Searching for New Physics in Two-Neutrino Double Beta Decay

Area of Science:

• Particle Physics
• Nuclear Physics

Background:

• Experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay (a hypothetical nuclear process) have accumulated significant data on two-neutrino double beta decay.
• Two-neutrino double beta decay is typically considered background for neutrinoless decay searches but offers opportunities to probe physics beyond the standard model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of right-handed leptonic currents on the energy distribution and angular correlation of electrons in two-neutrino double beta decay.
• To establish constraints on right-handed neutrino interactions using existing experimental data without prior assumptions on their nature.

Main Methods:

• Detailed theoretical calculations of two-neutrino double beta decay incorporating exotic (axial-) vector currents.
• Analysis of energy spectra and angular correlations of outgoing electrons.

Main Results:

• The presence of right-handed leptonic currents alters the energy and angular distributions of electrons in two-neutrino double beta decay.
• Currently available experimental data can impose competitive constraints on the existence and nature of right-handed neutrino interactions.

Conclusions:

• Two-neutrino double beta decay data serve as a valuable tool for discovering new physics beyond the standard model.
• The study complements existing limits from neutrinoless double beta decay searches by constraining exotic interactions of Dirac neutrinos.