WIDG Seminar: Michael Jewell, Stanford, “Search for 0νββ of 136Xe with EXO-200 and nEXO”

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay is a theorized nuclear decay in which a nucleus decays via the emission of two electrons but no neutrinos. Detection of this lepton number violating process represents the best test of the Majorana nature of neutrinos, which could potentially provide an elegant mechanism by which neutrinos obtain mass. Both the recently decommissioned EXO-200 and the future experiment nEXO search for this hypothesized decay using liquid xenon time projection chambers filled with xenon enriched in the isotope 136Xe. This talk will present the final results of the 0νββ search with EXO-200, which made use of advanced analysis techniques to maximize the topological discrimination between 0νββ signal and gamma backgrounds. I will also discuss the current state of R&D efforts towards designing the planned tonne scale experiment, with focus on the proposed anode made of an array of charge-detecting tiles.
Host: Ako Jamil