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Enhanced search sensitivity to the double beta decay of 136Xe to excited states with topological signatures

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Abstract

The double beta decay of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba (DBD-ES) has not yet been discovered experimentally. The experimental signature of such decays, one or two gamma rays following the beta signals, can be identified more effectively in a gaseous detector with the help of topological signatures. We have investigated key parameters of particle trajectories of DBD-ES with Monte Carlo simulation data of the proposed PandaX-III detector as an example. The background rates can be reduced by about one order of magnitude while keeping more than half of signals with topological analysis. The estimated half-life sensitivity of DBD-ES can be improved by 1.8 times to 4.1×1023 year (90% C.L.). Similarly, the half-life sensitivity of neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe to excited states of 136Ba can be improved by a factor of 4.8 with topological signatures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (INPAC), Shanghai Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology, Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (MOE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Chen Xie, Kaixiang Ni, Ke Han & Shaobo Wang

  2. ParisTech Elite Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Shaobo Wang

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  1. Chen Xie
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  2. Kaixiang Ni
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  3. Ke Han
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  4. Shaobo Wang
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Correspondence to Ke Han or Shaobo Wang.

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This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0400300), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11775142, and 11905127), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Particle Physics (CCEPP). We thank Dr. Damien Neyret and Dr. Yann Bedfer for the fruitful discussion.

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Xie, C., Ni, K., Han, K. et al. Enhanced search sensitivity to the double beta decay of 136Xe to excited states with topological signatures. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 64, 261011 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-020-1693-6

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