Double beta decay of $^{150}$Nd to the excited levels of $^{150}$Sm
F. Danevich*,
F.A. Danevich,
A.S. Barabash,
P. Belli,
R. Bernabei,
R.S. Boiko,
F. Cappella, V. Caracciolo, R. Cerulli, D.L. Fang, F. Ferella, A. Incicchitti, V.V. Kobychev, S.I. Konovalov, M. Laubenstein, A. Leoncini, V. Merlo, S. Nisi, O. Nitescu, D.V. Poda, O.G. Polischuk, I.B.K. Shcherbakov, F. Šimkovic, A. Timonina, V.S. Tinkova, V.I. Tretyak and V.I. Umatovet al. (click to show)*: corresponding author
Pre-published on:
August 13, 2025
Published on:
October 31, 2025
Abstract
The search for double beta decay of $^{150}$Nd to the excited levels of $^{150}$Sm was performed at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory of INFN (Italy) with a four-crystal HPGe gamma spectrometer over 5.845 yr by using a highly purified neodymium-containing sample. The two-neutrino double beta transition of $^{150}$Nd to the first 740.5 keV $0^+$ level of $^{150}$Sm was detected in both one-dimensional and coincidence spectra with a half-life $T_{1/2}=[0.83^{+0.18}_{-0.13}(\rm{stat})^{+0.16}_{-0.19}(\rm{syst})] \times 10^{20}$ yr, in agreement with the results of the previous experiments. Some excess of the 334.0-keV peak is observed that is an indication of the $2\nu2\beta$ decay of $^{150}$Nd to the 334.0 keV $2^+$ excited level of $^{150}$Sm with the half-life $T_{1/2} = [1.5^{+2.3}_{-0.6}(\rm{stat}) \pm0.4(\rm{syst})] \times 10^{20}$ yr, that leads also to slightly higher half-life for the $0^+$ to $0^+_1$ transition: $T_{1/2}=[1.03^{+0.35}_{-0.22}(\rm{stat})^{+0.16}_{-0.19}(\rm{syst})] \times 10^{20}$ yr. The half-life value for the $0^+$ to $2^+_1$ decay does not contradict the existing limits and agrees with the half-life range calculated in the framework of proton-neutron QRPA with isospin restoration combined with like-nucleon QRPA for a description of excited states in the final nuclei. A possible advancement in experimental sensitivity is briefly discussed.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/1.495.0022
How to cite
Metadata are provided both in
article format (very
similar to INSPIRE)
as this helps creating very compact bibliographies which
can be beneficial to authors and readers, and in
proceeding format which
is more detailed and complete.