pressure gaseous xenon Time Projection Chamber for Double Beta Decay detection. It will be installed deep underground in the JinPing Laboratory in Szechuan province, China. During its first phase the detector will operate with 200 kg of enriched 136Xe. The detector consists of a mesh cathode in the center of a cylindrical vessel and Micro-Bulk Micro-Megas at both ends to read out the drifting charges. The active volume is surrounded by an array of electrodes to shape the homogeneous drift field, the so called field cage. Gaseous xenon, however, is a poor dielectric. It would require in excess of 10 cm to safely stand off the HV between these electrodes and the grounded detector walls. Nearly a quarter of our available xenon would be wasted in this dead space. In a new design the electric field outside the field shaping is totally contained in a cylinder 1.6 m diameter and 2 m long. For manufacturing two 50 mm thick Acrylic plates are bend into half cylinders and bonded together. The outside surface of the cylinder is covered with a copper mesh as ground plane. The gap between field cage and detector vessel can be now reduced to 1 mm, and this gap is field free. The amount of wasted xenon is reduced by a factor 100. The field shaping electrodes and the resistive divider network are mounted on 5 mm thick Acrylic panels suspended on the inside of the field cage. This design is realized with low radioactivity materials.

The Majorana Demonstrator Status and Preliminary Results

DOE PAGES

Yu, C. -H.; Alvis, S. I.; Arnquist, I. J.; ...

2018-01-01

The MAJORANA Collaboration is using an array of high-purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. Searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay are understood to be the only viable experimental method for testing the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Observation of this decay would imply violation of lepton number, that neutrinos are Majorana in nature, and provide information on the neutrino mass. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR comprises 44.1 kg of p-type point-contact Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched in 76Ge) surrounded by a low-background shield system. The experiment achieved a high efficiency of converting raw Ge material to detectors andmore » an unprecedented detector energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at Q ββ. The MAJORANA collaboration began taking physics data in 2016. Here, this paper summarizes key construction aspects of the Demonstrator and shows preliminary results from initial data.« less

The Majorana Demonstrator Status and Preliminary Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, C. -H.; Alvis, S. I.; Arnquist, I. J.

The MAJORANA Collaboration is using an array of high-purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. Searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay are understood to be the only viable experimental method for testing the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Observation of this decay would imply violation of lepton number, that neutrinos are Majorana in nature, and provide information on the neutrino mass. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR comprises 44.1 kg of p-type point-contact Ge detectors (29.7 kg enriched in 76Ge) surrounded by a low-background shield system. The experiment achieved a high efficiency of converting raw Ge material to detectors andmore » an unprecedented detector energy resolution of 2.5 keV FWHM at Q ββ. The MAJORANA collaboration began taking physics data in 2016. Here, this paper summarizes key construction aspects of the Demonstrator and shows preliminary results from initial data.« less

