Status of Double Beta Decay Search

by Hans Klapdor-Kleingrothaus (Max Planck Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg)

Tuesday 16 Apr 2002, 16:30 → 17:30 Europe/Zurich

500/1-001 - Main Auditorium (CERN)

Double beta decay is one of the rarest nuclear decay modes and is under investigation already for more than sixty years. The neutrinoless mode is of particular interest since it would violate lepton number and its occurrence would determine the neutrino to be a Majorana particle. Double beta decay experiments are indispensable to solve the structure of the neutrino mass matrix. They also probe, complementary to high energy colliders, other fields of beyond the standard model physics. The present experimental status is reviewed, including a possible recent indication of the neutrinoless decay mode. Future perspectives are also discussed.

Organiser(s): Jasper Kirkby / EP Division

Note: Tea & coffee will be served at 16.00 hrs.