The next generation of long baseline neutrino experiments will aim at determining the value of the unknown mixing angle, theta_{13}, the type of neutrino mass hierarchy and the presence of CP-violation in the lepton sector. Beta-beams and electron capture experiments have been studied as viable candidates for long baseline experiments. They use a very clean electron neutrino beam from the beta-decays or electron capture decays of boosted ions. In the present article we consider an hybrid setup which combines a beta-beam with an electron capture beam by using boosted Ytterbium ions. We study the sensitivity to the CP-violating phase delta and the theta_{13} angle, the CP-discovery potential and the reach to determine the type of neutrino mass hierarchy for this type of long baseline experiment. The analysis is performed for different neutrino beam energies and baselines. Finally, we also discuss how the results would change if a better knowledge of some of the assumed parameters was achieved by the time this experiment could take place.
It is firmly believed that a signal of neutrinoless double beta decay can unquestionably confirm the Majorana nature of neutrinos. However we notice that a Majorana neutrino mass induced after some neutrinoless double beta decay processes can be accidentally cancelled by another Majorana neutrino mass induced before any neutrinoless double beta decay processes. This realistic cancellation can simultaneously allow an observable neutrinoless double beta decay and a vanishing Majorana neutrino mass. In consequence a future discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay cannot fully rule out the poss…
A significant signal of neutrinoless double beta decay can be consistent with the existence of light quasi-Dirac neutrinos. To demonstrate this possibility, we consider a realistic model where the neutrino masses and the neutrinoless double beta decay can be simultaneously generated after a Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking.
The relation between neutrino oscillation parameters and neutrinoless double beta decay is studied, assuming normal and inverse hierarchies for Majorana neutrino masses. For normal hierarchy the crucial dependence on U_{e3} is explored. The link with tritium beta decay is also briefly discussed.
We examine the constraints on the MNS lepton mixing matrix =66rom the present and future experimental data of the neutrino oscillation, tritium beta decay, and neutrinoless double beta decay for Majorana neutrinos. We show that the small mixing angle solutions for solar neutrino problem are disfavored for small averaged mass ($<m_ν>$) of neutrinoless double beta decay ($\leq 0.01$ eV) in the inverse neutrino mass hierarchy scenario. This is the case even in the normal mass hierarchy scenario except for very restrictive value of the averaged neutrino mass ($\bar{m_ν}$) of single beta decay. The…
If the electron neutrino has an effective nonzero Majorana mass, then neutrinoless double beta decay will occur. However, the latter is possible also with a negligible neutrino mass. We show how this may happen in a simple model of scalar diquarks and dileptons. This possibility allows neutrino masses to be small and hierarchical, without conflicting with the possible experimental evidence of neutrinoless double beta decay.
We argue three-flavour neutrino mixing. We consider the neutrinos as Majorana particles and see how the neutrinoless double beta decay constrains the neutrino mixing angles. Our formulation is widely valid and is applied to the neutrino oscillation experiment.
In this paper we analyze the neutrinoless double beta decay predictions in some scenarios with admixture of pseudo-Dirac and Majorana neutrinos in the 3 and 3+1 neutrino frameworks. We found that some of the cases can be falsifiable in near-term and future generations of neutrinoless double beta decay experiments even for the normal neutrino mass hierarchy. In the 3+1 framework we consider the sterile neutrino with a mass of the order of 1 eV. The complementarity between cosmological constraints and the future sensitivity for the next generations of the neutrinoless double beta decay searches …
We investigate neutrino flux induced double beta transitions in targets built of Cd112, Cd114, Cd116 and O18 isotopes. In addition to known beta^- beta^- channel we consider new beta^- beta^+ and beta^- beta^+ gamma modes of the neutrino induced double beta process. A possibility of detection of the solar neutrinos via the induced double beta transitions of interest is discussed. We note that the beta^- part of the solar neutrino induced beta^- beta^+ process in O18 was already discussed in Ref. [9,10] in connection with a possible influence of high energy electron production of this origin on…
Assuming equal tree-level Majorana masses for the standard-model neutrinos, either from the canonical seesaw mechanism or from a heavy scalar triplet, I discuss how their radiative splitting may be relevant to neutrinoless double beta decay and neutrino oscillations.
