Study of Nuclear Effects in the Computation of the 0{\nu}{\beta}{\beta} Decay Matrix Elements

TL;DR

This paper investigates how various nuclear structure approximations and input parameters affect the calculated nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double beta decay, emphasizing the need for standardized, precise computational methods.

Contribution

It introduces a new Shell Model code enabling rapid calculations and systematically analyzes the impact of different nuclear effects on NMEs, highlighting their significant cumulative influence.

Findings

Nuclear effects significantly alter NMEs values.

Different approximations can lead to similar results, causing potential ambiguities.

A unified approach is necessary for precise NME calculations.

Abstract

We analyse the effects that different nuclear structure approximations associated with the short range correlations (SRC), finite nucleon size (FNS), higher order terms in the nucleon currents (HOC) and with some nuclear input parameters, have on the values of the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) for the neutrinoless double beta (0{\nu}{\beta}{\beta}) decay. The calculations are performed with a new Shell Model(ShM) code which allows a fast computation of the two-body matrix elements of the transition operators. The treatment of SRC, FNS and HOC and include the use of quenched or unquenched values for the axial vector coupling constant produce the most important effects on the NMEs values. Equivalent effects of some of these approximations are also possible, which may lead (accidentally) to close final results. We found that the cummulative effect of all these nuclear ingredients on the calculated nuclear matrix elements NMEs is significant. Since the NMEs values are often obtained with different approximations and/or with different input parameters, a convergent view point on their inclusion/neglection and an uniformization of the calculations are needed, in order to enter in an era of precision concerning the computation of the NMEs for double beta deacay.