• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Search for Majorana Neutrinos Near the Inverted Mass Hierarchy Region with KamLAND-Zen

A. Gando et al. (KamLAND-Zen Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 082503 – Published 16 August 2016; Erratum Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 109903 (2016)
Physics logo See Synopsis: Searching for Majorana Neutrinos

Abstract

We present an improved search for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay of Xe136 in the KamLAND-Zen experiment. Owing to purification of the xenon-loaded liquid scintillator, we achieved a significant reduction of the Ag110m contaminant identified in previous searches. Combining the results from the first and second phase, we obtain a lower limit for the 0νββ decay half-life of T1/20ν>1.07×1026yr at 90% C.L., an almost sixfold improvement over previous limits. Using commonly adopted nuclear matrix element calculations, the corresponding upper limits on the effective Majorana neutrino mass are in the range 61–165 meV. For the most optimistic nuclear matrix elements, this limit reaches the bottom of the quasidegenerate neutrino mass region.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 10 May 2016
  • Corrected 22 August 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.082503

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Particles & Fields

Corrections

22 August 2016

Erratum

Synopsis

Key Image

Searching for Majorana Neutrinos

Published 16 August 2016

The KamLAND-Zen collaboration has run the most sensitive search to date for a radioactive decay that could reveal whether neutrinos are Majorana fermions.

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Click to Expand

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 117, Iss. 8 — 19 August 2016

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
CHORUS

Article Available via CHORUS

Download Accepted Manuscript

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×