2015/04/30 by K. Alfonso, D. R. Artusa, F. T. Avignone III +128 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Neutrino Physics Research #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #hep-ex #nucl-ex #physics.ins-det
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.115.102502
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 102502 (2015) · 6 pages, 5 figures, updated version as published in PRL
openalex publication_date 2015/09/03 · arxiv created 2015/10/01 · arxiv updated 2015/10/02 · openalex created_date 2021/08/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
We report the results of a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in a 9.8 kg yr exposure of 130Te using a bolometric detector array, CUORE-0. The characteristic detector energy resolution and background level in the region of interest are 5.1\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.3 keV FWHM and 0.058\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi0.004(stat)\ifmmode±\else\textpm\fi\phantom\rule0ex0ex0.002(syst)counts/(keV kg yr), respectively. The median 90% C.L. lower-limit half-life sensitivity of the experiment is 2.9\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1024 yr and surpasses the sensitivity of previous searches. We find no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 130Te and place a Bayesian lower bound on the decay half-life, T1/2^0\ensuremathν>2.7\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1024 yr at 90% C.L. Combining CUORE-0 data with the 19.75 kg yr exposure of 130Te from the Cuoricino experiment we obtain T1/2^0\ensuremathν>4.0\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi1024 yr at 90% C.L. (Bayesian), the most stringent limit to date on this half-life. Using a range of nuclear matrix element estimates we interpret this as a limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass, m_\ensuremathβ\ensuremathβ<270--760 meV.