Taking account of possible CP violation, we discuss about the constraints on the lepton mixing angles from the neutrinoless double beta decay and from the neutrino oscillation for the three flavour Majorana neutrinos. From the CHORUS oscillation experiment, combined with the data of neutrinoless double beta decay, we show that the large angle solution of (θ_{23}) is improbable if the neutrino mass (m_3) of the third generation is a candidate of hot dark matters.
Motivated by recent intensive experimental efforts on searching for neutrinoless double beta decays, we present a detailed quantitative analysis on the prospect of resolving neutrino mass ordering in the next generation $^{76}$Ge-type experiments.
I summarize the current understanding of the neutrino oscillation physics with a neutrino factory and a beta beam, where I emphasize more recent phenomenological developments.
It is shown that, in the framework of the scheme with three-neutrino mixing and a mass hierarchy, the results of neutrino oscillation experiments imply an upper bound of about 10^{-2} eV for the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double-beta decay. The schemes with four massive neutrinos are also briefly discussed.
A brief overview is given of theoretical analyses with neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. Theoretical bounds on the ``observable'', <m>_betabeta, are presented. By using experimental bounds on <m>_betabeta, allowed regions are obtained on the m_l-cos{2theta_12} plane, where m_l stands for the lightest neutrino mass. It is shown that Majorana neutrinos can be excluded by combining possible results of future neutrinoless double beta decay and {}^3H beta decay experiments. A possibility to constrain one of two Majorana phases is discussed also.
The predictions for the effective Majorana mass |<m>| in neutrinoless double-beta decay in the case of 3-neutrino mixing and massive Majorana neutrinos are reviewed. The physics potential of the experiments, searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay and having sensitivity to $|<m>| \gtap 0.01$ eV, for providing information on the type of the neutrino mass spectrum, on the absolute scale of neutrino masses and on the Majorana CP-violation phases in the PMNS neutrino mixing matrix is also discussed.
Sterile neutrinos of mass up to a few tens of TeV can saturate the present experimental bound of neutrinoless double beta decay process. Due to the updated nuclear matrix elements, the bound on mass and mixing angle is now improved by one order of magnitude. We have performed a detailed analysis of neutrinoless double beta decay for the minimal Type I seesaw scenario. We have shown that in spite of the naive expectation that the light neutrinos give the dominant contribution, sterile neutrinos can saturate the present experimental bound of neutrinoless double beta decay process. However, in or…
We consider the scheme with mixing of three neutrinos and a mass hierarchy. We shown that, under the natural assumptions that massive neutrinos are Majorana particles and there are no unlikely fine-tuned cancellations among the contributions of the different neutrino masses, the results of solar neutrino experiments imply a lower bound for the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double-beta decay. We also discuss briefly neutrinoless double-beta decay in schemes with mixing of four neutrinos. We show that one of them is favored by the data.
Light sterile neutrinos contributions both for active neutrinos oscillations and neutrinoless double beta decay characteristics are estimated in the framework of the phenomenological model with three active and three sterile neutrinos assuming the Majorana nature of neutrino. Appearance and survival probabilities for active neutrinos with contributions of eV-sterile neutrinos in application to the short-baseline anomalies in neutrino data are obtained at the same test values of the model parameters. Modified graphical dependences for the survival probability of electron neutrinos/antineutrinos…
If the present or upcoming searches for neutrinoless double beta decay give a positive result, the Majorana nature of massive neutrinos will be established. From the determination of the value of the effective Majorana mass parameter |<m>|, it would be possible to obtain information on the type of neutrino mass spectrum. Assuming 3-neutrino mixing and massive Majorana neutrinos, we discuss the information a measurement of, or an upper bound on, |<m>| can provide on the value of the lightest neutrino mass m1. With additional data on the neutrino masses obtained in tritium beta decay experiments…
We show that, in the framework of a general model with mixing of three Majorana neutrinos and a neutrino mass hierarchy, the results of the Bugey and Krasnoyarsk reactor neutrino oscillation experiments imply strong limitations for the effective Majorana mass |<m>| that characterizes the amplitude of neutrinoless double beta decay. We obtain further limitations on |<m>| from the data of the atmospheric neutrino experiments. We discuss the possible implications of the results of the future long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments for neutrinoless double beta decay.
