Measurement of the ¹³⁶Xe two-neutrino double-β-decay half-life via direct background subtraction in NEXT

Journal Article · 10 May 2022 · Physical Review. C

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.105.055501· OSTI ID:1870658

Novella, P.; Sorel, M.; Usón, A.; Adams, C.; Almazán, H.; Álvarez, V.; Aparicio, B.; Aranburu, A. I.; Arazi, L.; Arnquist, I. J.; Ayet, S.; Azevedo, C. R.; Bailey, K.; Ballester, F.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. M.; Bounasser, S.; Byrnes, N.; Cárcel, S.; Carrión, J. V. ; Cebrián, S.; Church, E.; Conde, C. N.; Contreras, T.; Cossío, F. P.; Denisenko, A. A.; Díaz, G.; Díaz, J.; Dickel, T.; Escada, J.; Esteve, R.; Fahs, A.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Foss, F. W.; Freitas, E. C.; Freixa, Z.; Generowicz, J.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; González, R.; González-Díaz, D.; Guenette, R.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Haefner, J.; Hafidi, K.; Hauptman, J.; Henriques, C. O.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero-Gómez, P.; Herrero, V.; Ho, J.; Ifergan, Y.; Jones, B. P.; Kekic, M.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Larizgoitia, L.; Lebrun, P.; Lopez Gutierrez, D.; López-March, N.; Losada, M.; Mano, R. P.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez, A.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez-Vara, M.; McDonald, A. D.; Meziani, Z. E.; Mistry, K.; Monrabal, F.; Monteiro, C. B.; Mora, F. J.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Navarro, K.; Nygren, D. R.; Oblak, E.; Odriozola-Gimeno, M.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Pérez, J.; Querol, M.; Raymond, A.; Redwine, A. B.; Renner, J.; Ripoll, L.; Rivilla, I.; Rodríguez García, Y.; Rodríguez, J.; Rogero, C.; Rogers, L.; Romeo, B.; Romo-Luque, C.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. F.; Simón, A.; Stanford, C.; Teixeira, J. R.; Thapa, P.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Veloso, J. A.; Vuong, T. T.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Woodruff, K.; Yahlali, N.

Here, we report a measurement of the half-life of the ¹³⁶Xe two-neutrino double-β decay performed with a novel direct-background-subtraction technique. The analysis relies on the data collected with the NEXT-White detector operated with ¹³⁶Xe-enriched and ¹³⁶Xe-depleted xenon, as well as on the topology of double-electron tracks. With a fiducial mass of only 3.5 kg of Xe, a half-life of 2.34$$_{-0.46}^{+0.80}$$(stat)$$_{-0.17}^{+0.30}$$(sys)×10²¹yr is derived from the background-subtracted energy spectrum. The presented technique demonstrates the feasibility of unique background-model-independent neutrinoless double-β-decay searches.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
• Contributing Organization: NEXT Collaboration
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359; AC02-06CH11357; SC0019054; SC0019223; SC0010813
• OSTI ID: 1870658
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1879434; OSTI ID: 1886906; OSTI ID: 1907100; OSTI ID: 1908632
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB--22-395-ND-SCD; arXiv:2111.11091; oai:inspirehep.net:1972928
• Journal Information: Physical Review. C, Journal Name: Physical Review. C Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 105; ISSN 2469-9985
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
double beta decay
lifetimes and widths
neutrinoless double beta decay
nuclear structure and decays
rare decays