Neutrino physics with JUNO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Fengpeng; An, Guangpeng; An, Qi; Antonelli, Vito; Baussan, Eric; Beacom, John; Bezrukov, Leonid; Blyth, Simon; Brugnera, Riccardo; Buizza Avanzini, Margherita; Busto, Jose; Cabrera, Anatael; Cai, Hao; Cai, Xiao; Cammi, Antonio; Cao, Guofu; Cao, Jun; Chang, Yun; Chen, Shaomin; Chen, Shenjian; Chen, Yixue; Chiesa, Davide; Clemenza, Massimiliano; Clerbaux, Barbara; Conrad, Janet; D'Angelo, Davide; De Kerret, Hervé; Deng, Zhi; Deng, Ziyan; Ding, Yayun; Djurcic, Zelimir; Dornic, Damien; Dracos, Marcos; Drapier, Olivier; Dusini, Stefano; Dye, Stephen; Enqvist, Timo; Fan, Donghua; Fang, Jian; Favart, Laurent; Ford, Richard; Göger-Neff, Marianne; Gan, Haonan; Garfagnini, Alberto; Giammarchi, Marco; Gonchar, Maxim; Gong, Guanghua; Gong, Hui; Gonin, Michel; Grassi, Marco; Grewing, Christian; Guan, Mengyun; Guarino, Vic; Guo, Gang; Guo, Wanlei; Guo, Xin-Heng; Hagner, Caren; Han, Ran; He, Miao; Heng, Yuekun; Hsiung, Yee; Hu, Jun; Hu, Shouyang; Hu, Tao; Huang, Hanxiong; Huang, Xingtao; Huo, Lei; Ioannisian, Ara; Jeitler, Manfred; Ji, Xiangdong; Jiang, Xiaoshan; Jollet, Cécile; Kang, Li; Karagounis, Michael; Kazarian, Narine; Krumshteyn, Zinovy; Kruth, Andre; Kuusiniemi, Pasi; Lachenmaier, Tobias; Leitner, Rupert; Li, Chao; Li, Jiaxing; Li, Weidong; Li, Weiguo; Li, Xiaomei; Li, Xiaonan; Li, Yi; Li, Yufeng; Li, Zhi-Bing; Liang, Hao; Lin, Guey-Lin; Lin, Tao; Lin, Yen-Hsun; Ling, Jiajie; Lippi, Ivano; Liu, Dawei; Liu, Hongbang; Liu, Hu; Liu, Jianglai; Liu, Jianli; Liu, Jinchang; Liu, Qian; Liu, Shubin; Liu, Shulin; Lombardi, Paolo; Long, Yongbing; Lu, Haoqi; Lu, Jiashu; Lu, Jingbin; Lu, Junguang; Lubsandorzhiev, Bayarto; Ludhova, Livia; Luo, Shu; Lyashuk, Vladimir; Möllenberg, Randolph; Ma, Xubo; Mantovani, Fabio; Mao, Yajun; Mari, Stefano M.; McDonough, William F.; Meng, Guang; Meregaglia, Anselmo; Meroni, Emanuela; Mezzetto, Mauro; Miramonti, Lino; Mueller, Thomas; Naumov, Dmitry; Oberauer, Lothar; Ochoa-Ricoux, Juan Pedro; Olshevskiy, Alexander; Ortica, Fausto; Paoloni, Alessandro; Peng, Haiping; Peng, Jen-Chieh; Previtali, Ezio; Qi, Ming; Qian, Sen; Qian, Xin; Qian, Yongzhong; Qin, Zhonghua; Raffelt, Georg; Ranucci, Gioacchino; Ricci, Barbara; Robens, Markus; Romani, Aldo; Ruan, Xiangdong; Ruan, Xichao; Salamanna, Giuseppe; Shaevitz, Mike; Sinev, Valery; Sirignano, Chiara; Sisti, Monica; Smirnov, Oleg; Soiron, Michael; Stahl, Achim; Stanco, Luca; Steinmann, Jochen; Sun, Xilei; Sun, Yongjie; Taichenachev, Dmitriy; Tang, Jian; Tkachev, Igor; Trzaska, Wladyslaw; van Waasen, Stefan; Volpe, Cristina; Vorobel, Vit; Votano, Lucia; Wang, Chung-Hsiang; Wang, Guoli; Wang, Hao; Wang, Meng; Wang, Ruiguang; Wang, Siguang; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yi; Wang, Yi; Wang, Yifang; Wang, Zhe; Wang, Zheng; Wang, Zhigang; Wang, Zhimin; Wei, Wei; Wen, Liangjian; Wiebusch, Christopher; Wonsak, Björn; Wu, Qun; Wulz, Claudia-Elisabeth; Wurm, Michael; Xi, Yufei; Xia, Dongmei; Xie, Yuguang; Xing, Zhi-zhong; Xu, Jilei; Yan, Baojun; Yang, Changgen; Yang, Chaowen; Yang, Guang; Yang, Lei; Yang, Yifan; Yao, Yu; Yegin, Ugur; Yermia, Frédéric; You, Zhengyun; Yu, Boxiang; Yu, Chunxu; Yu, Zeyuan; Zavatarelli, Sandra; Zhan, Liang; Zhang, Chao; Zhang, Hong-Hao; Zhang, Jiawen; Zhang, Jingbo; Zhang, Qingmin; Zhang, Yu-Mei; Zhang, Zhenyu; Zhao, Zhenghua; Zheng, Yangheng; Zhong, Weili; Zhou, Guorong; Zhou, Jing; Zhou, Li; Zhou, Rong; Zhou, Shun; Zhou, Wenxiong; Zhou, Xiang; Zhou, Yeling; Zhou, Yufeng; Zou, Jiaheng

2016-03-01

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purpose underground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy (MH) as a primary physics goal. The excellent energy resolution and the large fiducial volume anticipated for the JUNO detector offer exciting opportunities for addressing many important topics in neutrino and astro-particle physics. In this document, we present the physics motivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for various proposed measurements. Following an introduction summarizing the current status and open issues in neutrino physics, we discuss how the detection of antineutrinos generated by a cluster of nuclear power plants allows the determination of the neutrino MH at a 3-4σ significance with six years of running of JUNO. The measurement of antineutrino spectrum with excellent energy resolution will also lead to the precise determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters {{sin}}2{θ }12, {{Δ }}{m}212, and | {{Δ }}{m}{ee}2| to an accuracy of better than 1%, which will play a crucial role in the future unitarity test of the MNSP matrix. The JUNO detector is capable of observing not only antineutrinos from the power plants, but also neutrinos/antineutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, including supernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and solar neutrinos. As a result of JUNO's large size, excellent energy resolution, and vertex reconstruction capability, interesting new data on these topics can be collected. For example, a neutrino burst from a typical core-collapse supernova at a distance of 10 kpc would lead to ˜5000 inverse-beta-decay events and ˜2000 all-flavor neutrino-proton ES events in JUNO, which are of crucial importance for understanding the mechanism of supernova explosion and for exploring novel phenomena such as collective neutrino oscillations

Status of the neutrino mass experiment KATRIN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bornschein, L.; Bornschein, B.; Sturm, M.

