Least-Informative Priors for $0\nu\beta\beta$ Decay Searches

TL;DR

This paper develops and compares least-informative priors for neutrinoless double beta decay searches to improve the objectivity of Bayesian inferences by maximizing information gain from experiments.

Contribution

It introduces two novel approaches for constructing least-informative priors in neutrino mass parameter space and compares them with standard priors.

Findings

Least-informative priors differ significantly from flat and logarithmic priors.

The new priors aim to reduce bias in Bayesian inference for $0 uetaeta$ decay.

Comparison shows potential advantages in experimental sensitivity analysis.

Abstract

Bayesian parameter inference techniques require a choice of prior distribution which can strongly impact the statistical conclusions drawn. We discuss the construction of least-informative priors for neutrinoless double beta decay searches. Such priors attempt to be objective by maximizing the information gain from an experimental setup. In a parametrization using the lightest neutrino mass $m_l$ and an effective Majorana phase parameter $\Phi$, we construct such a prior using two different approaches and compare them with the standard flat and logarithmic priors in $m_l$.