Sensitivity of the NEXT experiment to Xe-124 double electron capture
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Published:2021-02
Issue:2
Volume:2021
Page:
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ISSN:1029-8479
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Container-title:Journal of High Energy Physics
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language:en
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Short-container-title:J. High Energ. Phys.
Author:
Martínez-Lema G.ORCID, , Martínez-Vara M., Sorel M., Adams C., Álvarez V., Arazi L., Arnquist I. J., Azevedo C. D. R, Bailey K., Ballester F., Benlloch-Rodríguez J. M., Borges F. I. G. M., Byrnes N., Cárcel S., Carrión J. V., Cebrián S., Church E., Conde C. A. N., Contreras T., Díaz G., Díaz J., Diesburg M., Escada J., Esteve R., Felkai R., Fernandes A. F. M., Fernandes L. M. P., Ferrario P., Ferreira A. L., Freitas E. D. C., Generowicz J., Ghosh S., Goldschmidt A., Gómez-Cadenas J. J., González-Díaz D., Guenette R., Gutiérrez R. M., Haefner J., Hafidi K., Hauptman J., Henriques C. A. O., Hernando Morata J. A., Herrero P., Herrero V., Ifergan Y., Johnston S., Jones B. J. P., Kekic M., Labarga L., Laing A., Lebrun P., López-March N., Losada M., Mano R. D. P., Martín-Albo J., Martínez A., McDonald A. D., Monrabal F., Monteiro C. M. B., Mora F. J., Muñoz Vidal J., Novella P., Nygren D. R., Palmeiro B., Para A., Pérez J., Querol M., Redwine A. B., Renner J., Repond J., Riordan S., Ripoll L., Rodríguez García Y., Rodríguez J., Rogers L., Romeo B., Romo-Luque C., Santos F. P., dos Santos J. M. F., Simón A., Sofka C., Stiegler T., Toledo J. F., Torrent J., Usón A., Veloso J. F. C. A., Webb R., Weiss-Babai R., White J. T., Woodruff K., Yahlali N.
Abstract
Abstract
Double electron capture by proton-rich nuclei is a second-order nuclear process analogous to double beta decay. Despite their similarities, the decay signature is quite different, potentially providing a new channel to measure the hypothesized neutrinoless mode of these decays. The Standard-Model-allowed two-neutrino double electron capture (2νEC EC) has been predicted for a number of isotopes, but only observed in 78Kr, 130Ba and, recently, 124Xe. The sensitivity to this decay establishes a benchmark for the ultimate experimental goal, namely the potential to discover also the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless version of this process, 0νEC EC. Here we report on the current sensitivity of the NEXT-White detector to 124Xe 2νEC EC and on the extrapolation to NEXT-100. Using simulated data for the 2νEC EC signal and real data from NEXT-White operated with 124Xe-depleted gas as background, we define an optimal event selection that maximizes the NEXT-White sensitivity. We estimate that, for NEXT-100 operated with xenon gas isotopically enriched with 1 kg of 124Xe and for a 5-year run, a sensitivity to the 2νEC EC half-life of 6 × 1022 y (at 90% confidence level) or better can be reached.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Nuclear and High Energy Physics
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