Measurement of the 2νßß Decay Rate and Spectral Shape of

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νßß) is a yet unobserved nuclear process that would demonstrate Lepton number violation, a clear evidence of beyond standard model physics. The process two neutrino double beta decay (2νßß) is allowed by the standard model and has been measured in numerous experiments. In this Letter, we report a measurement of 2νßß decay half-life of ^{100}Mo to the ground state of ^{100}Ru of [7.07±0.02(stat)±0.11(syst)]×10^{18} yr by the CUPID-Mo experiment. With a relative precision of ±1.6% this is the most precise measurement to date of a 2νßß decay rate in ^{100}Mo. In addition, we constrain higher-order corrections to the spectral shape, which provides complementary nuclear structure information. We report a novel measurement of the shape factor ξ_{3,1}=0.45±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) based on a constraint on the ratio of higher-order terms from theory, which can be reliably calculated. This is compared to theoretical predictions for different nuclear models. We also extract the first value for the effective axial vector coupling constant obtained from a spectral shape study of 2νßß decay.

New Limit for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay of

The CUPID-Mo experiment at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (France) is a demonstrator for CUPID, the next-generation ton-scale bolometric 0νßß experiment. It consists of a 4.2 kg array of 20 enriched Li_{2}^{100}MoO_{4} scintillating bolometers to search for the lepton-number-violating process of 0νßß decay in ^{100}Mo. With more than one year of operation (^{100}Mo exposure of 1.17 kg×yr for physics data), no event in the region of interest and, hence, no evidence for 0νßß is observed. We report a new limit on the half-life of 0νßß decay in ^{100}Mo of T_{1/2}>1.5×10^{24} yr at 90% C.I. The limit corresponds to an effective Majorana neutrino mass ⟨m_{ßß}⟩<(0.31-0.54) eV, dependent on the nuclear matrix element in the light Majorana neutrino exchange interpretation.

First Germanium-Based Constraints on Sub-MeV Dark Matter with the EDELWEISS Experiment.

We present the first Ge-based constraints on sub-MeV/c^{2} dark matter (DM) particles interacting with electrons using a 33.4 g Ge cryogenic detector with a 0.53 electron-hole pair (rms) resolution, operated underground at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane. Competitive constraints are set on the DM-electron scattering cross section, as well as on the kinetic mixing parameter of dark photons down to 1 eV/c^{2}. In particular, the most stringent limits are set for dark photon DM in the 6 to 9 eV/c^{2} range. These results demonstrate the high relevance of Ge cryogenic detectors for the search of DM-induced eV-scale electron signals.

Development of 100 Mo -containing scintillating bolometers for a high-sensitivity neutrinoless double-beta decay search.

This paper reports on the development of a technology involving 100 Mo -enriched scintillating bolometers, compatible with the goals of CUPID, a proposed next-generation bolometric experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Large mass ( ∼ 1 kg ), high optical quality, radiopure 100 Mo -containing zinc and lithium molybdate crystals have been produced and used to develop high performance single detector modules based on 0.2-0.4 kg scintillating bolometers. In particular, the energy resolution of the lithium molybdate detectors near the Q-value of the double-beta transition of 100 Mo (3034 keV) is 4-6 keV FWHM. The rejection of the α -induced dominant background above 2.6 MeV is better than 8 σ . Less than 10 µ Bq/kg activity of 232 Th ( 228 Th ) and 226 Ra in the crystals is ensured by boule recrystallization. The potential of 100 Mo -enriched scintillating bolometers to perform high sensitivity double-beta decay searches has been demonstrated with only 10 kg × d exposure: the two neutrino double-beta decay half-life of 100 Mo has been measured with the up-to-date highest accuracy as T 1 / 2 = [6.90 ± 0.15(stat.) ± 0.37(syst.)] × 10 18 years . Both crystallization and detector technologies favor lithium molybdate, which has been selected for the ongoing construction of the CUPID-0/Mo demonstrator, containing several kg of 100 Mo .

Search for Neutrinoless Quadruple-ß Decay of

We report the results of a first experimental search for lepton number violation by four units in the neutrinoless quadruple-ß decay of ^{150}Nd using a total exposure of 0.19 kg yr recorded with the NEMO-3 detector at the Modane Underground Laboratory. We find no evidence of this decay and set lower limits on the half-life in the range T_{1/2}>(1.1-3.2)×10^{21} yr at the 90% C.L., depending on the model used for the kinematic distributions of the emitted electrons.

Measurement of the ßß decay half-life of 130Te with the NEMO-3 detector.

We report results from the NEMO-3 experiment based on an exposure of 1275 days with 661 g of (130)Te in the form of enriched and natural tellurium foils. The ßß decay rate of (130)Te is found to be greater than zero with a significance of 7.7 standard deviations and the half-life is measured to be T(½)(2ν) = [7.0 ± 0.9(stat) ± 1.1(syst)] × 10(20) yr. This represents the most precise measurement of this half-life yet published and the first real-time observation of this decay.

Fine grains ceramics of PIN-PT, PIN-PMN-PT and PMN-PT systems: drift of the dielectric constant under high electric field.