The most sensitive way to determine the neutrino mass scale without further assumptions is to measure the shape of a tritium beta spectrum near its kinematic end-point. Tritium is the nucleus of choice because of its low endpoint energy, superallowed decay and simple atomic structure. Within an international collaboration the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment (KATRIN) is currently being built up at KIT. KATRIN will allow a model-independent measurement of the neutrino mass scale with an expected sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c{sup 2} (90% CL). KATRIN will use a source of ultrapure molecular tritium. This contribution presents the status of the KATRINmore » experiment, thereby focusing on its Calibration and Monitoring System (CMS), which is the last component being subject to research/development. After a brief overview of the KATRIN experiment in Section II the CMS is introduced in Section III. In Section IV the Beta Induced X-Ray Spectroscopy (BIXS) as method of choice to monitor the tritium activity of the KATRIN source is described and first results are presented.« less

Liquid xenon purification, de-radonation (and de-kryptonation)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pocar, Andrea, E-mail: pocar@umass.edu; Physics Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550

Liquid xenon detectors are at the forefront of rare event physics, including searches for neutrino-less double beta decay and WIMP dark matter. The xenon for these experiments needs to be purified from chemical impurities such as electronegative atoms and molecules, which absorb ionization electrons, and VUV (178 nm) scintillation light-absorbing chemical species. In addition, superb purification from radioactive impurities is required. Particularly challenging are radioactive noble isotopes ({sup 85}Kr,{sup 39,42}Ar,{sup 220,222}Rn). Radon is a particularly universal problem, due to the extended decay sequence of its daughters and its ubiquitous presence in detector materials. Purification and de-radonation of liquid xenon aremore » addressed with particular focus on the experience gained with the EXO-200 neutrino-less double beta decay detector.« less

Neutrinoless double-β decay of 48Ca in the shell model: Closure versus nonclosure approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen'kov, R. A.; Horoi, M.

2013-12-01

Neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) is a unique process that could reveal physics beyond the Standard Model. Essential ingredients in the analysis of 0νββ rates are the associated nuclear matrix elements. Most of the approaches used to calculate these matrix elements rely on the closure approximation. Here we analyze the light neutrino-exchange matrix elements of 48Ca 0νββ decay and test the closure approximation in a shell-model approach. We calculate the 0νββ nuclear matrix elements for 48Ca using both the closure approximation and a nonclosure approach, and we estimate the uncertainties associated with the closure approximation. We demonstrate that the nonclosure approach has excellent convergence properties which allow us to avoid unmanageable computational cost. Combining the nonclosure and closure approaches we propose a new method of calculation for 0νββ decay rates which can be applied to the 0νββ decay rates of heavy nuclei, such as 76Ge or 82Se.

Limits on tensor coupling from neutron β decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattie, R. W., Jr.; Hickerson, K. P.; Young, A. R.

2013-10-01

Limits on the tensor couplings generating a Fierz interference term b in mixed Gamow-Teller Fermi decays can be derived by combining data from measurements of angular correlation parameters in neutron decay, the neutron lifetime, and GV=GFVud as extracted from measurements of the Ft values from the 0+→0+ superallowed decay data set. These limits are derived by comparing the neutron β-decay rate as predicted in the standard model with the measured decay rate while allowing for the existence of beyond the standard model (BSM) couplings. We analyze limits derived from the electron-neutrino asymmetry a, or the beta asymmetry A, finding that the most stringent limits for CT/CA under the assumption of no right-handed neutrinos is -0.0026

Failure of the gross theory of beta decay in neutron deficient nuclei

DOE PAGES

Firestone, R. B.; Schwengner, R.; Zuber, K.

