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 Formula omittedMo to the ground state of Formula omittedRu, Formula omitted ...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 Formula omitted events and a signal-to-background ratio of Formula omitted 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 Formula omitted, as well as constraints on Lorentz invariance violation and on the bosonic neutrino contribution to the two-neutrino double beta decay mode are obtained.
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 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.
Using data from the NEMO-3 experiment, we have measured the two-neutrino double beta decay ( Formula omitted) half-life of Formula omittedSe as Formula omitted y under the single-state dominance ...hypothesis for this nuclear transition. The corresponding nuclear matrix element is Formula omitted. In addition, a search for neutrinoless double beta decay ( Formula omitted) using 0.93 kg of Formula omittedSe 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 Formula omitted for the light neutrino exchange mechanism leads to a constraint on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of Formula omitted, where the range reflects Formula omitted nuclear matrix element values from different calculations. Furthermore, constraints on lepton number violating parameters for other Formula omitted mechanisms, such as right-handed currents, majoron emission and R-parity violating supersymmetry modes have been set.
We report the results of a first experimental search for lepton number violation by four units in the neutrinoless quadruple-β decay of ^{150}Nd using a total exposure of 0.19 kg yr recorded with the ...NEMO-3 detector at the Modane Underground Laboratory. We find no evidence of this decay and set lower limits on the half-life in the range T_{1/2}>(1.1-3.2)×10^{21} yr at the 90% C.L., depending on the model used for the kinematic distributions of the emitted electrons.
Abstract The NEMO-3 results for the double- $$\beta $$ β decay of $$^{150}$$ 150 Nd to the 0 $$^+_1$$ 1 + and 2 $$^+_1$$ 1 + excited states of $$^{150}$$ 150 Sm are reported. The data recorded during ...5.25 year with 36.6 g of the isotope $$^{150}$$ 150 Nd are used in the analysis. The signal of the $$2\nu \beta \beta $$ 2 ν β β transition to the 0 $$^+_1$$ 1 + excited state is detected with a statistical significance exceeding 5 $$\sigma $$ σ . The half-life is measured to be $$T_{1/2}^{2\nu \beta \beta }(0^+_1) = \left 1.11 ^{+0.19}_{-0.14} \,\left( \hbox {stat}\right) ^{+0.17}_{-0.15}\,\left( \hbox {syst}\right) \right \times 10^{20}$$ 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 $$2\nu \beta \beta $$ 2 ν β β decay to the 2 $$^+_1$$ 1 + level the limit is $$T^{2\nu \beta \beta }_{1/2}(2^+_1) > 2.42 \times 10^{20}~\hbox {year}$$ T 1 / 2 2 ν β β ( 2 1 + ) > 2.42 × 10 20 year . The limits on the $$0\nu \beta \beta $$ 0 ν β β decay to the 0 $$^+_1$$ 1 + and 2 $$^+_1$$ 1 + levels of $$^{150}$$ 150 Sm are significantly improved to $$T_{1/2}^{0\nu \beta \beta }(0^+_1) > 1.36 \times 10^{22}~\hbox {year}$$ T 1 / 2 0 ν β β ( 0 1 + ) > 1.36 × 10 22 year and $$T_{1/2}^{0\nu \beta \beta }(2^+_1) > 1.26 \times 10^{22}~\hbox {year}$$ T 1 / 2 0 ν β β ( 2 1 + ) > 1.26 × 10 22 year .