Current experiments in germanium 0 ν β β search -- GERDA and MAJORANA
Abstract
There are unanswered questions regarding neutrino physics that are of great interest for the scientific community. For example the absolute masses, the mass hierarchy and the nature of neutrinos are unknown up to now. The discovery of neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) would prove the existence of a Majorana mass, which would be linked to the half-life of the decay, and would in addition provide an elegant solution for the small mass of the neutrinos via the seesaw mechanism. Because of an existing discovery claim of 0νββ of 76Ge and the excellent energy resolution achievable, germanium is of special interest in the search for 0νββ . In this article the state of the art of germanium 0νββ search, namely the GERDA experiment and MAJORANA demonstrator, is presented. In particular, recent results of the GERDA collaboration, which strongly disfavour the above mentioned claim, are discussed.
- Publication:
-
Nuovo Cimento C Geophysics Space Physics C
- Pub Date:
- January 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1393/ncc/i2015-15026-1
- Bibcode:
- 2015NCimC..38...26V