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arXiv · 2006.07320

Sensitivity of the NEXT experiment to Xe-124 double electron capture

G. Martínez-Lema·M. Martínez-Vara·M. Sorel·C. Adams·V. Alvarez·L. Arazi·I. J. Arnquist·C. D. R Azevedo·K. Bailey·F. Ballester·J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez·F. I. G. M. Borges·N. Byrnes·S. Cárcel·J. V. Carrión·S. Cebrián·E. Church·C. A. N. Conde·T. Contreras·G. Díaz·J. Díaz·M. Diesburg·J. Escada·R. Esteve·R. Felkai·A. F. M. Fernandes·L. M. P. Fernandes·P. Ferrario·A. L. Ferreira·E. D. C. Freitas·J. Generowicz·S. Ghosh·A. Goldschmidt·J. J. Gómez-Cadenas·D. González-Díaz·R. Guenette·R. M. Gutiérrez·J. Haefner·K. Hafidi·J. Hauptman·C. A. O. Henriques·J. A. Hernando Morata·P. Herrero·V. Herrero·Y. Ifergan·S. Johnston·B. J. P. Jones·M. Kekic·L. Labarga·A. Laing·P. Lebrun·N. López-March·M. Losada·R. D. P. Mano·J. Martín-Albo·A. Martínez·A. D. McDonald·F. Monrabal·C. M. B. Monteiro·F. J. Mora·J. Muñoz Vidal·P. Novella·D. R. Nygren·B. Palmeiro·A. Para·J. Pérez·M. Querol·A. B. Redwine·J. Renner·J. Repond·S. Riordan·L. Ripoll·Y. Rodríguez García·J. Rodríguez·L. Rogers·B. Romeo·C. Romo-Luque·F. P. Santos·J. M. F. dos Santos·A. Simón·C. Sofka·T. Stiegler·J. F. Toledo·J. Torrent·A. Usón·J. F. C. A. Veloso·R. Webb·R. Weiss-Babai·J. T. White·K. Woodruff·N. Yahlali
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Abstract

Double electron capture by proton-rich nuclei is a second-order nuclear process analogous to double beta decay. Despite their similarities, the decay signature is quite different, potentially providing a new channel to measure the hypothesized neutrinoless mode of these decays. The Standard-Model-allowed two-neutrino double electron capture ($2\nu ECEC$) has been predicted for a number of isotopes, but only observed in $^{78}$Kr, $^{130}$Ba and, recently, $^{124}$Xe. The sensitivity to this decay establishes a benchmark for the ultimate experimental goal, namely the potential to discover also the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless version of this process, $0\nu ECEC$. Here we report on the current sensitivity of the NEXT-White detector to $^{124}$Xe $2\nu ECEC$ and on the extrapolation to NEXT-100. Using simulated data for the $2\nu ECEC$ signal and real data from NEXT-White operated with $^{124}$Xe-depleted gas as background, we define an optimal event selection that maximizes the NEXT-White sensitivity. We estimate that, for NEXT-100 operated with xenon gas isotopically enriched with 1 kg of $^{124}$Xe and for a 5-year run, a sensitivity to the $2\nu ECEC$ half-life of $6 \times 10^{22}$ y (at 90% confidence level) or better can be reached.

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G. Martínez-Lema, M. Martínez-Vara, M. Sorel, C. Adams, V. Alvarez, L. Arazi, I. J. Arnquist, C. D. R Azevedo, K. Bailey, F. Ballester, J. M. Benlloch-Rodríguez, F. I. G. M. Borges, N. Byrnes, S. Cárcel, J. V. Carrión, S. Cebrián, E. Church, C. A. N. Conde, T. Contreras, G. Díaz, J. Díaz, M. Diesburg, J. Escada, R. Esteve, R. Felkai, A. F. M. Fernandes, L. M. P. Fernandes, P. Ferrario, A. L. Ferreira, E. D. C. Freitas, J. Generowicz, S. Ghosh, A. Goldschmidt, J. J. Gómez-Cadenas, D. González-Díaz, R. Guenette, R. M. Gutiérrez, J. Haefner, K. Hafidi, J. Hauptman, C. A. O. Henriques, J. A. Hernando Morata, P. Herrero, V. Herrero, Y. Ifergan, S. Johnston, B. J. P. Jones, M. Kekic, L. Labarga, A. Laing, P. Lebrun, N. López-March, M. Losada, R. D. P. Mano, J. Martín-Albo, A. Martínez, A. D. McDonald, F. Monrabal, C. M. B. Monteiro, F. J. Mora, J. Muñoz Vidal, P. Novella, D. R. Nygren, B. Palmeiro, A. Para, J. Pérez, M. Querol, A. B. Redwine, J. Renner, J. Repond, S. Riordan, L. Ripoll, Y. Rodríguez García, J. Rodríguez, L. Rogers, B. Romeo, C. Romo-Luque, F. P. Santos, J. M. F. dos Santos, A. Simón, C. Sofka, T. Stiegler, J. F. Toledo, J. Torrent, A. Usón, J. F. C. A. Veloso, R. Webb, R. Weiss-Babai, J. T. White, K. Woodruff, N. Yahlali. 2020-06-12. Sensitivity of the NEXT experiment to Xe-124 double electron capture. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep02(2021)203

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