In this work we show that the implementation of spontaneous breaking of the lepton number in the 3-3-1 model with right-handed neutrinos gives rise to fast neutrino decay with majoron emission and generates a bunch of new contributions to the neutrinoless double beta decay.
We present a determination of the neutrino mass matrix which holds for values of the neutrinoless double beta decay effective mass m_{ee} larger than the neutrino mass differences. We find eight possible solutions and discuss for each one the corresponding neutrino mass eigenvalues and zero texture. A minimal structure of the perturbations to add to these zero textures to recover the full mass matrix is also determined. Implications for neutrino hot dark matter are discussed for each solution.
Neutrinoless double beta decay (NDBD) is the only experiment that could probe the Majorana nature of the neutrino. Here we study the theoretical implications of NDBD for models yielding tri-bimaximal lepton mixing like A4 and S4.
Motivated by the capability of the KATRIN experiment to explore the existence of KeV neutrinos in the $[1-18.5]$ KeV mass range, we explore the viability of minimal extensions of the Standard Model involving sterile neutrinos (namely the 3 + $N$ frameworks) and study their possible impact in both the beta energy spectrum and the neutrinoless double beta decay effective mass, for the two possible ordering cases for the light neutrino spectrum. We also explore how both observables can discriminate between motivated low-scale seesaw realizations involving KeV sterile neutrinos. Our study concerns…
We discuss the linkage between dark matter mass in the one-loop radiative seesaw model and the effective neutrino mass for the neutrino less double beta decay. This linkage, which has been already numerically suggested, is confirmed to be a reasonable relationship by deriving analytical expressions for two zero flavor neutrino mass texture.
The results of the investigation of electromagnetic field effects on the process of beta decay are used for analyzing experimental data on direct neutrino mass search.
We obtain bounds for the neutrino masses by combining atmospheric and solar neutrino data with the phenomenology of neutrinoless double beta decay where hypothetical values of |< m>| are envisaged from future 0νββ-experiments. Different solutions for the solar neutrino data are considered. For the Large-Mixing-Angle solution, a bound |< m>| \leq 0.01 eV would strongly disfavour an inverted hierarchy of the neutrino masses.
We treat 0+ -> 2+ neutrinoless double beta decays taking into account recoil corrections to the nuclear currents. The decay probability can be written as a quadratic form of the effective coupling constants of the right-handed leptonic currents and the effective neutrino mass. We calculate the nuclear matrix elements for the 0+ -> 2+ neutrinoless double beta decays of 76Ge and 100Mo, and demonstrate that the relative sensitivities of 0+ -> 2+ decays to the neutrino mass and the right-handed currents are comparable to those of 0+ -> 0+ decays.
We examine the prospects of detecting an analogous process of neutrinoless double beta decay at a neutrino factory from a high energy muon storage ring. Limits from LEP experiments, neutrinoless double beta decay as well as from global fits have to be incorporated and severely restrict the results. We investigate what limits on light and heavy effective Majorana neutrino masses can be obtained and compare them with existing ones. Discussed are also contributions from right-handed neutrinos and purely right-handed interactions. Other ``new physics'' contributions to the same final state might p…
We examine the constraints from the recent HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW double beta decay experiment. It leads us to the almost degenerate or inverse hierarchy neutrino mass scenario. In this scenario, we obtain possible upper bounds for the Majorana CP violating phase in the lepton sector by incorporating the data from the neutrino oscillation, the single beta decay experiments, and from the astrophysical observation. We also predict the neutrino mass that may be measurable in the future beta decay experiments.
The detection of solar-neutrinos of different origin via induced beta beta process of Mo100 is investigated. The particular counting rates and energy distributions of emitted electrons are presented. A discussion in respect to solar-neutrino detector consisting of 10 tones of Mo100 is included. Both the cases of the standard solar model and neutrino oscillation scenarios are analyzed. Moreover, new beta^- beta^+ and beta^-/EC channels of the double-beta process are introduced and possibilities of their experimental observation are addressed.
