GEMMA experiment: three years of the search for the neutrino magnetic moment

The result of the 3-year neutrino magnetic moment measurement at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant with the GEMMA spectrometer is presented. Antineutrino-electron scattering is investigated. A high-purity germanium detector of 1.5 kg placed at a distance of 13.9 m from the 3 GW(th) reactor core is used in the spectrometer. The antineutrino flux is 2.7E13 1/scm/s. The differential method is used to extract (nu-e) electromagnetic scattering events. The scattered electron spectra taken in 5184+6798 and 1853+1021 hours for the reactor ON and OFF periods are compared. The upper limit for the neutrino magnetic moment < 3.2E-11 Bohr magneton at 90% CL is derived from the data processing.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Study of 2 beta-decay of Mo-100 and Se-82 using the NEMO3 detector

After analysis of 5797 h of data from the detector NEMO3, new limits on neutrinoless double beta decay of Mo-100 (T-1/2 > 3.1 x 10(23) y, 90% CL) and Se-82 (T-1/2 > 1.4 x 10(23) y, 90% CL) have been obtained. The corresponding limits on the effective majorana neutrino mass are: 1.4 x 10(22) y (90% CL) for Mo-100 and T-1/2 > 1.2 x 10(22) y (90% CL) for Se-82. Corresponding bounds on the Majoron-neutrino coupling constant are < (0.5-0.9) x 10(- 4) and <(0.7-1.6) x 10(- 4). Two-neutrino 2beta-decay half-lives have been measured with a high accuracy, (T1/2Mo)-Mo-100 = [7.68 +/- 0.02(stat) +/- 0.54(syst)] x 10(18) y and (T1/2Se)-Se-82 = [10.3 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.7(syst)] x 10(19) y. (C) 2004 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica"

Investigation of double beta decay with the NEMO-3 detector

The double beta decay experiment NEMO~3 has been taking data since February 2003. The aim of this experiment is to search for neutrinoless ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay and investigate two neutrino double beta decay in seven different isotopically enriched samples ($^{100}$Mo, $^{82}$Se, $^{48}$Ca, $^{96}$Zr, $^{116}$Cd, $^{130}$Te and $^{150}$Nd). After analysis of the data corresponding to 3.75 y, no evidence for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay in the $^{100}$Mo and $^{82}$Se samples was found. The half-life limits at the 90% C.L. are $1.1\cdot 10^{24}$ y and $3.6\cdot 10^{23}$ y, respectively. Additionally for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay the following limits at the 90% C.L. were obtained, $> 1.3 \cdot 10^{22}$ y for $^{48}$Ca, $> 9.2 \cdot 10^{21}$ y for $^{96}$Zr and $> 1.8 \cdot 10^{22}$ y for $^{150}$Nd. The $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay half-life values were precisely measured for all investigated isotopes.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables; talk at conference on "Fundamental Interactions Physics" (ITEP, Moscow, November 23-27, 2009

Measurement of double beta decay of ¹⁰⁰Mo to excited states in the NEMO 3 experiment

The double beta decay of ¹⁰⁰Mo to the 0_{1}^{+} and 2_{1}^{+} excited states of ¹⁰⁰Ru is studied using the NEMO 3 data. After the analysis of 8024 h of data the half-life for the two-neutrino double beta decay of ¹⁰⁰Mo to the excited 0_{1}^{+} state is measured to be T_{1/2}^{2v} = [5.7_{-0.9}^{+1.3} (stat.) ± 0.8 (syst.)] x 10²⁰ y. The signal-to-background ratio is equal to 3. Information about energy and angular distributions of emitted electrons is also obtained. No evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay to the excited 0_{1}^{+} state has been found. The corresponding half-life limit is T_{1/2}^{0v} (0⁺→0_{1}^{+}) > 8.9 x 10²² y (at 90% C.L.). The search for the double beta decay to the 2_{1}^{+} excited state has allowed the determination of limits on the half-life for the two neutrino mode T_{1/2}^{0v} (0⁺→2_{1}^{+}) > 1.1 x 10²¹ y (at 90% C.L.) and for the neutrinoless mode T_{1/2}^{0v} (0⁺→2_{1}^{+}) > 1.6 x 10²³ y (at 90% C.L.)

Possible background reductions in double beta decay experiments

The background induced by radioactive impurities of $^{208}\rm Tl$ and $^{214}\rm Bi$ in the source of the double beta experiment NEMO-3 has been investigated. New methods of data analysis which decrease the background from the above mentioned contamination are identified. The techniques can also be applied to other double beta decay experiments capable of measuring independently the energies of the two electrons.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted in the Nuclear Instruments and Methods

The first result of the neutrino magnetic moment measurement in the GEMMA experiment

The first result of the neutrino magnetic moment measurement at the Kalininskaya Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) with the GEMMA spectrometer is presented. An antineutrino-electron scattering is investigated. A high-purity germanium detector of 1.5 kg placed 13.9 m away from the 3 GW reactor core is used in the spectrometer. The antineutrino flux is $2.73\times 10^{13} \nu_e / cm^2 / s$. The differential method is used to extract the $\nu$-e electromagnetic scattering events. The scattered electron spectra taken in 6200 and 2064 hours for the reactor ON and OFF periods are compared. The upper limit for the neutrino magnetic moment $\mu_\nu < 5.8\times 10^{-11}$ Bohr magnetons at 90{%} CL is derived from the data processing.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, 2 table

Search for double beta decay of 106Cd with an enriched 106CdWO4 crystal scintillator in coincidence with CdWO4 scintillation counters

Studies on double beta decay processes in 106Cd were performed by using a cadmium tungstate scintillator enriched in 106Cd at 66% (106CdWO4) with two CdWO4 scintillation counters (with natural Cd composition). No effect was observed in the data that accumulated over 26033 h. New improved half-life limits were set on the different channels and modes of the 106Cd double beta decay at level of lim T_1/2 ∼ 10^20 − 10^22 yr. The limit for the two neutrino electron capture 2νECβ with positron emission in 106Cd to the ground state of 106Pd, T_1/2 ≥ 2.1 × 10^21 yr, was set by the analysis of the 106CdWO4 data in coincidence with the energy release 511 keV in both CdWO 4 counters. The sensitivity approaches the theoretical predictions for the decay half-life that are in the range T_1/2 ∼ 10^21 − 10^22 yr. The resonant neutrinoless double-electron capture to the 2718 keV excited state of 106Pd is restricted at the level of T_1/2 (0ν2K) ≥ 2.9 × 10^21 yr

Study of 2b-decay of Mo-100 and Se-82 using the NEMO3 detector

After analysis of 5797 h of data from the detector NEMO3, new limits on neutrinoless double beta decay of Mo-100 (T_{1/2} > 3.1 10^{23} y, 90% CL) and Se-82 (T_{1/2} > 1.4 10^{23} y, 90% CL) have been obtained. The corresponding limits on the effective majorana neutrino mass are: m < (0.8-1.2) eV and m < (1.5-3.1) eV, respectively. Also the limits on double-beta decay with Majoron emission are: T_{1/2} > 1.4 10^{22} y (90% CL) for Mo-100 and T_{1/2}> 1.2 10^{22} y (90%CL) for Se-82. Corresponding bounds on the Majoron-neutrino coupling constant are g < (0.5-0.9) 10^{-4} and < (0.7-1.6) 10^{-4}. Two-neutrino 2b-decay half-lives have been measured with a high accuracy, T_{1/2} Mo-100 = [7.68 +- 0.02(stat) +- 0.54(syst) ] 10^{18} y and T_{1/2} Se-82 = [10.3 +- 0.3(stat) +- 0.7(syst) ] 10^{19} y.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure