157 research outputs found
NURE: An ERC project to study nuclear reactions for neutrinoless double beta decay
Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) 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 0νββ 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 0νββ 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 0νββ
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