Neutrinoless double beta decay is the most powerful tool to probe not only for Majorana neutrino masses but for lepton number violating physics in general. We discuss relations between lepton number violation, double beta decay and neutrino mass, review a general Lorentz invariant parametrization of the double beta decay rate, highlight a number of different new physics models showing how different mechanisms can trigger double beta decay, and finally discuss possibilities to discriminate and test these models and mechanisms in complementary experiments.
The history of research associated with the fundamental problem of the nature of massive neutrinos, which can be Dirac particles or Majorana fermions, and the related processes of neutrinoless double beta decay, $(A,Z)\rightarrow (A,Z+2) + e^- + e^-$, and two neutrino double beta decay, $(A,Z)\rightarrow (A,Z+2) + e^- + e^- + \bar{ν_e} + \bar{ν_e}$, is reviewed.
Assuming positive observation of neutrinoless double bata decay together with the CHOOZ reactor bound, we derive constraints imposed on neutrino mixing parameters, the solar mixing angle θ_{12} and the observable mass parameter < m >_β in single beta decay experiments. We show that 0.05 eV < < m >_β < 2 eV at the best fit parameters of the LMA MSW solar neutrino solution by requiring the range of the parameter < m >_{ββ} deduced from recently announced double beta decay events at 95 % CL with +/- 50 % uncertainty of nuclear matrix elements.
We have considered short-baseline neutrino oscillations, tritium beta-decay and neutrinoless double-beta decay in two schemes with an inverted mass spectrum and mixing of three and four massive neutrino fields. We have analyzed the results of the latest experiments on the search for oscillations of terrestrial neutrinos and we have discussed the compatibility of the LSND indication in favor of neutrino oscillations with the results of the other experiments. In the framework of the models under consideration, it is shown that the observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay could allow to obta…
We study the relation between the Majorana neutrino mass matrices and the neutrinoless double beta decay when CP is not conserved. We give an explicit form of the decay rate in terms of a rephasing invariant quantity and demonstrate that in the presence of CP violation it is impossible to have vanishing neutrinoless double beta decay in the case of two neutrino generations (or when the third generation leptons do not mix with other leptons and hence decouple).
Neutrinoless double beta decay data together with information on the absolute neutrino masses obtained from the future KATRIN experiment and/or astrophysical measurements give a chance to find CP violation in the lepton sector with Majorana neutrinos. We derive and discuss necessary conditions which make discovery of such CP violation possible for the future neutrino oscillation and mass measurements data.
We present a new channel of the neutrinoless double beta decay. In this scenario neutrinos not only oscillate inside the nucleus but also interact with an external non-uniform magnetic field. We assume that the field rotates about the direction of motion of the neutrino and show, that for a certain speed of rotation the half-life of the $0\nu2β$ decay may be significantly lowered.
Light sterile neutrinos with masses at the sub-eV or eV scale are hinted by current experimental and cosmological data. Assuming the Majorana nature of these hypothetical particles, we discuss their effects in the neutrinoless double beta decay by exploring the implications of a vanishing effective Majorana neutrino mass. Allowed ranges of neutrino masses, mixing angles and Majorana CP-violating phases are illustrated in some instructive cases for both normal and inverted mass hierarchies of three active neutrinos.
We study possible contribution of the Majorana neutrino mass eigenstate $ν_h$ dominated by a sterile neutrino component to neutrinoless double beta ($0νββ$) decay. From the current experimental lower bound on the $0νββ$-decay half-life of $^{76}$Ge we derive stringent constraints on the $ν_h-ν_e$ mixing in a wide region of the values of $ν_h$ mass. We discuss cosmological and astrophysical status of $ν_h$ in this mass region.
Two of the most important and pressing questions in cosmology and particle physics are: (1) What is the nature of cold dark matter? and (2) Will near-future experiments on neutrinoless double beta decay be able to ascertain that the neutrino is a Majorana particle, i.e. its own antiparticle? We show that these two seemingly unrelated issues are intimately connected if neutrinos acquire mass only because of their interactions with dark matter.
