Related papers: Are Neutrinos Their Own Antiparticles?
If the present or upcoming searches for neutrinoless double beta decay give a positive result, the Majorana nature of massive neutrinos will be established. From the determination of the value of the effective Majorana mass parameter |<m>|,…
The neutrinoless double $\beta$-decay is reviewed. Model independent evidence in favor of neutrino masses and mixing is briefly summarized. The data of the recent experiments on the search for $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay are presented and some…
The recent neutrino oscillation experimental results indicate that at least one neutrino has a mass greater than 50 meV. The next generation of double-beta decay experiments will very likely have a sensitivity to an effective Majorana…
Whether there exist elementary particles having Majorana nature is one the fundamental open question that has persisted since the 1930s. The only practical experiments to test the Majorana nature of neutrinos is the search for neutrinoless…
The theoretical basics of neutrino mass and mixing are reviewed. Dirac and Majorana masses are explained, and added together to produce the see-saw picture of the lightness of neutrinos. This picture predicts that neutrinos are Majorana…
In this brief review we discuss the generation of Majorana neutrino masses through the see-saw mechanism, the theory of neutrinoless double-beta decay, the implications of neutrino oscillation data for the effective Majorana mass, taking…
The possible Majorana nature of neutrinos leads to lepton-number-violating effects such as neutrinoless double beta decay. The standard study of this process involves mass-dependent matrix elements which, although easy to use, might be…
We study the decay of heavy sterile Majorana neutrinos according to the interactions obtained from an effective general theory. We describe the two and three-body decays for a wide range of neutrino masses. The results obtained and…
The hypothesis that the Majorana mass of ordinary neutrinos dominates the rate of neutrinoless double beta decay is investigated. Predictions from neutrino oscillations are updated. Nuclear uncertainties are discussed, evaluating the impact…
We discuss recent developments in neutrino physics and focus, in particular, on neutrino oscillations and matter effects of three light active neutrinos. Moreover, we discuss the difference between Dirac and Majorana neutrinos, neutrinoless…
The scale of neutrino mass generation may be too large to explore directly, but useful information may still be extracted from independent experimental channels. Here I survey various model independent probes of Majorana neutrino mass…
In the last years we have learnt a lot about neutrino masses and mixings. Neutrinos are not all massless but their masses are very small. Probably masses are small because neutrinos are Majorana particles with masses inversely proportional…
The detection of neutrinoless double-beta decay will establish the Majorana nature of neutrinos. In addition, if the nuclear matrix elements of this process are reliably known, the experimental lifetime will provide precious information…
Usually it is supposed that Majorana neutrino produced in the superposition state $\chi_L = \nu_L + (\nu_L)^c$ and then follows the neutrinoless double beta decay. But since weak interactions are chiral invariant then the neutrino at…
If the electron neutrino has an effective nonzero Majorana mass, then neutrinoless double beta decay will occur. However, the latter is possible also with a negligible neutrino mass. We show how this may happen in a simple model of scalar…
Neutrino masses are yet unknown. We discuss the present state of effective electron anti-neutrino mass from $\beta$ decay experiments; effective Majorana neutrino mass from neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments; neutrino mass squared…
We can start with the question: why are neutrino properties especially interesting? Recall that in the minimal standard model there are no right handed neutrinos and furthermore lepton number is conserved so neutrinos can have neither Dirac…
The motivation for the search for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay is briefly reviewed. It is stressed that the exchange of light Majorana neutrinos is not the only possible mechanism of the decay. The link between lepton number and lepton flavor…
Neutrinoless double beta decay has been the subject of intensive theoretical work as it represents the only practical approach to discovering whether neutrinos are Majorana particles or not, and whether lepton number is a conserved quantum…
Neutrinoless double beta decay is a sensitive probe of the patterns of neutrino masses and mixings if the neutrinos are Majorana particles as well as other new physics scenarios beyond the standard model. In this talk, the present…