The NEMO-3 results for the double-
β
decay of
150
Nd to the 0
1
+
and 2
1
+
excited states of
150
Sm are reported. The data recorded during 5.25 year with 36.6 g of the isotope
150
Nd are used in the ...analysis. The signal of the
2
ν
β
β
transition to the 0
1
+
excited state is detected with a statistical significance exceeding 5
σ
. The half-life is measured to be
T
1
/
2
2
ν
β
β
(
0
1
+
)
=
1
.
11
-
0.14
+
0.19
stat
-
0.15
+
0.17
syst
×
10
20
year, which is the most precise value that has been measured to date. 90% confidence-level limits are set for the other decay modes. For the
2
ν
β
β
decay to the 2
1
+
level the limit is
T
1
/
2
2
ν
β
β
(
2
1
+
)
>
2.42
×
10
20
year
. The limits on the
0
ν
β
β
decay to the 0
1
+
and 2
1
+
levels of
150
Sm are significantly improved to
T
1
/
2
0
ν
β
β
(
0
1
+
)
>
1.36
×
10
22
year
and
T
1
/
2
0
ν
β
β
(
2
1
+
)
>
1.26
×
10
22
year
.
The effective medium theory of one-dimensional and two-dimensional periodic structures are investigated. A method based on a Fourier decomposition of the wave propagating along the direction ...perpendicular to the periodic structures allows one to determine the zeroth-, first- and second-order effective indices. For one-dimensional problems, we derive closed-form expressions of the effective indices for both TE and TM polarization. Our result can be applied to arbitrary periodic structure with symmetric or non-symmetric lamellar or continuously varying index profiles. The theoretical predictions are carefully validated using rigorous coupled-wave analysis. For the two-dimensional case, only symmetric structures are discussed and the computation of the zeroth-, first-, and second-order effective indices requires the inversion of an infinite matrix which can be truncated and simply solved numerically. The EMT prediction is qualitatively validated using rigorous computation for small period-to-wavelength ratios. It is shown that for large period-to-wavelength ratios near the cutoff value, no analogy between 2-D periodic structures and homogeneous media holds for highly modulated lamellar gratings.
Using 9.4 g of
96Zr isotope and 1221 days of data from the NEMO-3 detector corresponding to 0.031 kg y, the obtained
2
ν
β
β
decay half-life measurement is
T
1
/
2
2
ν
=
2.35
±
0.14
(
stat
)
±
0.16
...(
syst
)
×
10
19
yr
. Different characteristics of the final state electrons have been studied, such as the energy sum, individual electron energy, and angular distribution. The 2
ν nuclear matrix element is extracted using the measured
2
ν
β
β
half-life and is
M
2
ν
=
0.049
±
0.002
. Constraints on
0
ν
β
β
decay have also been set.
The double-beta decay of 82Se to the 01+ excited state of 82Kr has been studied with the NEMO-3 detector using 0.93 kg of enriched 82Se measured for 4.75 y, corresponding to an exposure of 4.42 kg⋅y. ...A dedicated analysis to reconstruct the γ-rays has been performed to search for events in the 2e2γ channel. No evidence of a 2νββ decay to the 01+ state has been observed and a limit of T1/22ν(Se82,0gs+→01+)>1.3×1021y at 90% CL has been set. Concerning the 0νββ decay to the 01+ state, a limit for this decay has been obtained with T1/20ν(Se82,0gs+→01+)>2.3×1022y at 90% CL, independently from the 2νββ decay process. These results are obtained for the first time with a tracko-calo detector, reconstructing every particle in the final state.
The NEMO 3 detector, which has been operating in the Fréjus underground laboratory since February 2003, is devoted to the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (beta beta 0v). The half-lives of ...the two neutrino double-beta decay (beta beta 2v) have been measured for 100Mo and 82Se. After 389 effective days of data collection from February 2003 until September 2004 (phase I), no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay was found from approximately 7 kg of 100Mo and approximately 1 kg of 82Se. The corresponding limits are T1/2(beta beta0v) > 4.6 x 10(23) yr for 100Mo and T1/2(beta beta 0v) > 1.0 x 10(23) yr for 82Se (90% C.L.). Depending on the nuclear matrix element calculation, the limits for the effective Majorana neutrino mass are < 0.7-2.8 e/v for 100Mo and < 1.7-4.9 eV for 82Se.
