“High-precision spectral shape measurements with cryogenic calorimeters”
Neutrinoless double beta decay is a lepton-number-violating nuclear transition that, if observed, would unequivocally demonstrate that neutrinos are Majorana particles, providing an important breakthrough in physics beyond the Standard Model. However, deriving meaningful insights from such observations would require a deep understanding of the underlying nuclear physics, which remains a major source of uncertainty despite the significant advancements of the last decades. Key questions, such as the potential quenching of the axial coupling, remain open.
This seminar will emphasize the importance of precise experimental measurements of nuclear decay in refining nuclear double beta decay nuclear theory. I will present two key studies utilizing cryogenic calorimeters, ideal detectors for high-precision measurements. The first focuses on forbidden beta decays with a dedicated experimental setup, while the second involves a more complex two-neutrino double beta decay analysis using the background model from the ton-scale CUORE experiment.
Host: Karsten Heeger