The Majorana Experiment, a Straightforward Neutrino Mass Experiment
Using the Double-Beta Decay of 76Ge
Harry S. Miley
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Thursday, June 12, 2003
11:00 AM

Abstract:
The goal of the Majorana experiment is to determine the effective Majorana mass of the electron neutrino. Detection of the neutrino mass implied by oscillation results is now technically within reach. This exciting physics goal is best pursued using the well-established technique of searching for the neutrinoless double-beta (0n bb) decay of 76Ge, augmented with recent advances in signal processing and detector design. The Majorana experiment will consist of a large mass of 76Ge in the form of high-resolution detectors located deep underground within a low-background environment. Observation of a sharp peak at the bb endpoint, 2038.6 keV, will quantify the 0n bb-decay half-life and thus the effective Majorana mass of the electron neutrino. The Majorana Collaboration is actively refining estimates of the ultimate sensitivity of the experiment. The original and conservative estimation method, based on experimentally achieved results, predicts an achievable 0n bb-decay half-life limit of ~4E27 y. Depending on the nuclear matrix elements chosen, the effective neutrino mass sensitivity becomes <mv> = [0.02 - 0.07]
eV which is within the range implied by recent neutrino oscillation experiments.