Detecting Double Beta Decays Using Nuclear Emulsions

TL;DR

This paper proposes using nuclear emulsions to detect neutrinoless double beta decays, leveraging their precise tracking and vertexing capabilities to improve background rejection and observation of low energy electrons.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detection method employing nuclear emulsions for double beta decay experiments, combining tracking precision with potential background reduction.

Findings

Nuclear emulsions can effectively track low energy electrons from double beta decays.

The method offers improved vertex resolution compared to traditional detectors.

Potential for enhanced background discrimination in double beta decay searches.

Abstract

Neutrino nature and absolute mass scale are major questions in particle physics which cannot be addressed by the present neutrino oscillation program. To answer these two questions, several neutrinoless double beta decay experiments are underway or planed for the near future. These experiments, mainly use bolometric techniques or gaseous counters coupled with scintillator detectors. The energy resolution is better in bolometric experiments but experiments coupling tracking with calorimetry have the advantage of observing the two electron tracks and remove many background sources. Here, we present a proposal of using nuclear emulsions to observe double beta decays. This technique has the advantage of precise tracking and vertexing even for low energy electrons.