Towards Reliable Nuclear Matrix Elements for Neutrinoless $\beta \beta$ Decay

Abstract

The calculated nuclear matrix elements for the neutrinoless double-beta ($0\nu \beta \beta$) decay suffer from several limitations. Predicted matrix-element values depend on the many-body method used to calculate them and, in addition, they may need to be "quenched", albeit by an unknown amount due to the relatively high momentum transferred in the decay. These uncertainties are hard to figure out from theoretical calculations alone because of the unique character of $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay, not clearly related to other nuclear structure observables. We present recent progress in the determination of the nuclear matrix elements. First, we report improved shell model calculations in an extended configuration space of two harmonic oscillator shells. Second, we note the relation between the $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay and double Gamow-Teller transitions that can in principle be measured in double charge-exchange reactions. These new insights pave the way for a more reliable estimation of the value of the nuclear matrix elements.

arXiv comment6 pages, 3 figures, presented at the IIRC Symposium "Perspectives of the Physics of Nuclear Structure", Tokyo, Japan, November 1-4, 2017

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Cited by in corpus (2)

• Ab initio studies of double Gamow-Teller transition and its correlation with neutrinoless double beta decay
• Neutrinoless double-beta decay from an effective field theory for heavy nuclei