Nuclear structure relevant to neutrinoless double β decay: The valence protons in Ge76 and Se76
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: The possibility of observing neutrinoless double $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay offers the opportunity of determining the effective neutrino mass if the nuclear matrix element were known. Theoretical calculations are uncertain, and the occupation of valence orbits by nucleons active in the decay is likely to be important. The occupation of valence proton orbits in the ground states of $^{76}\mathrm{Ge}$, a candidate for such decay, and $^{76}\mathrm{Se}$, the corresponding daughter nucleus, is determined by precisely measuring cross sections for proton-removing transfer reactions. As in previous work on neutron occupation, we find that the Fermi surface for protons is much more diffuse than previously thought, and the occupancies of at least three orbits change significantly between the two ${0}^{+}$ ground states.
Source: Physical Review C
Institutions: Argonne National Laboratory, University of Manchester, Research Center for Nuclear Physics, The University of Osaka, The University of Osaka, Yale University, University of Tübingen, University of Miyazaki, Tohoku University, Center for Nuclear Study, The University of Tokyo, The University of Tokyo, Kyushu University
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2248262452