arXiv · 1511.04770
Search for $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay of $^{136}$Xe to the 0$_1^+$ excited state of $^{136}$Ba with EXO-200
Abstract
EXO-200 is a single phase liquid xenon detector designed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of $^{136}$Xe to the ground state of $^{136}$Ba. We report here on a search for the two-neutrino double-beta decay of $^{136}$Xe to the first $0^+$ excited state, $0^+_1$, of $^{136}$Ba based on a 100 kg$\cdot$yr exposure of $^{136}$Xe. Using a specialized analysis employing a machine learning algorithm, we obtain a 90% CL half-life sensitivity of $1.7 \times 10^{24}$ yr. We find no statistically significant evidence for the $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay to the excited state resulting in a lower limit of $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}$ ($0^+ \rightarrow 0^+_1$) $> 6.9 \times 10^{23}$ yr at 90% CL. This observed limit is consistent with the estimated half-life of $2.5\times10^{25}$ yr.
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200 Collaboration, J. B. Albert, D. J. Auty, P. S. Barbeau, D. Beck, V. Belov, M. Breidenbach, T. Brunner, A. Burenkov, G. F. Cao, C. Chambers, J. Chaves, B. Cleveland, M. Coon, A. Craycraft, T. Daniels, M. Danilov, S. J. Daugherty, J. Davis, S. Delaquis, A. Der Mesrobian-Kabakian, R. DeVoe, T. Didberidze, J. Dilling, A. Dolgolenko, M. J. Dolinski, M. Dunford, W. Fairbank Jr., J. Farine, W. Feldmeier, S. Feyzbakhsh, P. Fierlinger, D. Fudenberg, R. Gornea, K. Graham, G. Gratta, C. Hall, M. Hughes, M. J. Jewell, A. Johnson, T. N. Johnson, S. Johnston, A. Karelin, L. J. Kaufman, R. Killick, J. King, T. Koffas, S. Kravitz, R. Krücken, A. Kuchenkov, K. S. Kumar, D. S. Leonard, C. Licciardi, Y. H. Lin, J. Ling, R. MacLellan, M. G. Marino, B. Mong, D. Moore, O. Njoya, R. Nelson, A. Odian, I. Ostrovskiy, A. Piepke, A. Pocar, C. Y. Prescott, F. Retière, P. C. Rowson, J. J. Russell, A. Schubert, D. Sinclair, E. Smith, V. Stekhanov, M. Tarka, T. Tolba, R. Tsang, K. Twelker, P. Vogel, J. -L. Vuilleumier, A. Waite, J. Walton, T. Walton, M. Weber, L. J. Wen, U. Wichoski, T. A. Winick, J. Wood, Q. Y. Xu, L. Yang, Y. -R. Yen, O. Ya. Zeldovich. 2015-11-15. Search for $2\nu\beta\beta$ decay of $^{136}$Xe to the 0$_1^+$ excited state of $^{136}$Ba with EXO-200. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.93.035501
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