Lattice QCD Inputs for Nuclear Double Beta Decay

Understand

Second order beta-decay processes with and without neutrinos in the final state are key probes of nuclear physics and of the nature of neutrinos.

• Neutrinoful double-beta decay is the rarest Standard Model process that has been observed and provides a unique test of the understanding of weak nuclear interactions.
• Observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would reveal that neutrinos are Majorana fermions and that lepton number conservation is violated in nature.
• While significant progress has been made in phenomenological approaches to understanding these processes, establishing a connection between these processes and the physics of the Standard Model and beyond is a critical task as it will provide input into the design and interpretation of future experiments.