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Q value and half-lives for the double-β-decay nuclide 110Pd.

D Fink¹, J Barea, D Beck

¹Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany.

Physical Review Letters

|March 10, 2012

Summary

Precise measurements of the 110Pd double-beta decay Q value confirm its potential for studying neutrinoless decay. This research refines half-life calculations and highlights 110Pd as a prime candidate for future investigations.

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Area of Science:

Nuclear Physics
Particle Physics
Atomic Physics

Background:

Double-beta decay is a rare nuclear process that can provide insights into fundamental physics.
Understanding the Q value and decay modes is crucial for experimental searches.
Palladium-110 (110Pd) is a promising isotope due to its high natural abundance.

Purpose of the Study:

To precisely measure the Q value of the 110Pd double-beta decay.
To recalculate phase-space factors and nuclear matrix elements for 110Pd decay.
To reevaluate the half-life of the two-neutrino decay mode of 110Pd.

Main Methods:

Utilizing the ISOLTRAP Penning-trap mass spectrometer for high-precision mass measurements.
Performing theoretical calculations for nuclear matrix elements.
Combining experimental Q value with theoretical calculations to determine decay properties.

Main Results:

The 110Pd double-beta decay Q value was determined to be 2017.85(64) keV, a 14 keV shift from previous literature values.
The new Q value is 17 times more precise than existing measurements.
The expected half-life for the two-neutrino decay mode was reevaluated to be 1.5(6)×10^20 yr.

Conclusions:

The refined Q value and improved precision enhance the potential of 110Pd for double-beta decay studies.
110Pd is confirmed as an excellent candidate for investigating both two-neutrino and neutrinoless double-beta decay.
This work provides crucial data for future experimental and theoretical endeavors in nuclear and particle physics.