The double beta decay of
100Mo to the
0
1
+
and
2
1
+
excited states of
100Ru is studied using the NEMO 3 data. After the analysis of 8024 h of data the half-life for the two-neutrino double beta ...decay of
100Mo to the excited
0
1
+
state is measured to be
T
1
/
2
(
2
ν
)
=
5.7
−0.9
+1.3
(
stat.
)
±
0.8
(
syst.
)
×
10
20
y
. The signal-to-background ratio is equal to 3. Information about energy and angular distributions of emitted electrons is also obtained. No evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay to the excited
0
1
+
state has been found. The corresponding half-life limit is
T
1
/
2
(
0
ν
)
(
0
+
→
0
1
+
)
>
8.9
×
10
22
y
(at 90% C.L.).
The search for the double beta decay to the
2
1
+
excited state has allowed the determination of limits on the half-life for the two neutrino mode
T
1
/
2
(
2
ν
)
(
0
+
→
2
1
+
)
>
1.1
×
10
21
y
(at 90% C.L.) and for the neutrinoless mode
T
1
/
2
(
0
ν
)
(
0
+
→
2
1
+
)
>
1.6
×
10
23
y
(at 90% C.L.).
The full data set of the NEMO-3 experiment has been used to measure the half-life of the two-neutrino double beta decay of
100
Mo to the ground state of
100
Ru,
T
1
/
2
=
6.81
±
0.01
stat
-
0.40
+
...0.38
syst
×
10
18
year. The two-electron energy sum, single electron energy spectra and distribution of the angle between the electrons are presented with an unprecedented statistics of
5
×
10
5
events and a signal-to-background ratio of
∼
80. Clear evidence for the Single State Dominance model is found for this nuclear transition. Limits on Majoron emitting neutrinoless double beta decay modes with spectral indices of
n
=
2
,
3
,
7
, as well as constraints on Lorentz invariance violation and on the bosonic neutrino contribution to the two-neutrino double beta decay mode are obtained.
Abstract Using data from the NEMO-3 experiment, we have measured the two-neutrino double beta decay ($$2\nu \beta \beta $$ 2νββ ) half-life of $$^{82}$$ 82 Se as $$T_{\smash {1/2}}^{2\nu } \!=\! ...\left 9.39 \pm 0.17\left( \text{ stat }\right) \pm 0.58\left( \text{ syst }\right) \right \times 10^{19}$$ T1/22ν=9.39±0.17stat±0.58syst×1019 y under the single-state dominance hypothesis for this nuclear transition. The corresponding nuclear matrix element is $$\left| M^{2\nu }\right| = 0.0498 \pm 0.0016$$ M2ν=0.0498±0.0016 . In addition, a search for neutrinoless double beta decay ($$0\nu \beta \beta $$ 0νββ ) using 0.93 kg of $$^{82}$$ 82 Se observed for a total of 5.25 y has been conducted and no evidence for a signal has been found. The resulting half-life limit of $$T_{1/2}^{0\nu } > 2.5 \times 10^{23} \,\text{ y } \,(90\%\,\text{ C.L. })$$ T1/20ν>2.5×1023y(90%C.L.) for the light neutrino exchange mechanism leads to a constraint on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of $$\langle m_{\nu } \rangle < \left( 1.2{-}3.0\right) \,\text{ eV }$$ ⟨mν⟩<1.2-3.0eV , where the range reflects $$0\nu \beta \beta $$ 0νββ nuclear matrix element values from different calculations. Furthermore, constraints on lepton number violating parameters for other $$0\nu \beta \beta $$ 0νββ mechanisms, such as right-handed currents, majoron emission and R-parity violating supersymmetry modes have been set.
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