Speaker
Description
The search for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay provides a unique probe of the Majorana nature of neutrinos, i.e whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles. The observation of this process would imply the violation of lepton number conservation and signal new physics, beyond the Standard Model. However, the interpretation of 0νββ experimental searches relies critically on nuclear matrix element (NME) calculations, which are sensitive to nuclear structure inputs and remain a significant source of uncertainty. In this talk, I will discuss nuclear structure properties relevant to the 136Xe 0νββ decay, investigated via the 137Ba(d,3He)136Cs single-nucleon transfer reaction. The results provide experimental constraints on single-proton occupancies and contribute to reducing uncertainties in NME calculations.
References
[1] S. J. Freeman et al, Experimental study of the rearrangements of valence protons and neutrons amongst single-particle orbits during double β decay in 100Mo. Phys. Rev. C, 96:054325, 2017.
[2] J.P. Entwisle et al, Change of nuclear configurations in the neutrinoless double-β decay of 130Te →130 Xe and 136Xe →136 Ba, Phys. Rev. C, 93:064312, 2016..
[3] B. P. Kay et al, Nuclear structure relevant to neutrinoless double β decay: The valence protons in 76Ge and 76Se. Phys. Rev. C, 79:021301, 2009
