• Energy Research

The double-beta decay of Cd116 has been investigated with the help of radiopure enriched Cd116WO4 crystal scintillators (mass of 1.162 kg) at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory. The half-life of Cd116 relative to the 2ν2β decay to the ground state of Sn116 was measured with the highest up-to-date accuracy as T1/2=(2.63-0.12+0.11)×1019 yr. A new improved limit on the 0ν2β decay of Cd116 to the ground state of Sn116 was set as T1/2≥2.2×1023 yr at 90% C.L., which is the most stringent known restriction for this isotope. It corresponds to the effective Majorana neutrino mass limit in the range ⟨mν⟩≤(1.0–1.7) eV, depending on the nuclear matrix elements used in the estimations. New improved half-life limits for the 0ν2β decay with majoron(s) emission, Lorentz-violating 2ν2β decay, and 2β transitions to excited states of Sn116 were set at the level of T1/2≥1020–1022 yr. New limits for the hypothetical lepton-number violating parameters (right-handed currents admixtures in weak interaction, the effective majoron-neutrino coupling constants, R-parity violating parameter, Lorentz-violating parameter, heavy neutrino mass) were set.

Abstract An experiment to measure the 2β – decay of 150Nd to excited levels of 150Sm using a highly purified 2.381 kg sample of Nd2O3 is in progress in the low-background set-up with 4 HPGe detectors (∼225 cm3 volume each). The detector is located deep underground (3600 m w.e.) at the STELLA facility of the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the INFN (Italy). Two γ quanta with energies 334.0 keV and 406.5 keV emitted after deexcitation of the 01 + excited level of 150Sm have been observed in the experimental data accumulated over 39898 h. The preliminary half-life value for 2β – decay of 150Nd to the first 0+ excited level in 150Sm (after the exposure of 10.8 kg × yr) was estimated as T 1 / 2 = 9.7 − 1.9 + 2.9 stat . ± 1.5 syst . × 10 19 yr. The experiment is under data taking with the aim to improve the statistical uncertainties.

This paper shortly summarizes the results obtained with the total exposure of 1.04 ton × yr collected by DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. during 7 annual cycles. The DAMA/LIBRA-phase1 and the former DAMA/NaI data (cumulative exposure 1.33 ton × yr, corresponding to 14 annual cycles) give evidence at 9.3 σ C.L. for the presence of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the galactic halo, on the basis of the exploited model independent DM annual modulation signature by using highly radio-pure NaI(Tl) target. The modulation amplitude of the single-hit events in the (2–6) keV energy interval is: (0.0112 ± 0.0012) cpd/kg/keV; the measured phase is (144 ± 7) days and the measured period is (0.998 ± 0.002) yr, values well in agreement with those expected for DM particles. No systematic or side reaction able to mimic the exploited DM signature has been found or suggested by anyone over more than a decade. Some of the perspectives of the presently running DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 are outlined.

We present the first search for the Majoron-emitting modes of the neutrinoless double $β$ decay ($0νββχ_0$) using scintillating cryogenic calorimeters. We analysed the CUPID-0 Phase I data using a Bayesian approach to reconstruct the background sources activities, and evaluate the potential contribution of the $^{82}$Se $0νββχ_0$. We considered several possible theoretical models which predict the existence of a Majoron-like boson coupling to the neutrino. The energy spectra arising from the emission of such bosons in the neutrinoless double $β$ decay have spectral indices $n=$ 1, 2, 3 or 7. We found no evidence of any of these decay modes, setting a lower limit (90% of credibility interval) on the half-life of 1.2 $\times$ 10$^{23}$ yr in the case of $n=$ 1, 3.8 $\times$ 10$^{22}$ yr for $n=$ 2, 1.4 $\times$ 10$^{22}$ yr for $n=$ 3 and 2.2 $\times$ 10$^{21}$ yr for $n=$ 7. These are the best limits on the $0νββχ_0$ half-life of the $^{82}$Se, and demonstrate the potentiality of the CUPID-0 technology in this field.

Double beta decay of $^{116}$Cd has been investigated with the help of radiopure enriched $^{116}$CdWO$_4$ crystal scintillators in the experiment Aurora. The half-life of $^{116}$Cd relatively to the 2$��$2$��$ decay of $^{116}$Cd to the ground level of $^{116}$Sn is measured with the highest up-to-date accuracy as $T_{1/2}$ = [2.69 $\pm$ 0.02 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.14 (syst.)] $\times$ 10$^{19}$ yr. A new improved limit on the 0$��$2$��$ decay of $^{116}$Cd to the ground state of $^{116}$Sn is set as $T_{1/2}\geq 2.4 \times 10^{23}$ yr at 90\% C.L., that corresponds to the effective Majorana neutrino mass limit in the range $\langle$$m_��$$\rangle$ $\le$ $(1.1-1.6)$ eV, depending on the nuclear matrix elements used in the estimations. New improved limits on other $2��$ processes in $^{116}$Cd (decays with majoron emission, transitions to excited levels of $^{116}$Sn) were set at the level of $T_{1/2}\geq 10^{21}-10^{22}$ yr. 4 pages, 2 figures

The Aurora experiment to investigate double beta decay of $^{116}$Cd with the help of 1.162 kg cadmium tungstate crystal scintillators enriched in $^{116}$Cd to 82\% is in progress at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory. The half-life of $^{116}$Cd relatively to the two neutrino double beta decay is measured with the highest up-to-date accuracy $T_{1/2}=(2.62\pm0.14)\times10^{19}$ yr. The sensitivity of the experiment to the neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{116}$Cd to the ground state of $^{116}$Sn is estimated as $T_{1/2} \geq 1.9\times10^{23}$ yr at 90\% CL, which corresponds to the effective Majorana neutrino mass limit $\langle m_��\rangle \leq (1.2-1.8)$ eV. New limits are obtained for the double beta decay of $^{116}$Cd to the excited levels of $^{116}$Sn, and for the neutrinoless double beta decay with emission of majorons. 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted as proceedings of the TAUP 2015 conference