2015-05-28

The neutron deficient isotopes 117-121Xe, 117-124Cs, and 122-124Ba were produced by a beam of 28Si from the LBNL SuperHILAC on a target of natMo. The isotopes were mass separated and their beta decay schemes were measured with a Total Absorption Spectrometer (TAS). The beta strengths derived from these data decreased dramatically to levels above ≈1 MeV for the even-even decays; 3–4 MeV for even-Z, odd-N decays; 4–5 MeV for the odd-Z, even-N decays; and 7–8 MeV for the odd-Z, odd-N decays. The decreasing strength to higher excitation energies in the daughters contradicts the predictions of the Gross Theory of Betamore » Decay. The integrated beta strengths are instead found to be consistent with shell model predictions where the single-particle beta strengths are divided amoung many low-lying levels. The experimental beta strengths determined here have been used calculate the half-lives of 143 neutron deficient nuclei with Z=51–64 to a precision of 20% with respect to the measured values.« less

Characterization of the ETEL D784UKFLB 11 in. photomultiplier tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barros, N.; Kaptanoglu, T.; Kimelman, B.; Klein, J. R.; Moore, E.; Nguyen, J.; Stavreva, K.; Svoboda, R.

2017-04-01

Water Cherenkov and scintillator detectors are a critical tool for neutrino physics. Their large size, low threshold, and low operational cost make them excellent detectors for long baseline neutrino oscillations, proton decay, supernova and solar neutrinos, double beta decay, and ultra-high energy astrophysical neutrinos. Proposals for a new generation of large detectors rely on the availability of large format, fast, cost-effective photomultiplier tubes. The Electron Tubes Enterprises, Ltd (ETEL) D784KFLB 11 in. Photomultiplier Tube has been developed for large neutrino detectors. We have measured the timing characteristics, relative efficiency, and magnetic field sensitivity of the first fifteen prototypes.

Double-Zero-Index Structural Phononic Waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hongfei; Semperlotti, Fabio

2017-12-01

We report on the theoretical and experimental realization of a double-zero-index elastic waveguide and the corresponding acoustic cloaking and supercoupling effects. The proposed waveguide uses geometric tapers in order to induce Dirac-like cones at k → =0 due to accidental degeneracy. The nature of the degeneracy is explored by a k .p perturbation method adapted to thin structural waveguides. The results confirm the linear nature of the dispersion around the degeneracy and the possibility to map the material to effective-medium properties. Effective parameters numerically extracted using boundary medium theory confirm that the phononic waveguide maps into a double-zero-index material. Numerical and experimental results confirm the expected cloaking and supercoupling effects.

Search for sterile neutrinos decaying into pions at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dib, Claudio O.; Kim, C. S.; Neill, Nicolás A.; Yuan, Xing-Bo

2018-02-01

We study the possibility to observe sterile neutrinos with masses in the range 5 GeV decays. While particle identification is a real challenge in these modes, vertex displacement due to the long living neutrino in the above mass range can greatly help reduce backgrounds. Assuming a sample of 1 09 W bosons at the end of the LHC Run 2, these modes could discover a sterile neutrino in the above mass range or improve the current bounds on the heavy-to-light lepton mixings by an order of magnitude, |UℓN|2˜2 ×10-6. Moreover, by studying the equal sign and opposite sign dileptons, the Majorana or Dirac character of the sterile neutrino may be revealed.

Measurement of ortho-positronium properties in liquid scintillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perasso, S.; Consolati, G.; Franco, D.; Jollet, C.; Meregaglia, A.; Tonazzo, A.; Yeh, M.

2014-03-01

Pulse shape discrimination is a well-established technique for background rejection in liquid scintillator detectors. It is particularly effective in separating heavy particles from light particles, but not in distinguishing electrons from positrons. This inefficiency can be overtaken by exploiting the formation of ortho-positronium (o-Ps), which alters the time profile of light pulses induced by positrons. We characterized the o-Ps properties in the most commonly used liquid scintillators, i.e. PC, PXE, LAB, OIL and PC + PPO. In addition, we studied the effects of scintillator doping on the o-Ps properties for dopants used in neutrino-less double beta decay experiments (Nd and Te) and in anti-neutrino and neutron detection (Gd and Li respectively). We found that the o-Ps properties are similar in all the tested scintillators, with a lifetime around 3 ns and a formation probability of about 50%. This result indicates that an o-Ps-enhanced pulse shape discrimination can be applied in liquid scintillator detectors for neutrino and anti-neutrino detection and for neutrino-less double beta decay search.

KamLAND Sensitivity to Neutrinos from Pre-supernova Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakura, K.; Gando, A.; Gando, Y.; Hachiya, T.; Hayashida, S.; Ikeda, H.; Inoue, K.; Ishidoshiro, K.; Ishikawa, T.; Ishio, S.; Koga, M.; Matsuda, S.; Mitsui, T.; Motoki, D.; Nakamura, K.; Obara, S.; Oura, T.; Shimizu, I.; Shirahata, Y.; Shirai, J.; Suzuki, A.; Tachibana, H.; Tamae, K.; Ueshima, K.; Watanabe, H.; Xu, B. D.; Kozlov, A.; Takemoto, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Fushimi, K.; Piepke, A.; Banks, T. I.; Berger, B. E.; Fujikawa, B. K.; O'Donnell, T.; Learned, J. G.; Maricic, J.; Matsuno, S.; Sakai, M.; Winslow, L. A.; Efremenko, Y.; Karwowski, H. J.; Markoff, D. M.; Tornow, W.; Detwiler, J. A.; Enomoto, S.; Decowski, M. P.; KamLAND Collaboration