We study the possible structure of the neutrino mass matrix taking into consideration the solar and atmospheric neutrinos and the neutrinoless double beta decay. We emphasize on mass matrices with vanishing elements. There are only a very few possibilities remaining at present. We concentrate on three generation scenarios and find that with three parameters there are few possibilities with and without any vanishing elements. For completeness we also present a five parameter four neutrino (with one sterile neutrino) mass matrix which can explain all these experiments and the LSND result.
In the framework of the see-saw mechanism the normal hierarchy is favorable for the neutrino mass spectrum. For this spectrum we present a detailed calculation of the half-lives of neutrinoless double beta decay for several nuclei of experimental interest. The half-lives are evaluated by considering the most comprehensive nuclear matrix elements, which were obtained within the renormalized QRPA by the Bratislava-Caltech-Tuebingen group. The dependence of the half-lives on sin^2 theta_{13}$ and the lightest neutrino mass is studied. We present also the results of the calculations of the half-li…
Assuming 3-neutrino mixing and massive Majorana neutrinos, we present some implications of the neutrino oscillation solutions of the solar and atmospheric neutrino problems and the results of the CHOOZ experiment for the predictions of the neutrinoless double-beta decay rate. If the present or upcoming searches of neutrinoless double-beta decay give a positive result, the Majorana nature of massive neutrinos will be established. From the determination of the value of the effective Majorana mass, it would be possible to obtain information on the neutrino mass spectrum. With additional informati…
We propose a model where neutrino masses are generated at three loop order but neutrinoless double beta decay occurs at one loop. Thus we can have large neutrinoless double beta decay observable in the future experiments even when the neutrino masses are very small. The model receives strong constraints from the neutrino data and lepton flavor violating decays, which substantially reduces the number of free parameters. Our model also opens up the possibility of having several new scalars below the TeV regime, which can be explored at the collider experiments. Additionally, our model also has a…
Observation of the neutrinoless double beta decay ($\0n$) has established that there is lepton number violation in nature and the neutrino masses are Majorana in nature. It also gives the absolute mass of the neutrinos and discriminates between different models of neutrino masses. The allowed amount of lepton number violation puts severe constraints on some possible new physics beyond the standard model. The recent results from WMAP are consistent with the consequences of the neutrinoless double beta decay. They improve some of these constraints very marginally, which we shall summarise here. …
We investigate the possibility of producing neutrinoless double beta decay without having an electron neutrino with a mass in the vicinity of 1 eV. We do so by having a much lighter electron neutrino mix with a much heavier (m > 1 GeV) sterile neutrino. We study the constraints on the masses and mixings of such heavy sterile neutrinos from existing laboratory, astrophysical and cosmological information, and discuss the properties it would require in order to produce a detectable signal in current searches for neutrinoless double beta decay.
We analyze the possibility of detection of cosmological relic neutrinos via neutrino capture on beta decaying nuclei. This reaction has no threshold in neutrino energy, which is crucial for searching for relic neutrinos possessing very low energies. We focus on tritium (3H) and rhenium (187Re) beta radioactive isotopes to be used in KATRIN and MARE experiments dedicated to measurement of the electron neutrino mass at sub-eV scale. We examine these experiments from the viewpoint of searching for the cosmological neutrinos via neutrino capture. We conclude that even with possible gravitational c…
The most stringent constraint on the so-called effective electron neutrino mass from the present neutrinoless double beta decay experiments is |M_{ee}| < 0.2 eV, while the planned next generation experiment GENIUS is anticipated to reach a considerably more stringent limit |M_{ee}|< 0.001 eV. We investigate the constraints these bounds set on the neutrino masses and mixings of neutrinos in four-neutrino models where there exists a sterile neutrino along with the three ordinary neutrinos. We find that the GENIUS experiment would be sensitive to the electron neutrino masses down to the limit m_{…
Capability of medium energy setup of a beta beam experiment to probe new physics contributions to neutrino-W and neutrino-Z couplings are investigated. We employ the effective lagrangian approach of Buchmuller and Wyler and obtain 95% confidence level limits on neutrino couplings to these gauge bosons without assuming the flavor universality of the coupling of neutrinos. We show that a beta beam facility can place 3 to 20 times more restrictive limits than present ones on the deviations from the electron neutrino couplings in the Standard Model.
