Double-beta decay of ${}^{130}$Te to the first 0${}^{+}$ excited state of ${}^{130}$Xe with CUORICINO

Abstract

The CUORICINO experiment was an array of 62 TeO${}_2$ single-crystal bolometers with a total ${}^{130}$Te mass of $11.3$kg. The experiment finished in 2008 after more than 3 years of active operating time. Searches for both $0\hat{I}½$ and $2\hat{I}½$ double-beta decay to the first excited $0^{+}$ state in ${}^{130}$Xe were performed by studying different coincidence scenarios. The analysis was based on data representing a total exposure of N(${}^{130}$Te)$\cdot$t=$9.5\times 10^{25}$y. No evidence for a signal was found. The resulting lower limits on the half lives are $T_{1/2}^{2\hat{I}½}{(}^{130}Te{\to }^{130}X{e}^{\ast })>1.3\times 10^{23}$y (90% C.L.), and $T_{1/2}^{0\hat{I}½}{(}^{130}Te{\to }^{130}X{e}^{\ast })>9.4\times 10^{23}$y (90% C.L.).

6 pages, 4 figures