Final results on $^\textbf{82}$Se double beta decay to the ground state of $^\textbf{82}$Kr from the NEMO-3 experiment

TL;DR

This paper reports precise measurements of the two-neutrino double beta decay half-life of $^{82}$Se and sets new limits on neutrinoless double beta decay, constraining neutrino properties and beyond Standard Model physics.

Contribution

First measurement of $^{82}$Se $2 uetaeta$ half-life under single-state dominance, and new stringent limits on $0 uetaeta$ decay mechanisms from NEMO-3 data.

Findings

$2 uetaeta$ half-life measured as $9.39 imes 10^{19}$ years.

No evidence found for $0 uetaeta$ decay, half-life > $2.5 imes 10^{23}$ years.

Constraints on Majorana neutrino mass and other lepton number violating parameters.

Abstract

Using data from the NEMO-3 experiment, we have measured the two-neutrino double beta decay ($2\nu\beta\beta$) half-life of $^{82}$Se as $T_{1/2}^{2\nu} = \left[ 9.39 \pm 0.17\,\left(\mbox{stat}\right) \pm 0.58\,\left(\mbox{syst}\right)\right] \times 10^{19}$ y under the single-state dominance hypothesis for this nuclear transition. The corresponding nuclear matrix element is $\left|M^{2\nu}\right| = 0.0498 \pm 0.0016$. In addition, a search for neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) using 0.93 kg of $^{82}$Se observed for a total of 5.25 y has been conducted and no evidence for a signal has been found. The resulting half-life limit of $T_{1/2}^{0\nu} > 2.5 \times 10^{23} \,\mbox{y} \,(90\%\,\mbox{C.L.})$ for the light neutrino exchange mechanism leads to a constraint on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of $\langle m_{\nu} \rangle < \left(1.2 - 3.0\right) \,\mbox{eV}$, where the range reflects $0\nu\beta\beta$ nuclear matrix element values from different calculations. Furthermore, constraints on lepton number violating parameters for other $0\nu\beta\beta$ mechanisms, such as right-handed currents, majoron emission and R-parity violating supersymmetry modes have been set.