2νββ spectrum in chiral effective field theory

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A bstract We investigate two-neutrino double beta decay (2 νββ ) in chiral effective field theory. We find contributions from weak magnetism and double-weak pion-exchange at next-to-leading-order in the chiral power counting. We discuss the impact of the chiral corrections on the electron spectra and find that they should be included in analyses of 2 νββ decay that aim to uncover new physics signatures in the electron spectrum. We illustrate this point by revisiting the effect of sterile neutrinos and non-standard charged interactions. We also find that the pion-exchange contributions involve nuclear matrix elements that are related to those appearing in neutrinoless double beta decay (0 νββ ). We investigate whether the 0 νββ nuclear matrix elements can be obtained from detailed measurements of the energy spectrum of the outgoing electrons in 2 νββ transitions.

Source: Journal of High Energy Physics

DOI: 10.1007/jhep06(2025)082

Authors: Saad el Morabit, Ryan Bouabid, Vincenzo Cirigliano, Jordy de Vries, Lukáš Gráf, Emanuele Mereghetti

Institutions: National Institute for Subatomic Physics, Institute for Theoretical Physics Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Duke University, University of Washington, Charles University, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Neutrino Physics Research

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Office of Science, National Nuclear Security Administration, Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, Los Alamos National Laboratory

OpenAlex ID: W4411344736