2016-02-01

In the late stages of nuclear burning for massive stars (M > 8 M⊙), the production of neutrino-antineutrino pairs through various processes becomes the dominant stellar cooling mechanism. As the star evolves, the energy of these neutrinos increases and in the days preceding the supernova a significant fraction of emitted electron anti-neutrinos exceeds the energy threshold for inverse beta decay on free hydrogen. This is the golden channel for liquid scintillator detectors because the coincidence signature allows for significant reductions in background signals. We find that the kiloton-scale liquid scintillator detector KamLAND can detect these pre-supernova neutrinos from a star with a mass of 25 M⊙ at a distance less than 690 pc with 3σ significance before the supernova. This limit is dependent on the neutrino mass ordering and background levels. KamLAND takes data continuously and can provide a supernova alert to the community.

Latest Results from EXO-200

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufman, Lisa; EXO-200 Collaboration

2017-09-01

The EXO-200 experiment has made both the first observation of the double beta decay in Xe-136 and the most precisely measured half-life of any two-neutrino double beta decay to date. Consisting of an extremely low-background time projection chamber filled with 150 kg of enriched liquid Xe-136, it has provided one of the most sensitive searches for the neutrinoless double beta decay using the first two years of data. After a hiatus in operations during a temporary shutdown of its host facility, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the experiment has restarted data taking with upgrades to its front-end electronics and a radon suppression system. This talk will cover the latest results of the collaboration including new data with improved energy resolution.

Neutrino physics with JUNO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

An, Fengpeng; An, Guangpeng; An, Qi

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purpose underground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy (MH) as a primary physics goal. The excellent energy resolution and the large fiducial volume anticipated for the JUNO detector offer exciting opportunities for addressing many important topics in neutrino and astro-particle physics. In this document, we present the physics motivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for various proposed measurements. Following an introduction summarizing the current status and open issues in neutrino physics, we discuss how the detection of antineutrinos generated by a cluster of nuclear power plants allows the determination of the neutrino MH at a 3–4σ significance with six years of running of JUNO. The measurement of antineutrino spectrum with excellent energy resolution will also lead to the precise determination of the neutrino oscillation parametersmore » $${\\mathrm{sin}}^{2}{\\theta }_{12}$$, $${\\rm{\\Delta }}{m}_{21}^{2}$$, and $$| {\\rm{\\Delta }}{m}_{{ee}}^{2}| $$ to an accuracy of better than 1%, which will play a crucial role in the future unitarity test of the MNSP matrix. The JUNO detector is capable of observing not only antineutrinos from the power plants, but also neutrinos/antineutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, including supernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and solar neutrinos. As a result of JUNO's large size, excellent energy resolution, and vertex reconstruction capability, interesting new data on these topics can be collected. For example, a neutrino burst from a typical core-collapse supernova at a distance of 10 kpc would lead to ~5000 inverse-beta-decay events and ~2000 all-flavor neutrino–proton ES events in JUNO, which are of crucial importance for understanding the mechanism of supernova explosion and

Neutrino physics with JUNO

DOE PAGES

An, Fengpeng; An, Guangpeng; An, Qi; ...

2016-02-10

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purpose underground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy (MH) as a primary physics goal. The excellent energy resolution and the large fiducial volume anticipated for the JUNO detector offer exciting opportunities for addressing many important topics in neutrino and astro-particle physics. In this document, we present the physics motivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for various proposed measurements. Following an introduction summarizing the current status and open issues in neutrino physics, we discuss how the detection of antineutrinos generated by a cluster of nuclear power plants allows the determination of the neutrino MH at a 3–4σ significance with six years of running of JUNO. The measurement of antineutrino spectrum with excellent energy resolution will also lead to the precise determination of the neutrino oscillation parametersmore » $${\\mathrm{sin}}^{2}{\\theta }_{12}$$, $${\\rm{\\Delta }}{m}_{21}^{2}$$, and $$| {\\rm{\\Delta }}{m}_{{ee}}^{2}| $$ to an accuracy of better than 1%, which will play a crucial role in the future unitarity test of the MNSP matrix. The JUNO detector is capable of observing not only antineutrinos from the power plants, but also neutrinos/antineutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, including supernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, and solar neutrinos. As a result of JUNO's large size, excellent energy resolution, and vertex reconstruction capability, interesting new data on these topics can be collected. For example, a neutrino burst from a typical core-collapse supernova at a distance of 10 kpc would lead to ~5000 inverse-beta-decay events and ~2000 all-flavor neutrino–proton ES events in JUNO, which are of crucial importance for understanding the mechanism of supernova explosion and

The Majorana Experiment:. a Straightforward Neutrino Mass Experiment Using the Double-Beta Decay of 76GE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miley, H. S.

