Importance of neutrinoless double beta decay
Abstract
Description
A natural explanation for the smallness of the neutrino mass requires them to be Majorana particles violating lepton number by two units. Since lepton number violation can have several interesting consequences in particle physics and cosmology, it is of utmost importance to find out if there is lepton number violation in nature and what is its magnitude. The neutrinoless double beta decay experiment can answer these questions: if there is lepton number violation and if neutrinos are Majorana particles. In addition, the magnitude of neutrinoless double beta decay will constrain any other lepton number violating processes. This lepton number violation may also be relatd to the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe, dark matter and cosmological constant.
Invited talk appeared in Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, ed. V.K.B. Kota and U. Sarkar, Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi, 2007, p.11-20
Invited talk appeared in Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, ed. V.K.B. Kota and U. Sarkar, Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi, 2007, p.11-20