Lead-based ferroelectric ceramics with (1-x)Pb(B1 B2)O3-xPbTiO3 formula have emerged as a group of promising materials for various applications like ultrasonic sonars or medical imaging transducers. (1-x)PMN-xPT, (1-x)PIN-xPT and ternary solutions xPIN-yPMN-zPT ceramics are synthesised using the solid state reaction method. Our objective is to achieve higher structural transition temperatures than those of PMN-PT ceramics with as good dielectric, piezoelectric and electromechanical properties. Ceramics capacitance and loss tangent are measured when the ac field of measurement increases up to E=500 V/mm. Behaviours of these materials under ac field are related to their coercive field and Curie temperature.

First results of the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay with the NEMO 3 detector.

The NEMO 3 detector, which has been operating in the Fréjus underground laboratory since February 2003, is devoted to the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (beta beta 0v). The half-lives of the two neutrino double-beta decay (beta beta 2v) have been measured for 100Mo and 82Se. After 389 effective days of data collection from February 2003 until September 2004 (phase I), no evidence for neutrinoless double-beta decay was found from approximately 7 kg of 100Mo and approximately 1 kg of 82Se. The corresponding limits are T1/2(beta beta0v) > 4.6 x 10(23) yr for 100Mo and T1/2(beta beta 0v) > 1.0 x 10(23) yr for 82Se (90% C.L.). Depending on the nuclear matrix element calculation, the limits for the effective Majorana neutrino mass are < 0.7-2.8 e/v for 100Mo and < 1.7-4.9 eV for 82Se.

Monoterpenic and norisoprenoidic glycoconjugates of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Melon B. as precursors of odorants in Muscadet wines.

The volatile monoterpenic and norisoprenoidic compounds released by glycosidase enzyme hydrolysis of C18 reversed-phase isolates from the juice of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Melon B. have been qualitatively and quantitatively determined using GC-MS and GC-FID. The components analyzed were broadly similar to those previously reported for other varieties but the level of bound p-menth-1-en-7,8-diol was higher in this cultivar. Then the monoterpenic and norisoprenoidic volatiles released from the same glycosidic extracts under mild acid conditions, mimicking wine aging conditions, have been analyzed using GC-Olfactometry and GC-MS. The most odorous compounds detected were p-cymene, terpinen-4-ol, cis- and trans-vitispiranes, 1,6,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphtalene (TDN), beta-damascenone and riesling acetal. To assess their potential levels in corresponding wines after ageing, most of these odorants were generated by harsh acid hydrolysis from the precursors extracts and quantitatively determined using SPME and GC-MS/MS. For the development and application of this analysis, the odorants not commercialy available were synthesized. The total amounts of norisoprenoidic odorants generated by acid hydrolysis of the glycosidic extracts were shown to be proportional to the total amounts of these precursors.

Quantitative determination of sulfur containing wine odorants at sub-ppb levels. 1. Synthesis of the deuterated analogues.

[2H10]-4-Sulfanyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (d10-SMP), [2H2]-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (d2-3SH), and [2H5]-3-sulfanylhexyl acetate (d5-3SHAc), the labeled analogues of impact odorants of wines and other foods, were synthesized to be used for the quantitative determination of the natural compounds in white and red wines by stable isotope dilution assay. The sulfidation was achieved by Michael addition, on mesityl oxide or ethyl hex-2-enoate, respectively, of the sulfhydryl anion generated in situ from triphenylsilanethiol and potassium fluoride under phase transfer conditions. The labeling of 4-sulfanyl-4-methylpentan-2-one (SMP) was obtained from the commercial starting material, [2H6]acetone, so that this method could be used to synthesize 13C-labeled SMP from 13C-labeled acetone. The labeling of 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (3SH) and 3-sulfanylhexyl acetate (3SHAc) was obtained from reduction with lithium aluminum deuteride of the Michael adduct ethyl 3-sulfanylhexanoate and [2H3]-acetylation. During the synthesis, 3SH and 3SHAc were partially oxidized to their disulfide, which were reduced back to the thiols by an additional reduction step; the tertiary thiol SMP was less sensitive to this oxidation.

The common acute lymphoid leukemia antigen on b cells of chronic lymphoid leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Fourteen out of 21 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 3/11 chronic lymphoid leukemia cells (CLL) had the common acute lymphoid leukemia antigen (CALLA) All 32 patients had monoclonal B-cell proliferation. The CLL patients had 90% CALLA positive cells while the proportion of their leukemic elements was superior. Lymph-nodes or bone marrow invaded by a B monoclonal tumor cell population of NHL had significantly more CALLA positive cells (42.1 +/- 32.5%) than non-invaded tissues (11.4 +/- 10.3%). In NHL tissues with monoclonal B-cells, lymph-nodes had significantly more CALLA positive cells (56.0 +/- 29.9%) than marrow (23.5 +/- 27.7%). It is well known that the (CALLA) is not specific for ALL. It has been believed to be a differentiation antigen on pre B-cells. The present study confirms that it also occurs on B-cells (2,4,6,7,8,9,10,11).