2004-04-01

The Majorana Experiment proposes to measure the effective mass of the electron neutrino to as low as 0.02 eV using well-tested technology. A half-life of about 4E27 y, corresponding to a mass range of [0.02 - 0.07] eV can be reached by operating 500 kg of germanium enriched to 86% in 76Ge deep underground. Radiological backgrounds of cosmogenic or primordial origin will be greatly reduced by ultra-low-background screening of detector, structural, and shielding materials, by chemical processing of materials, and by electronic rejection of multi-site events in the detector. Electronic background reduction is achieved with pulse-shape analysis, detector segmentation, and detector-to-detector coincidence rejection. Sensitivity calculations assuming worst-case germanium cosmogenic activation predict rapid growth in mass sensitivity (T1/2 at 90%CL) after the beginning of detector production: [0.08-0.28] eV at ~1 year, [0.04-0.14] eV at ~2.5 years, [0.03-0.10] eV at ~5 years, and [0.02 - 0.07] eV at ~10 years. The impact of primordial backgrounds in structural and electronic components is being studied at the 1 μBq/kg level, and appears to be controllable to below levels needed to attain these results.

Electron line shape and transmission function of the KATRIN monitor spectrometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Slezák, M.

Knowledge of the neutrino mass is of particular interest in modern neutrino physics. Besides the neutrinoless double beta decay and cosmological observation information about the neutrino mass is obtained from single beta decay by observing the shape of the electron spectrum near the endpoint. The KATRIN β decay experiment aims to push the limit on the effective electron antineutrino mass down to 0.2 eV/c{sup 2}. To reach this sensitivity several systematic effects have to be under control. One of them is the fluctuations of the absolute energy scale, which therefore has to be continuously monitored at very high precision. Thismore » paper shortly describes KATRIN, the technique for continuous monitoring of the absolute energy scale and recent improvements in analysis of the monitoring data.« less

Neutrino flux prediction at MiniBooNE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar-Arevalo, A. A.; Anderson, C. E.; Bazarko, A. O.; Brice, S. J.; Brown, B. C.; Bugel, L.; Cao, J.; Coney, L.; Conrad, J. M.; Cox, D. C.; Curioni, A.; Djurcic, Z.; Finley, D. A.; Fleming, B. T.; Ford, R.; Garcia, F. G.; Garvey, G. T.; Green, C.; Green, J. A.; Hart, T. L.; Hawker, E.; Imlay, R.; Johnson, R. A.; Karagiorgi, G.; Kasper, P.; Katori, T.; Kobilarcik, T.; Kourbanis, I.; Koutsoliotas, S.; Laird, E. M.; Linden, S. K.; Link, J. M.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Y.; Louis, W. C.; Mahn, K. B. M.; Marsh, W.; Martin, P. S.; McGregor, G.; Metcalf, W.; Meyers, P. D.; Mills, F.; Mills, G. B.; Monroe, J.; Moore, C. D.; Nelson, R. H.; Nguyen, V. T.; Nienaber, P.; Nowak, J. A.; Ouedraogo, S.; Patterson, R. B.; Perevalov, D.; Polly, C. C.; Prebys, E.; Raaf, J. L.; Ray, H.; Roe, B. P.; Russell, A. D.; Sandberg, V.; Schirato, R.; Schmitz, D.; Shaevitz, M. H.; Shoemaker, F. C.; Smith, D.; Soderberg, M.; Sorel, M.; Spentzouris, P.; Stancu, I.; Stefanski, R. J.; Sung, M.; Tanaka, H. A.; Tayloe, R.; Tzanov, M.; van de Water, R.; Wascko, M. O.; White, D. H.; Wilking, M. J.; Yang, H. J.; Zeller, G. P.; Zimmerman, E. D.

2009-04-01

The booster neutrino experiment (MiniBooNE) searches for νμ→νe oscillations using the O(1GeV) neutrino beam produced by the booster synchrotron at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory). The booster delivers protons with 8 GeV kinetic energy (8.89GeV/c momentum) to a beryllium target, producing neutrinos from the decay of secondary particles in the beam line. We describe the Monte Carlo simulation methods used to estimate the flux of neutrinos from the beam line incident on the MiniBooNE detector for both polarities of the focusing horn. The simulation uses the Geant4 framework for propagating particles, accounting for electromagnetic processes and hadronic interactions in the beam line materials, as well as the decay of particles. The absolute double differential cross sections of pion and kaon production in the simulation have been tuned to match external measurements, as have the hadronic cross sections for nucleons and pions. The statistical precision of the flux predictions is enhanced through reweighting and resampling techniques. Systematic errors in the flux estimation have been determined by varying parameters within their uncertainties, accounting for correlations where appropriate.

