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Large-Scale Shell-Model Analysis of the Neutrinoless ββ Decay of ^{48}Ca
Y Iwata1, N Shimizu1, T Otsuka1,2,3,4
1Center for Nuclear Study, The University of Tokyo, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
We present the nuclear matrix element for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of ^{48}Ca based on large-scale shell-model calculations including two harmonic oscillator shells (sd and pf shells). The excitation spectra of ^{48}Ca and ^{48}Ti, and the two-neutrino double-beta decay of ^{48}Ca are reproduced in good agreement to the experimental data. We find that the neutrinoless double-beta decay nuclear matrix element is enhanced by about 30% compared to pf-shell calculations. This reduces the decay lifetime by almost a factor of 2. The matrix-element increase is mostly due to pairing correlations associated with cross-shell sd-pf excitations. We also investigate possible implications for heavier neutrinoless double-beta decay candidates.
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