Double-β decay matrix elements from lattice quantum chromodynamics

• Main Authors: Tiburzi, Brian C. (Author), Wagman, Michael L. (Author), Winter, Frank (Author), Chang, Emmanuel (Author), Detmold, William (Author), Orginos, Kostas (Author), Savage, Martin J. (Author), Davoudi, Zohreh (Contributor), Shanahan, Phiala E (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Theoretical Physics (Contributor), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Laboratory for Nuclear Science (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Physical Society, 2018-01-30T16:30:44Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

A lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) calculation of the nuclear matrix element relevant to the nn→ppee[bar over ν]p[subscript e][bar over ν][subscript e] transition is described in detail, expanding on the results presented in Ref. [P. E. Shanahan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 062003 (2017)]. This matrix element, which involves two insertions of the weak axial current, is an important input for phenomenological determinations of double-β decay rates of nuclei. From this exploratory study, performed using unphysical values of the quark masses, the long-distance deuteron-pole contribution to the matrix element is separated from shorter-distance hadronic contributions. This polarizability, which is only accessible in double-weak processes, cannot be constrained from single-β decay of nuclei, and is found to be smaller than the long-distance contributions in this calculation, but non-negligible. In this work, technical aspects of the LQCD calculations, and of the relevant formalism in the pionless effective field theory, are described. Further calculations of the isotensor axial polarizability, in particular near and at the physical values of the light-quark masses, are required for precise determinations of both two-neutrino and neutrinoless double-β decay rates in heavy nuclei.
United States. Department of Energy (Early Career Research Award DE-SC0010495)
United States. Department of Energy (Grant DE-SC0011090)