@Article{NEXTCollaborationMartinez-Lema_etal2021,
author="NEXT Collaboration (Martinez-Lema, G. et al
and Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M.
and Carcel, S.
and Carrion, J. V.
and Diaz, J.
and Felkai, R.
and Kekic, M.
and Lopez-March, N.
and Martin-Albo, J.
and Martinez, A.
and Martinez-Vara, M.
and Mu{\~{n}}oz Vidal, J.
and Novella, P.
and Palmeiro, B.
and Querol, M.
and Renner, J.
and Romo-Luque, C.
and Sorel, M.
and Uson, A.
and Yahlali, N.",
title="Sensitivity of the NEXT experiment to Xe-124 double electron capture",
journal="Journal of High Energy Physics",
year="2021",
publisher="Springer",
volume="02",
number="2",
pages="203--25pp",
optkeywords="Dark Matter and Double Beta Decay (experiments)",
abstract="Double electron capture by proton-rich nuclei is a second-order nuclear process analogous to double beta decay. Despite their similarities, the decay signature is quite different, potentially providing a new channel to measure the hypothesized neutrinoless mode of these decays. The Standard-Model-allowed two-neutrino double electron capture (2 nu EC EC) has been predicted for a number of isotopes, but only observed in Kr-78, Ba-130 and, recently, Xe-124. The sensitivity to this decay establishes a benchmark for the ultimate experimental goal, namely the potential to discover also the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless version of this process, 0 nu EC EC. Here we report on the current sensitivity of the NEXT-White detector to Xe-124 2 nu EC EC and on the extrapolation to NEXT-100. Using simulated data for the 2 nu EC EC signal and real data from NEXT-White operated with Xe-124-depleted gas as background, we define an optimal event selection that maximizes the NEXT-White sensitivity. We estimate that, for NEXT-100 operated with xenon gas isotopically enriched with 1 kg of Xe-124 and for a 5-year run, a sensitivity to the 2 nu EC EC half-life of 6 x 10(22) y (at 90{\%} confidence level) or better can be reached.",
optnote="WOS:000624564800002",
optnote="exported from refbase (https://references.ific.uv.es/refbase/show.php?record=4749), last updated on Wed, 18 May 2022 07:41:29 +0000",
issn="1029-8479",
doi="10.1007/JHEP02(2021)203",
opturl="https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.07320",
opturl="https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2021)203",
language="English"
}