New limits on the Pauli forbidden transitions in 12C nuclei obtained with the complete Borexino dataset

TL;DR

This study used the Borexino dataset from 2007 to 2021 to set the most stringent limits to date on PEP-forbidden transitions in 12C nuclei, significantly constraining their possible occurrence.

Contribution

It provides new experimental bounds on the lifetime and transition probabilities of non-Paulian processes in 12C, improving upon previous constraints with low-background, large-mass data.

Findings

Established lower bounds on the lifetime of 12C for various forbidden transitions.

Set upper limits on the relative strengths of non-Paulian electromagnetic, strong, and weak transitions.

Achieved the most stringent experimental constraints to date on PEP-forbidden transitions in 12C.

Abstract

The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) was tested for nucleons in $\rm{^{12}C}$ nuclei using the Borexino dataset from 2007 to 2021. %the complete Borexino detector data. The approach consists of searching for $\gamma$-quanta, neutrons, protons, as well as electrons and positrons emitted in non-Paulian transitions of nucleons from the $1P_{3/2}$ shell to the filled $1S_{1/2}$ shell. Due to the uniquely low background level, the large mass, and long measurement time of the Borexino detector, the most stringent experimental constraints to date on the lifetime of the $\rm{^{12}C}$ nucleus with respect to PEP-forbidden transitions were obtained: $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+\gamma) \geq {1.1\times10^{32}}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ p) \geq {1.0\times10^{31}}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+ n) \geq 2.0 \times 10^{31}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{N}}}+ e^- + \widetilde{\nu_e}) \geq 6.4 \times 10^{30}$ y and $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ e^+ + \nu_e) \geq 6.6 \times 10^{30}$ y (90\% C.L.). The upper limits on the relative strengths for the non-Paulian electromagnetic, strong, and weak transitions have been obtained: $\delta^2_{\gamma}\leq 1.0\times 10^{-57}$, $\delta^2_{N}\leq 7.0\times 10^{-61}$ and $\delta^2_{\beta}\leq 9.6\times 10^{-36}$, all at 90\% C.L..