Shell Model description of the ββ decay of 136Xe

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 711; no. 1; pp. 62 - 64
• Main Authors: Caurier, E., Nowacki, F., Poves, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.05.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Double beta decay matrix elements; Exact sciences and technology; Nuclear physics; Physics; Shell Model; The physics of elementary particles and fields; Double beta decay matrix elements; Shell Model; Operator; Shell models; Double beta decay; Neutrinos; Elementary particles; Massless particles; Matrix elements; Nuclear matrix
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2012.03.076

We study in this Letter the double beta decay of 136Xe with emission of two neutrinos which has been recently measured by the EXO-200 Collaboration. We use the same shell model framework, valence space, and effective interaction that we have already employed in our calculation of the nuclear matrix element (NME) of its neutrinoless double beta decay. Using the quenching factor of the Gamow–Teller operator which is needed to reproduce the very recent high resolution 136Xe (3He, t) 136Cs data, we obtain a nuclear matrix element M2ν=0.025 MeV−1 compared with the experimental value M2ν=0.019(2) MeV−1.