Search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 136-Xe with a time projection chamber

Abstract

A xenon time projection chamber (TPC) with an active volume of 180 liters has been built to study neutrinoless double-beta decay in Xe-136. The experiment was performed in the Gotthard Underground Laboratory, with 5 atm of xenon enriched to 62.5% in Xe-136. The experimental details, background considerations, detector performance, and data analysis are discussed. From 6830 h of data, no evidence has been found for the 0nu 0+-->0+ transition. Half-life limits of T1/2(0nu) > 3.4(6.4) X 10^(23) yr in the mass mechanism mode, and T1/2(0nu) > 2.6(4.9) X 10^23 yr in the right-handed currents mode, at the 90(68)% C.L., were derived, corresponding to an upper limit on the Majorana neutrino mass parameter [m(nu)] of about 2.8 eV. Limits on two-neutrino double-beta decay of T1/2(2nu) /2 > 2. 1 X 10^(20) yr, and on neutrinoless double-beta decay with Majoron emission of T1/2(0nuchi) > 4.9 X 10^(21) yr, both at 90% C.L., were also derived. Accordingly, a limit on the effective Majoron-neutrino coupling parameter of [g(M)] < 2.4 X 10^(-4) was deduced.