First search for 2$\epsilon$ and $\epsilon {\beta }^{+}$ processes in ${}^{168}$Yb

Abstract

The double-electron capture and the electron capture with positron emission in ${}^{168}$Yb have been investigated for the first time at the STELLA facility of the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (Italy) measuring 371 g of highly purified ytterbium oxide placed on the end-cap of a 465 cm${}^3$ ultra-low-background high purity Germanium detector (HPGe). No gamma associated to double beta processes in ${}^{168}$Yb have been observed after 2074 h of data taking. This has allowed setting the half-life limits on the level of $\lim T_{1/2}\sim$ $10^{14}-10^{18}$ yr at 90\% C.L. Particularly, a lower half-life limit on a possible resonant neutrinoless double-electron capture in ${}^{168}$Yb to the $(2{)}^{-}$ 1403.7 keV excited state of ${}^{168}$Er is set as $T_{1/2}\ge 1.9\times 10^{18}$ yr at 90\% C.L. Half-life limits $T_{1/2}^{2\nu (0\nu )}\ge 4.5(4.3)\times 10^{16}$ yr were set on the $2\nu (0\nu )2{\beta }^{-}$ decay of ${}^{176}$Yb to the $2^{+}$ 84.3 keV first excited level of ${}^{176}$Hf.

23 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables

References in corpus (11)

• Phase space factors for double-$\beta$ decay
• Neutrinoless double beta decay and neutrino mass
• Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay: a Probe of Physics Beyond the Standard Model
• Average and recommended half-life values for two neutrino double beta decay
• \textsc{MaGe} - a {\sc Geant4}-based Monte Carlo Application Framework for Low-background Germanium Experiments
• Phase space factors for ${\beta }^{+}{\beta }^{+}$ decay and competing modes of double-$\beta$ decay
• Comparative study of the double $K$-shell-vacancy production in single- and double-electron capture decay
• Search for double beta decay of ${}^{136}$Ce and ${}^{138}$Ce with HPGe gamma detector
• New limits on $2\epsilon$, $\epsilon {\beta }^{+}$ and $2{\beta }^{+}$ decay of ${}^{136}$Ce and ${}^{138}$Ce with deeply purified cerium sample
• Double beta decay of ${}^{150}$Nd to the first excited $0^{+}$ level of ${}^{150}$Sm: preliminary results
• First search for $2\epsilon$ and $\epsilon {\beta }^{+}$ decay of ${}^{162}$Er and new limit on $2{\beta }^{-}$ decay of ${}^{170}$Er to the first excited level of ${}^{170}$Yb

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Neutrinoless Double-Electron Capture
• First direct search for $2\epsilon$ and $\epsilon {\beta }^{+}$ decay of ${}^{144}$Sm and $2{\beta }^{-}$ decay of ${}^{154}$Sm
• Double Beta Decay Experiments at Canfranc Underground Laboratory
• Combining Hybrid and Opaque Scintillator Techniques in the Search for Double Beta Plus Decays
• Search for rare alpha and double beta decays of Yb isotopes to excited levels of daughter nuclei
• First limits on double beta decays in ${}^{232}$Th