C. Augier

First results of the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay with the NEMO 3 detector.

The NEMO 3 detector, which has been operating in the Frejus underground laboratory since February 2003, is devoted to the search for neutrinoless double beta decay (bb0nu). Half-lives of the two neutrino double beta decays (bb2nu) have been measured for 100Mo and 82Se. After 389 effective days of data collection from February 2003 until September 2004 (Phase I), no evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay was found from ~7kg of 100Mo and ~1 kg of 82Se. The corresponding lower limits for the half-lives are 4.6 x 10^23 years for 100Mo and 1.0 x10^23 years for 82Se (90% C.L.). Depending on the nuclear matrix elements calculation, limits for the effective Majorana neutrino mass are<0.7-2.8 eV for 100Mo and<1.7-4.9 eV for 82Se

Measurement of the Double Beta Decay Half-life of Nd-150 and Search for Neutrinoless Decay Modes with the NEMO-3 Detector

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 models involving Majoron emission, right-handed currents, and transitions to excited states.

Double-β decay of 82Se

Abstract The NEMO-2 tracking detector located in the Frejus Underground Laboratory was designed as a prototype of the NEMO-3 detector to study neutrinoless (Oν) and two neutrino (2ν) double-beta decay (ββ) physics. After 10357 h of running with an isotopically enriched selenium source (2.17 mol yr of 82Se) a ββ2ν decay half-life of T 1 2 = (0.83 ± 0.10( stat ) ± 0.07 ( syst )) × 10 20 yr was measured. Limits with a 90% C.L. on the 82Se half-lives of 9.5 × 1021 yr for ββ0ν decay to the ground state, 2.8 × 1021 yr to the (2+) excited state and 2.4 × 1021 yr for ββ0νχ0 decay with a Majoron (χ0) were also obtained.

Double beta decay of 96Zr

Abstract After 10357 h of running the NEMO-2 tracking detector with an isotopically enriched zirconium source (0.084 mol yr of 96Zr), a ββ2ν decay half-life of T1/2=(2.1+0.8(stat)−0.4(stat)±0.2(syst))·1019 y was measured. Limits with a 90% C.L. on the 96Zr half-lives of 1.0·1021 y for ββ0ν decay to the ground state, 3.9·1020 y to the 2+ excited state and 3.5·1020 y for ββ0νχ0 decay with a Majoron (χ0) were obtained. The data also provide direct limits at the 90% C.L. for the 94Zr half-lives. These limits are 1.1·1017 y for ββ2ν decay to the ground state, 1.9·1019 y for ββ0ν decay to the ground state and 2.3·1018 y for ββ0νχ0 decay to ground state.

Limits on different Majoron decay modes of Mo-100 and Se-82 for neutrinoless double beta decays in the NEMO-3 experiment

Abstract The NEMO-3 tracking detector is located in the Frejus Underground Laboratory. It was designed to study double beta decay in a number of different isotopes. Presented here are the experimental half-life limits on the double beta decay process for the isotopes 100Mo and 82Se for different majoron emission modes and limits on the effective neutrino–majoron coupling constants. In particular, new limits on “ordinary” majoron (spectral index 1) decay of 100Mo ( T 1 / 2 > 2.7 × 10 22 yr ) and 82Se ( T 1 / 2 > 1.5 × 10 22 yr ) have been obtained. Corresponding bounds on the majoron–neutrino coupling constant are 〈 g e e 〉 ( 0.4 – 1.8 ) × 10 −4 and ( 0.66 – 1.9 ) × 10 −4 .

Measurement of double beta decay of Mo-100 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^(2nu)_1/2 = [5.7^{+1.3}_{-0.9}(stat)+/-0.8(syst)]x 10^20 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^(0nu)_1/2(0^+ -->0^+_1)>8.9 x 10^22 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^(2nu)_1/2(0^+ -->2^+_1)>1.1 x 10^21 y (at 90% C.L.) and for the neutrinoless mode T^(0nu)_1/2(0^+ -->2^+_1)>1.6 x 10^23 y (at 90% C.L.).

Search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of

We report the results of a search for the neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) of Mo100, using the NEMO-3 detector to reconstruct the full topology of the final state events. With an exposure of 34.7  kg·y, no evidence for the 0νββ signal has been found, yielding a limit for the light Majorana neutrino mass mechanism of T1/2(0νββ)>1.1×1024 years (90% C.L.) once both statistical and systematic uncertainties are taken into account. Depending on the nuclear matrix elements this corresponds to an upper limit on the Majorana effective neutrino mass of ⟨mν⟩<0.3–0.9  eV (90% C.L.). Constraints on other lepton number violating mechanisms of 0νββ decays are also given. Searching for high-energy double electron events in all suitable sources of the detector, no event in the energy region [3.2–10] MeV is observed for an exposure of 47  kg·y.

^{100}Mo

AbstractAfter analysis of 5797 h of data from the detector NEMO3, new limits on neutrinoless double beta decay of 100Mo (T1/2>3.1×1023y, 90% CL) and 82Se (T1/2>1.4×1023y, 90% CL) have been obtained. The corresponding limits on the effective majorana neutrino mass are: 〈mv〉<(0.8–1.2) eV and 〈mv〉<(1.5–3.1) eV, respectively. Also the limits on double-beta decay with Majoron emission are: T1/2>1.4×1022y (90% CL) for 100Mo and T1/2>1.2×1022y (90% CL) for 82Se. Corresponding bounds on the Majoron-neutrino coupling constant are 〈 gee〉<(0.5–0.9)×10−4 and <(0.7−1.6)×10−4. Two-neutrino 2β-decay half-lives have been measured with a high accuracy,

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

T_{1/2}^{100_{Mo} } = [7.68 \pm 0.02(stat) \pm 0.54(syst)] \times 10^{18} y