$\gamma \gamma$ decay as a probe of neutrinoless $\beta \beta$ decay nuclear matrix elements

Abstract

We study double gamma ($\gamma \gamma$) decay nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) for a wide range of nuclei from titanium to xenon, and explore their relation to neutrinoless double-beta ($0\nu \beta \beta$) NMEs. To favor the comparison, we focus on double-magnetic dipole transitions in the final $\beta \beta$ nuclei, in particular the $\gamma \gamma$ decay of the double isobaric analog of the initial $\beta \beta$ state into the ground state. For the decay with equal-energy photons, our large-scale nuclear shell model results show a good linear correlation between the $\gamma \gamma$ and $0\nu \beta \beta$ NMEs. Our analysis reveals that the correlation holds for $\gamma \gamma$ transitions driven by the spin or orbital angular momentum due to the dominance of zero-coupled nucleon pairs, a feature common to $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay. Our shell-model findings point out the potential of future $\gamma \gamma$ decay measurements to constrain $0\nu \beta \beta$ NMEs, which are key to answer fundamental physics questions based on $0\nu \beta \beta$ experiments.

6 pages, 4 figures, matches published version

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Cited by in corpus (12)

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• Towards Precise and Accurate Calculations of Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay: Project Scoping Workshop Report
• Neutrinoless $\beta \beta$-decay nuclear matrix elements from two-neutrino $\beta \beta$-decay data
• Ab initio studies of double Gamow-Teller transition and its correlation with neutrinoless double beta decay
• Correlations Between Neutrinoless Double-Beta, Double Gamow-Teller and Double-Magnetic Decays in the pnQRPA Framework
• Neutrinoless double beta decay rates in the presence of light sterile neutrinos
• Muon Capture on ${}^6$Li, ${}^{12}$C, and ${}^{16}$O from $AbInitio$ Nuclear Theory
• Interplay between non-interfering neutrino exchange mechanisms and nuclear matrix elements in $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay
• Electromagnetic transitions from isobaric analogue states to study nuclear matrix elements for double beta decays and astro-neutrino inverse beta decays
• Benchmarking nuclear matrix elements of $0\nu \beta \beta$ decay with high-energy nuclear collisions
• Nucleon Electric Dipole Moments in Paramagnetic Molecules through Effective Field Theory