U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: Development of a Method to Identify a Daughter ion of Double Beta Decay in Xe-136

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9815625FairbankThis award supports a two year collaborative research project between Professor William Fairbank of Stanford University and Professor Mitsuhiro Miyajima of Fukui University in Japan. The researchers will be undertaking a study of the development of a method of detecting single Ba+-136 ions which are created by rare double beta decay of Xe-136 atoms in liquid xenon. The unique combination of decay and single ion detection technologies is expected to make possible a background-free search for double beta decay in Xe-136. In the long term, a two-orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity is projected. Then it is expected that two-neutrino double beta decay of XE-136 will be observed for the first time and that, with the improved sensitivity for zero-neutrino decay, an electron neutrino mass limit around 0.01 eV may be reached. This project brings together the efforts of two laboratories that have complementary expertise and research capabilities. The U.S. researchers' expertise is in the area of small optical signals and the Japanese have the nuclear expertise in this area. A positive result for neutrinoless double beta decay would imply new physics beyond the Standard Model and may help explain astrophysical mysteries such as the solar neutrino and cosmic ray neutrino deficits and the composition of dark matter in the universe. This research advances international human resources through the participation of graduate students. Through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. ***