Sterile neutrinos in neutrinoless double beta decay

Abstract

We study possible contribution of the Majorana neutrino mass eigenstate $\hat{I}{½}_h$ dominated by a sterile neutrino component to neutrinoless double beta ($0\hat{I}½{\hat{I}}^2{\hat{I}}^2$) decay. From the current experimental lower bound on the $0\hat{I}½{\hat{I}}^2{\hat{I}}^2$-decay half-life of ${}^{76}$Ge we derive stringent constraints on the $\hat{I}{½}_h-\hat{I}{½}_e$ mixing in a wide region of the values of $\hat{I}{½}_h$ mass. We discuss cosmological and astrophysical status of $\hat{I}{½}_h$ in this mass region.

6 pages, 1 figure; v2 added comments and references