The reactor antineutrino anomaly and low energy threshold neutrino experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cañas, B. C.; Garcés, E. A.; Miranda, O. G.; Parada, A.

2018-01-01

Short distance reactor antineutrino experiments measure an antineutrino spectrum a few percent lower than expected from theoretical predictions. In this work we study the potential of low energy threshold reactor experiments in the context of a light sterile neutrino signal. We discuss the perspectives of the recently detected coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering in future reactor antineutrino experiments. We find that the expectations to improve the current constraints on the mixing with sterile neutrinos are promising. We also analyze the measurements of antineutrino scattering off electrons from short distance reactor experiments. In this case, the statistics is not competitive with inverse beta decay experiments, although future experiments might play a role when compare it with the Gallium anomaly.

Determination of the direct double-β -decay Q value of 96Zr and atomic masses of Zr 90 -92 ,94 ,96 and Mo 92 ,94 -98 ,100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulyuz, K.; Ariche, J.; Bollen, G.; Bustabad, S.; Eibach, M.; Izzo, C.; Novario, S. J.; Redshaw, M.; Ringle, R.; Sandler, R.; Schwarz, S.; Valverde, A. A.

2015-05-01

Experimental searches for neutrinoless double-β decay offer one of the best opportunities to look for physics beyond the standard model. Detecting this decay would confirm the Majorana nature of the neutrino, and a measurement of its half-life can be used to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale. Important to both tasks is an accurate knowledge of the Q value of the double-β decay. The LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometer was used for the first direct experimental determination of the 96Zr double-β decay Q value: Qβ β=3355.85 (15 ) keV. This value is nearly 7 keV larger than the 2012 Atomic Mass Evaluation [M. Wang et al., Chin. Phys. C 36, 1603 (2012), 10.1088/1674-1137/36/12/003] value and one order of magnitude more precise. The 3-σ shift is primarily due to a more accurate measurement of the 96Zr atomic mass: m (96Zr ) =95.908 277 35 (17 ) u. Using the new Q value, the 2 ν β β -decay matrix element, | M2 ν| , is calculated. Improved determinations of the atomic masses of all other zirconium (Zr 90 -92 ,94 ,96 ) and molybdenum (92 ,94 -98 ,100Mo ) isotopes using both 12C8 and 87Rb as references are also reported.

First Results from CUORE: A Search for Lepton Number Violation via 0 ν β β Decay of Te 130

DOE PAGES

Alduino, C.; Alessandria, F.; Alfonso, K.; ...

2018-03-26

The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-numberviolating process: 130Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO 2 exposure of 86.3 kg yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of d7.7 ± 0.5T keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of d0.014 ± 0.002T counts=dkeV kg yrT, we find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Including systematic uncertainties,more » we place a lower limit on the decay half-life of T 0ν 1/2 ( 130 Te) > 1.3 × 10 25 yr (90% C.L.); the median statistical sensitivity of this search is 7.0 × 10 24 yr. Combining this result with those of two earlier experiments, Cuoricino and CUORE-0, we find T 0ν 1/2 ( 130 Te) > 1.5 × 10 25 yr (90% C.L.), which is the most stringent limit to date on this decay. Interpreting this result as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, we find m ββ < (110 - 520) meV, where the range reflects the nuclear matrix element estimates employed.« less

First Results from CUORE: A Search for Lepton Number Violation via 0 ν β β Decay of Te 130

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alduino, C.; Alessandria, F.; Alfonso, K.

The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-numberviolating process: 130Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO 2 exposure of 86.3 kg yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of d7.7 ± 0.5T keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of d0.014 ± 0.002T counts=dkeV kg yrT, we find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Including systematic uncertainties,more » we place a lower limit on the decay half-life of T 0ν 1/2 ( 130 Te) > 1.3 × 10 25 yr (90% C.L.); the median statistical sensitivity of this search is 7.0 × 10 24 yr. Combining this result with those of two earlier experiments, Cuoricino and CUORE-0, we find T 0ν 1/2 ( 130 Te) > 1.5 × 10 25 yr (90% C.L.), which is the most stringent limit to date on this decay. Interpreting this result as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, we find m ββ < (110 - 520) meV, where the range reflects the nuclear matrix element estimates employed.« less

First Results from CUORE: A Search for Lepton Number Violation via 0νββ Decay of ^{130}Te.

