Measurement of the Double Beta Decay Half-life of 130Te with the NEMO-3 Detector


Abstract in English

This Letter reports results from the NEMO-3 experiment based on an exposure of 1275 days with 661g of 130Te in the form of enriched and natural tellurium foils. The double beta decay rate of 130Te is found to be greater than zero with a significance of 7.7 standard deviations and the half-life is measured to be T1/2 = (7.0 +/- 0.9(stat) +/- 1.1(syst)) x 10^{20} yr. This represents the most precise measurement of this half-life yet published and the first real-time observation of this decay.

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