We introduce the representation on one unitarity triangle of the constraints resulting (1) from the interpretation of solar and atmospheric neutrino data in terms of oscillations, and (2) from the search for neutrinoless double beta decay. We show its use for the study of a nearly degenerate neutrino spectrum. The representation shows clearly the particular cases when the neutrinoless double beta decay rate can (or cannot) be small, that is: when the connection of the decay rate with the neutrino spectrum is less (or more) direct. These cases turn out to depend crucially on the scenario of osc…
The various mechanisms for neutrinoless double beta decay in gauge theories are reviewed and the present experimental data is used to set limits on physics scenarios beyond the standard model. The positive indications for nonzero neutrino masses in various experiments such as those involving solar, atmospheric and accelerator neutrinos are discussed and it is pointed out how some neutrino mass textures consistent with all data can be tested by the ongoing double beta decay experiments. Finally, the outlook for observable neutrinoless double beta decay signal in grand unified theories is discus…
Allowed regions on the m_l - cos{2θ_{12}} plane are extracted from results of neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. It is shown that 0.05 eV (0 eV) < m_l < 1.85 eV is obtained for the normal (inverted) hierarchy by using the LMA best fit parameters and the 0νββresult announced late last year, which is 0.05 eV < <m>_ββ< 0.84 eV with +/- 50% uncertainty of the nuclear matrix elements.
The effective Majorana neutrino mass is evaluated by using the latest results of neutrino oscillation experiments. The problems of the neutrino mass spectrum,absolute mass scale of neutrinos and the effect of CP phases are addressed. A connection to the next generation of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0nbb-decay) experiments is discussed. The calculations are performed for 76Ge, 100Mo, 136Xe and 130Te by using the advantage of recently evaluated nuclear matrix elements with significantly reduced theoretical uncertainty. An importance of observation of the 0nbb-decay of several nuclei is …
Neutrinoless double beta decay belongs to the most sensitive tools for the search of new physics beyond the standard model. The recent half life limit of the Heidelberg-Moscow experiment implies restrictive bounds on the absolute mass scale in the neutrino sector. Possible improvements by the GENIUS project provide a unique possibility to reconstruct the neutrino mass spectrum. Further constraints on new interactions in the neutrino sector are given in a model-independent way. Consequences for neutrino anomalies and theories beyond the standard model such as left-right symmetric models, R-pari…
We discuss the possibility of reconstructing the neutrino mass spectrum from the complementary processes of neutrino oscillations and double beta decay in view of the new data of Super-Kamiokande presented at the Neutrino2000 conference. Since the large mixing angle solution is favored, now, the prospects to observe double beta decay and provide informations on the absolute mass scale in the neutrino sector have been improved.
From the standard seesaw mechanism of neutrino mass generation, which is based on the assumption that the lepton number is violated at a large (~10exp(+15) GeV) scale, follows that the neutrinoless double-beta decay is ruled by the Majorana neutrino mass mechanism. Within this notion, for the inverted neutrino-mass hierarchy we derive allowed ranges of half-lives of the neutrinoless double-beta decay for nuclei of experimental interest with different sets of nuclear matrix elements. The present-day results of the calculation of the neutrinoless double-beta decay nuclear matrix elements are bri…
If future neutrino oscillation experiments show that the neutrino mass spectrum is with normal ordering, m1 < m2 < m3, and the searches for neutrinoless double beta-decay with sensitivity to values of the effective Majorana mass |<m>| > 0.01 eV give negative results, the next frontier in the quest for neutrinoless double beta-decay will correspond to |<m>| ~ 0.001 eV. Assuming that massive neutrinos are Majorana particles and their exchange is the dominant mechanism generating neutrinoless double beta-decay, we analise the conditions under which |<m>|, in the case of three neutrino mixing and …