PubMed

Alduino, C; Alessandria, F; Alfonso, K; Andreotti, E; Arnaboldi, C; Avignone, F T; Azzolini, O; Balata, M; Bandac, I; Banks, T I; Bari, G; Barucci, M; Beeman, J W; Bellini, F; Benato, G; Bersani, A; Biare, D; Biassoni, M; Bragazzi, F; Branca, A; Brofferio, C; Bryant, A; Buccheri, A; Bucci, C; Bulfon, C; Camacho, A; Caminata, A; Canonica, L; Cao, X G; Capelli, S; Capodiferro, M; Cappelli, L; Cardani, L; Cariello, M; Carniti, P; Carrettoni, M; Casali, N; Cassina, L; Cereseto, R; Ceruti, G; Chiarini, A; Chiesa, D; Chott, N; Clemenza, M; Conventi, D; Copello, S; Cosmelli, C; Cremonesi, O; Crescentini, C; Creswick, R J; Cushman, J S; D'Addabbo, A; D'Aguanno, D; Dafinei, I; Datskov, V; Davis, C J; Del Corso, F; Dell'Oro, S; Deninno, M M; Di Domizio, S; Di Vacri, M L; Di Paolo, L; Drobizhev, A; Ejzak, L; Faccini, R; Fang, D Q; Faverzani, M; Ferri, E; Ferroni, F; Fiorini, E; Franceschi, M A; Freedman, S J; Fujikawa, B K; Gaigher, R; Giachero, A; Gironi, L; Giuliani, A; Gladstone, L; Goett, J; Gorla, P; Gotti, C; Guandalini, C; Guerzoni, M; Gutierrez, T D; Haller, E E; Han, K; Hansen, E V; Heeger, K M; Hennings-Yeomans, R; Hickerson, K P; Huang, H Z; Iannone, M; Ioannucci, L; Kadel, R; Keppel, G; Kogler, L; Kolomensky, Yu G; Leder, A; Ligi, C; Lim, K E; Liu, X; Ma, Y G; Maiano, C; Maino, M; Marini, L; Martinez, M; Martinez Amaya, C; Maruyama, R H; Mei, Y; Moggi, N; Morganti, S; Mosteiro, P J; Nagorny, S S; Napolitano, T; Nastasi, M; Nisi, S; Nones, C; Norman, E B; Novati, V; Nucciotti, A; Nutini, I; O'Donnell, T; Olcese, M; Olivieri, E; Orio, F; Orlandi, D; Ouellet, J L; Pagliarone, C E; Pallavicini, M; Palmieri, V; Pattavina, L; Pavan, M; Pedretti, M; Pedrotta, R; Pelosi, A; Pessina, G; Pettinacci, V; Piperno, G; Pira, C; Pirro, S; Pozzi, S; Previtali, E; Reindl, F; Rimondi, F; Risegari, L; Rosenfeld, C; Rossi, C; Rusconi, C; Sakai, M; Sala, E; Salvioni, C; Sangiorgio, S; Santone, D; Schaeffer, D; Schmidt, B; Schmidt, J; Scielzo, N D; Singh, V; Sisti, M; Smith, A R; Stivanello, F; Taffarello, L; Tatananni, L; Tenconi, M; Terranova, F; Tessaro, M; Tomei, C; Ventura, G; Vignati, M; Wagaarachchi, S L; Wallig, J; Wang, B S; Wang, H W; Welliver, B; Wilson, J; Wilson, K; Winslow, L A; Wise, T; Zanotti, L; Zarra, C; Zhang, G Q; Zhu, B X; Zimmermann, S; Zucchelli, S

2018-03-30

The CUORE experiment, a ton-scale cryogenic bolometer array, recently began operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. The array represents a significant advancement in this technology, and in this work we apply it for the first time to a high-sensitivity search for a lepton-number-violating process: ^{130}Te neutrinoless double-beta decay. Examining a total TeO_{2} exposure of 86.3 kg yr, characterized by an effective energy resolution of (7.7±0.5)  keV FWHM and a background in the region of interest of (0.014±0.002)  counts/(keV kg yr), we find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Including systematic uncertainties, we place a lower limit on the decay half-life of T_{1/2}^{0ν}(^{130}Te)>1.3×10^{25}  yr (90% C.L.); the median statistical sensitivity of this search is 7.0×10^{24}  yr. Combining this result with those of two earlier experiments, Cuoricino and CUORE-0, we find T_{1/2}^{0ν}(^{130}Te)>1.5×10^{25}  yr (90% C.L.), which is the most stringent limit to date on this decay. Interpreting this result as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, we find m_{ββ}<(110-520)  meV, where the range reflects the nuclear matrix element estimates employed.

High-pressure Xenon Gas Electroluminescent TPC Concept for Simultaneous Searches for Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay & WIMP Dark Matter