Results from a search for the 0 {nu}{beta}{beta}-decay of {sup 130}Te

• Published in: Physical review. C, Nuclear physics Nuclear physics, 2008-09, Vol.78 (3)
• Main Authors: Arnaboldi, C., Brofferio, C., Capelli, S., Clemenza, M., Fiorini, E., Nucciotti, A., Pavan, M., Sisti, M., Sezione INFN di Milano-Bicocca, I-20126 Milano, Artusa, D. R., Avignone III, F. T., Bandac, I., Creswick, R. J., Farach, H. A., Rosenfeld, C., Balata, M., Bucci, C., Giachero, A., Gorla, P., Nisi, S., Barucci, M., Sezione INFN di Firenze, I-50019, Firenze
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: BOLOMETERS; DILUTION; DOUBLE BETA DECAY; EFFECTIVE MASS; LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS; NEUTRONS; NUCLEAR MODELS; NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; NUCLEAR STRUCTURE; RADIOACTIVITY; REFRIGERATORS; TELLURIUM 130; TELLURIUM OXIDES; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K; YTTRIUM 90
• ISSN: 0556-2813; 1089-490X
• DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVC.78.035502

A detailed description of the CUORICINO {sup 130}Te neutrinoless double-beta (0 {nu}{beta}{beta}) decay experiment is given and recent results are reported. CUORICINO is an array of 62 tellurium oxide (TeO{sub 2}) bolometers with an active mass of 40.7 kg. It is cooled to {approx}8-10 mK by a dilution refrigerator shielded from environmental radioactivity and energetic neutrons. It is running in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Assergi, Italy. These data represent an exposure of 11.83 kg yr or 91 mole-years of {sup 130}Te. No evidence for 0 {nu}{beta}{beta}-decay was observed and a limit of T{sub 1/2}{sup 0} {sup {nu}}({sup 130}Te){>=}3.0x10{sup 24} y (90% CL) is set. This corresponds to an upper limit on the effective mass, , between 0.19 and 0.68 eV when analyzed with the many published nuclear structure calculations. In the context of these nuclear models, the values fall within the range corresponding to the claim of evidence of 0 {nu}{beta}{beta}-decay by H. V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus et al. The experiment continues to acquire data.