Journal Article

The MOON project and DBD matrix elements

Ejiri, H

2009

Overview

This is a brief report on experimental studies of double beta decays (DBD) in Japan, the MOON project for spectroscopic studies of neutrino-less DBD (0vββ) and on experimental studies of DBD nuclear matrix elements. Experimental DBD studies in Japan were made by geochemical methods on 130Te, 128Te and 96Zr and by a series of ELEGANT(EL) counting methods, EL III on 76Ge, EL IV, V on 100Mo, 116Cd, and EL VI on 48Ca. Future counter experiments are MOON, CANDLES, XMASS and DCBA. The MOON project, which is based on EL V, aims at studies of the Majorana nature of the neutrino (v) and the v-mass spectrum by spectroscopic 0vββ experiments with the v-mass sensitivity of < mmv > 100-30 meV. The MOON detector is a super ensemble of multi-layer modules, each being composed by PL scintillator plates and position-sensitive detector planes. DBD nuclear matrix elements have been studied experimentally by using charge exchange reactions. The 2-neutrino DBD matrix elements are expressed by successive single-β matrix elements through low-lying intermediate states.

• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Subject: Candles / Charge exchange / Multilayers / Neutrinos / Physics / Position sensing / Scintillation counters / Zirconium isotopes