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First limit on neutrinoless quadruple β decay of Nd 150 to the 01+ state of Gd 150

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kidd, MF; Tornow, W
Published in: Physical Review C
November 9, 2018

Background: Observation of lepton number violation via detection of neutrinoless double β decay requires that the neutrino be a Majorana particle. If the neutrino is a Dirac particle, a potential lepton-number violating process is neutrinoless quadruple β decay. Only a few nuclei can undergo neutrinoless quadruple β decay; one of these nuclei is Nd150. Purpose: This study yields the first half-life limit of the neutrinoless quadruple β decay to the excited 01+ state of Gd150. Methods: We searched for neutrinoless quadruple β decay events to excited final states of Gd150 by detecting the deexcitation γ rays of the daughter nucleus in coincidence. These γ rays have energies of 569.031 and 638.050 keV, and are emitted in coincidence through a 01+→21+→0gs+ transition. Results: The enriched Nd2O3 sample consisted of 40.33±0.02 g Nd150 and was observed for 642.8 days at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility. A half-life limit for the decay to the 01+ state of Gd150 was found to be T1/2>1.76×1020 years (90% CL). Conclusions: We report the first search for this decay to excited final states. Though the predicted half-life of this decay is many orders of magnitudes larger, constraining this value experimentally is vital to check for potential enhancements to the decay rate.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Physical Review C

DOI

EISSN

2469-9993

ISSN

2469-9985

Publication Date

November 9, 2018

Volume

98

Issue

5

Related Subject Headings

  • 5106 Nuclear and plasma physics
 

Citation

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Kidd, M. F., & Tornow, W. (2018). First limit on neutrinoless quadruple β decay of Nd 150 to the 01+ state of Gd 150. Physical Review C, 98(5). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.98.055501
Kidd, M. F., and W. Tornow. “First limit on neutrinoless quadruple β decay of Nd 150 to the 01+ state of Gd 150.” Physical Review C 98, no. 5 (November 9, 2018). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.98.055501.
Kidd MF, Tornow W. First limit on neutrinoless quadruple β decay of Nd 150 to the 01+ state of Gd 150. Physical Review C. 2018 Nov 9;98(5).
Kidd, M. F., and W. Tornow. “First limit on neutrinoless quadruple β decay of Nd 150 to the 01+ state of Gd 150.” Physical Review C, vol. 98, no. 5, Nov. 2018. Scopus, doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.98.055501.
Kidd MF, Tornow W. First limit on neutrinoless quadruple β decay of Nd 150 to the 01+ state of Gd 150. Physical Review C. 2018 Nov 9;98(5).

Published In

Physical Review C

DOI

EISSN

2469-9993

ISSN

2469-9985

Publication Date

November 9, 2018

Volume

98

Issue

5

Related Subject Headings

  • 5106 Nuclear and plasma physics