Shake-off in the 164Er neutrinoless double electronic capture and the dark matter puzzle

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that shake-off effects significantly increase the rate of neutrinoless double electronic capture in 164Er, challenging the resonance assumption and impacting dark matter research.

Contribution

It introduces calculations of shake-off probabilities in 164Er, showing a substantial increase in capture rate and expanding potential experimental nuclei.

Findings

Capture rate increased by a factor of 5.6 due to shake-off

Shake-off effects enable non-resonant capture processes

Implications for dark matter and neutrino studies

Abstract

Traditionally double neutrinoless electronic capture is considered as a resonance process. We have fulfilled shake-off probability calculations, leading to ionization of the electron shell, in the case of 164Er. Allowance for the shake-off removes the requirement of resonance, leading to a radical increase of the capture rate. In the case of 164Er, the contribution of the new mechanism increases the capture rate by a factor of 5.6 as compared to the conventional resonance fluorescence mechanism. It also increases the probability of electron capture from higher shells, which must be foreseen in the experimental studies. Moreover, the effect of the shake-off can expand the list of candidate nuclei for experimental research. The influence of the shake-off is also expected to manifest itself in the other beta processes which are used in the studies of the neutrino nature, its mass and role in the dark matter puzzle.