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Dark Matter stimulated neutrinoless double beta decay
* 1 , 2
1  INFN-TIFPA, via Sommarive 14 I-38123, Trento, IT
2  Trento University, via Sommarive 14 I-38123, Trento, IT
Academic Editor: Lorenzo Iorio

Abstract:

Neutrinoless double beta decay is one of the pillars in the search for Physics beyond the Standard Model, this process allows to exploit the characteristics decay Q-value for a possible identification of the Majorana nature of the neutrinos and Leptonic quantum number violation.

The Seesaw models provide a compelling mechanism to naturally generate the small neutrino mass, moreover both the problem of baryon asymmetry in the Universe and different Dark Matter (DM) candidates, can be addressed by these models.

Among the DM candidates, beyond the case of a possible scalar majoron, also a Majorana fermion candidate, the sterile neutrino, is expected.

Focusing on the Majorana fermion DM candidates, the expected interactions are dominated by the L-violating vertex coupling to the majoron, thus the direct detection of such a DM scattering on charged fermions is suppressed.

In this work the diagram responsible for the expected neutrinoless double beta decay will be considered for the possible detection technique of a Majorana fermion DM inelastically scattering on a double beta unstable nucleus, stimulating its decay.

In particular the exothermic nature of the stimulated double beta decay would allow the direct detection also of a light DM fermion, a class of DM candidates that are difficult/impossible to investigate with the traditional elastic scattering techniques.

In this work we avoid studying the details of a specific interaction model, since beyond the sterile neutrino also other popular DM candidates are expected to be Majorana fermions (like, e.g., the supersymmetric Neutralino, Axino and Gravitino) and we will focus on the phenomenology of this novel detection technique.

The expected signal distribution for different DM masses, as in the case of a possible 7.1 keV sterile neutrino and the upper limits on the nucleus scattering cross sections, based on the current experimental data, will be discussed.

Keywords: Dark Matter; Neutrino; Double Beta Decay; Majorana fermions
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