Neutrinoless Double Beta Decays

Department Colloquia

Speaker: Alan W.P. Poon, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Date & Time: September 12, 2013 16:00 - 17:00
Location: UBC, Hennings 201
Local Contact: Chris Waltham
Intended Audience: Undergraduate

The discovery of the neutrino mass has led to the fundamental question of whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles. This Majorana nature of the neutrinos can be discerned if neutrinoless double beta decay is observed. The experimental challenges to observing Majorana neutrinos — from the acquisition of suitable decaying isotopes to the detection of the rare decay signal (if exists at all) — are formidable. These challenges are being conquered through the refinement of existing techniques and by new experimental innovations. The experimental decay halflife sensitivity in the coming decade is expected to surpass 10$^{27}$ years. Additionally, these experiments will probe the neutrino mass scale to below 50 meV.