Neutrinoless double beta decay within Self-consistent Renormalized Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation and inclusion of induced nucleon currents

The first, to our knowledge, calculation of neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$-decay) matrix elements within the self-consistent renormalised Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation (SRQRPA) is presented. The contribution from the momentum-dependent induced nucleon currents to $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay amplitude is taken into account. A detailed nuclear structure study includes the discussion of the sensitivity of the obtained SRQRPA results for $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay of $^{76}$Ge to the parameters of nuclear Hamiltonian, two-nucleon short-range correlations and the truncation of the model space. A comparision with the standard and renormalized QRPA is presented. We have found a considerable reduction of the SRQRPA nuclear matrix elements, resulting in less stringent limits for the effective neutrino mass.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

A deformed QRPA formalism for single and two-neutrino double beta decay

We use a deformed QRPA formalism to describe simultaneously the energy distributions of the single beta Gamow-Teller strength and the two-neutrino double beta decay matrix elements. Calculations are performed in a series of double beta decay partners with A = 48, 76, 82, 96, 100, 116, 128, 130, 136 and 150, using deformed Woods-Saxon potentials and deformed Skyrme Hartree-Fock mean fields. The formalism includes a quasiparticle deformed basis and residual spin-isospin forces in the particle-hole and particle-particle channels. We discuss the sensitivity of the parent and daughter Gamow-Teller strength distributions in single beta decay, as well as the sensitivity of the double beta decay matrix elements to the deformed mean field and to the residual interactions. Nuclear deformation is found to be a mechanism of suppression of the two-neutrino double beta decay. The double beta decay matrix elements are found to have maximum values for about equal deformations of parent and daughter nuclei. They decrease rapidly when differences in deformations increase. We remark the importance of a proper simultaneous description of both double beta decay and single Gamow-Teller strength distributions. Finally, we conclude that for further progress in the field it would be useful to improve and complete the experimental information on the studied Gamow-Teller strengths and nuclear deformations.Comment: 33 pages, 19 figures. To be published in Phys. Rev.

Uncertainty in the 0νββ decay nuclear matrix elements

The nuclear matrix elements M0nu of the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0nubetabeta) are evaluated for 76Ge,100Mo,130Te, and 136Xe within the renormalized quasiparticle random phase approximation (RQRPA) and the simple QRPA. Three sets of single particle level schemes are used, ranging in size from 9 to 23 orbits. When the strength of the particle-particle interaction is adjusted so that the 2nubetabeta decay rate is correctly reproduced, the resulting M0nu values become essentially independent of the size of the basis, and of the form of different realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials. Thus, one of the main reasons for variability of the calculated M0nu within these methods is eliminated

Effect of deformation on two-neutrino double beta decay matrix elements

We study the effect of deformation on the two-neutrino double beta decay for ground state to ground state transitions in all the nuclei whose half-lives have been measured. Our theoretical framework is a deformed QRPA based in Woods-Saxon or Hartree-Fock mean fields. We are able to reproduce at the same time the main characteristics of the two single beta branches, as well as the double beta matrix elements. We find a suppression of the double beta matrix element with respect to the spherical case when the parent and daughter nuclei have different deformations

Erratum: Assessment of uncertainties in QRPA 0νββ0\nu\beta\beta-decay nuclear matrix elements [Nucl. Phys. A 766, 107 (2006)]

This is an erratum to our previously published paper.Comment: Accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys. A, see also nucl-th/050306

Nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double-beta decay and double-electron capture

A new generation of neutrinoless double beta decay experiments with improved sensitivity is currently under design and construction. They will probe inverted hierarchy region of the neutrino mass pattern. There is also a revived interest to the resonant neutrinoless double-electron capture, which has also a potential to probe lepton number conservation and to investigate the neutrino nature and mass scale. The primary concern are the nuclear matrix elements. Clearly, the accuracy of the determination of the effective Majorana neutrino mass from the measured 0\nu\beta\beta-decay half-life is mainly determined by our knowledge of the nuclear matrix elements. We review recent progress achieved in the calculation of 0\nu\beta\beta and 0\nu ECEC nuclear matrix elements within the quasiparticle random phase approximation. A considered self-consistent approach allow to derive the pairing, residual interactions and the two-nucleon short-range correlations from the same modern realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials. The effect of nuclear deformation is taken into account. A possibility to evaluate 0\nu\beta\beta-decay matrix elements phenomenologically is discussed.Comment: 24 pages; 80 references. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1101.214

Two-neutrino double beta decay of deformed nuclei within QRPA with realistic interaction

A method to implement realistic nucleon-nucleon residual interaction (Bonn CD force) based on the Brueckner G-matrix into the Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation (QRPA) for deformed nuclei is formulated. The two-neutrino double decay for ground state to ground state transitions $^{76}$Ge$\to ^{76}$Se and $^{150}$Nd $\to ^{150}$Sm is calculated along with the Gamow-Teller strength distributions. The effect of deformation on the observables is studied.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in in Phys. Rev.

Chiral two-body currents and neutrinoless double-β decay in the quasiparticle random-phase approximation

We test the effects of an approximate treatment of two-body contributions to the axial-vector current on the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (QRPA) matrix elements for neutrinoless double-beta decay in a range of isotopes. The form and strength of the two-body terms come from chiral effective-field theory. The two-body currents typically reduce the matrix elements by about 20%, not as much as in shell-model calculations. One reason for the difference is that standard practice in the QRPA is to adjust the strength of the isoscalar pairing interaction to reproduce two-neutrino double-beta decay lifetimes. Another may be the larger QRPA single-particle space. Whatever the reasons, the effects on neutrinoless decay are significantly less than those on two-neutrino decay, both in the shell model and the QRPA

Searching for New Physics in Two-Neutrino Double Beta Decay

Motivated by non-zero neutrino masses and the possibility of New Physics discovery, a number of experiments search for neutrinoless double beta decay. While hunting for this hypothetical nuclear process, a significant amount of two-neutrino double beta decay data has become available. Although these events are regarded and studied mostly as the background of neutrinoless double beta decay, they can be also used to probe physics beyond the Standard Model. In this paper we show how the presence of right-handed leptonic currents would affect the energy distribution and angular correlation of the outgoing electrons in two-neutrino double beta decay. Consequently, we estimate constraints imposed by currently available data on the existence of right-handed neutrino interactions without having to assume their nature. In this way our results complement the bounds coming from the non-observation of neutrinoless double beta decay as they limit also the exotic interactions of Dirac neutrinos. We perform a detailed calculation of two-neutrino double beta decay under the presence of exotic (axial-)vector currents and we demonstrate that current experimental searches can be competitive to existing limits.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, including appendi

The 0nbb-decay nuclear matrix elements with self-consistent short-range correlations

A self-consistent calculation of nuclear matrix elements of the neutrinoless double beta decays (0nbb) of 76Ge, 82Se, 96Zr, 100Mo, 116Cd, 128Te, 130Te and 130Xe 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 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 elements for the 0nbb-decay are obtained, which 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 0nbb-decay matrix elements.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure