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

Abstract

We report on a search for double beta decay of ${}^{130}$Te to the first $0^{+}$ excited state of ${}^{130}$Xe using a 9.8 kg$\cdot$yr exposure of ${}^{130}$Te collected with the CUORE-0 experiment. In this work we exploit different topologies of coincident events to search for both the neutrinoless and two-neutrino double-decay modes. We find no evidence for either mode and place lower bounds on the half-lives: $\ddot{I}{„}_{0^{+}}^{0\hat{I}½}>7.9\cdot 10^{23}$ yr and $\ddot{I}{„}_{0^{+}}^{2\hat{I}½}>2.4\cdot 10^{23}$ yr. Combining our results with those obtained by the CUORICINO experiment, we achieve the most stringent constraints available for these processes: $\ddot{I}{„}_{0^{+}}^{0\hat{I}½}>1.4\cdot 10^{24}$ yr and $\ddot{I}{„}_{0^{+}}^{2\hat{I}½}>2.5\cdot 10^{23}$ yr.

9 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables