Solar Neutrinos as Background to Neutrinoless Double-beta Decay Experiments

TL;DR

This paper evaluates how solar neutrinos create background noise in neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments, highlighting their significance for future high-sensitivity searches for Majorana neutrino masses.

Contribution

It provides a detailed assessment of solar neutrino interactions with various double-beta decay isotopes and discusses strategies for background reduction in future experiments.

Findings

Solar neutrino interactions are significant backgrounds in future ext{ extbackslash}BB ext{ extbackslash} experiments.

Certain isotopes are more affected by solar neutrino backgrounds.

Strategies for reducing solar neutrino backgrounds are discussed.

Abstract

Solar neutrinos interact within double-beta decay (\BB) detectors and contribute to backgrounds for \BB\ experiments. Background contributions due to charge-current solar neutrino interactions with \BB\ nuclei of $^{76}$Ge, $^{82}$Se, $^{100}$Mo, $^{130}$Te, $^{136}$Xe, and $^{150}$Nd are evaluated. They are shown to be significant for future high-sensitivity \BB\ experiments that may search for Majorana neutrino masses in the inverted-hierarchy mass region. The impact of solar neutrino backgrounds and their reduction are discussed for future \BB\ experiments.