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Constraining new physics with a positive or negative signal of neutrino-less double beta decay

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Abstract

We investigate numerically how accurately one could constrain the strengths of different short-range contributions to neutrino-less double beta decay in effective field theory. Depending on the outcome of near-future experiments yielding information on the neutrino masses, the corresponding bounds or estimates can be stronger or weaker. A particularly interesting case, resulting in strong bounds, would be a positive signal of neutrino-less double beta decay that is consistent with complementary information from neutrino oscillation experiments, kinematical determinations of the neutrino mass, and measurements of the sum of light neutrino masses from cosmological observations. The keys to more robust bounds are improvements of the knowledge of the nuclear physics involved and a better experimental accuracy.

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  1. Department of Theoretical Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Roslagstullsbacken 21, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johannes Bergström, Alexander Merle & Tommy Ohlsson

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  1. Johannes Bergström
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  2. Alexander Merle
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Correspondence to Alexander Merle.

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ArXiv ePrint: 1103.3015

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Bergström, J., Merle, A. & Ohlsson, T. Constraining new physics with a positive or negative signal of neutrino-less double beta decay. J. High Energ. Phys. 2011, 122 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2011)122

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