Large-scale shell-model study of two-neutrino double-beta decay of $^{82}$Se, $^{94}$Zr, $^{108}$Cd, $^{124}$Sn, $^{128}$Te, $^{130}$Te, $^{136}$Xe, and $^{150}$Nd

TL;DR

This study performs large-scale shell-model calculations of two-neutrino double-beta decay in multiple isotopes, providing nuclear matrix elements and half-life estimates that align with experimental data, and analyzing the contributions of intermediate states.

Contribution

It introduces comprehensive shell-model calculations for several isotopes using various effective interactions, including more intermediate states than previous studies, enhancing the understanding of double-beta decay mechanisms.

Findings

Calculated nuclear matrix elements are consistent with experimental half-lives.

The cumulative NME saturates with excitation energy of intermediate states.

More intermediate $1^+$ states were included than in prior research.

Abstract

Large-scale shell-model calculations have been performed for the study of two neutrino double-beta ($2\nu\beta\beta$) decay in $^{82}$Se, $^{94}$Zr, $^{108}$Cd, $^{124}$Sn, $^{128}$Te, $^{130}$Te, $^{136}$Xe, and $^{150}$Nd. We have employed JUN45 interaction to calculate the nuclear matrix element (NME) for $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay in $^{82}$Se. In the case of $^{94}$Zr, the glekpn effective interaction is used. For $^{108}$Cd, we have used a realistic effective interaction derived through the G-matrix approach. In the case of $^{124}$Sn, $^{128,130}$Te and $^{136}$Xe, the sn100pn effective interaction is employed. For $^{150}$Nd, we have used KHHE effective interaction based on holes in a $^{208}$Pb core. We have extracted the half-lives of these nuclei for the $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay with the help of calculated NME. Our results are consistent with the available experimental half-lives. The variation of cumulative $2\nu\beta\beta$ NME with respect to the excitation energy of the intermediate $1^+$ states is also shown, and in all cases, it is ensured that their values are almost saturated. In the present work we have calculated more intermediate $1^+$ states as much as possible in comparison to results available in the literature.