skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: In-Trap Decay Spectroscopy of Radioactive Nuclei at TITAN/TRIUMF for a Determination of 2{nu}{beta}{beta} Matrix Elements

Abstract

To extract the effective neutrino Majorana mass from an observed 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay, precise knowledge of the involved nuclear matrix element is required. This poses a challenge to nuclear structure models. In particular, calculations based on the proton-neutron Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation show significant discrepancies with experimental electron capture (EC) rates of the intermediate nucleus even when tuned on 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay rates. However, EC branching ratios (BR) are in many cases not well known because the strengths of these decay branches are at the sensitivity limit of traditional experimental techniques. Here, we present a novel approach at TITAN/TRIUMF to measure EC-BR and to overcome shortcomings of previous methods. We also present results of a first proof-of-principle experiment which represents the very first observation of an electron capture in a Penning trap.

Authors:
; ; ;  [1];  [1]; ; ; ;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. TRIUMF, Vancouver BC (Canada)
  2. Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC (Canada)
  3. Universitaet Muenster, IKP, Muenister (Germany)
  4. Physik Department E12, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching (Germany)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21325596
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 1182; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: 10. conference on the intersections of particle and nuclear physics, San Diego, CA (United States), 26-31 May 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3293761; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; BRANCHING RATIO; DOUBLE BETA DECAY; ELECTRON CAPTURE; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; MATRIX ELEMENTS; NEUTRINOS; NEUTRONS; NUCLEAR MATRIX; NUCLEAR STRUCTURE; PROTONS; RANDOM PHASE APPROXIMATION; REST MASS; SENSITIVITY; TRAPS

Citation Formats

Ettenauer, S, Brodeur, M, Gallant, A T, Dilling, J, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Brunner, T, Physik Department E12, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching, Lapierre, A, Ringle, R, Good, M, Delheij, P, Andreoiu, C, Frekers, D, and Kruecken, R. In-Trap Decay Spectroscopy of Radioactive Nuclei at TITAN/TRIUMF for a Determination of 2{nu}{beta}{beta} Matrix Elements. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.1063/1.3293761.
Ettenauer, S, Brodeur, M, Gallant, A T, Dilling, J, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Brunner, T, Physik Department E12, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching, Lapierre, A, Ringle, R, Good, M, Delheij, P, Andreoiu, C, Frekers, D, & Kruecken, R. In-Trap Decay Spectroscopy of Radioactive Nuclei at TITAN/TRIUMF for a Determination of 2{nu}{beta}{beta} Matrix Elements. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3293761
Ettenauer, S, Brodeur, M, Gallant, A T, Dilling, J, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Brunner, T, Physik Department E12, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching, Lapierre, A, Ringle, R, Good, M, Delheij, P, Andreoiu, C, Frekers, D, and Kruecken, R. 2009. "In-Trap Decay Spectroscopy of Radioactive Nuclei at TITAN/TRIUMF for a Determination of 2{nu}{beta}{beta} Matrix Elements". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3293761.
@article{osti_21325596,
title = {In-Trap Decay Spectroscopy of Radioactive Nuclei at TITAN/TRIUMF for a Determination of 2{nu}{beta}{beta} Matrix Elements},
author = {Ettenauer, S and Brodeur, M and Gallant, A T and Dilling, J and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC and Brunner, T and Physik Department E12, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching and Lapierre, A and Ringle, R and Good, M and Delheij, P and Andreoiu, C and Frekers, D and Kruecken, R},
abstractNote = {To extract the effective neutrino Majorana mass from an observed 0{nu}{beta}{beta} decay, precise knowledge of the involved nuclear matrix element is required. This poses a challenge to nuclear structure models. In particular, calculations based on the proton-neutron Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation show significant discrepancies with experimental electron capture (EC) rates of the intermediate nucleus even when tuned on 2{nu}{beta}{beta} decay rates. However, EC branching ratios (BR) are in many cases not well known because the strengths of these decay branches are at the sensitivity limit of traditional experimental techniques. Here, we present a novel approach at TITAN/TRIUMF to measure EC-BR and to overcome shortcomings of previous methods. We also present results of a first proof-of-principle experiment which represents the very first observation of an electron capture in a Penning trap.},
doi = {10.1063/1.3293761},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21325596}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 1182,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Thu Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}