A1 Journal article (refereed)
Ordinary Muon Capture on 136Ba : Comparative Study Using the Shell Model and pnQRPA (2023)

Gimeno, P., Jokiniemi, L., Kotila, J., Ramalho, M., & Suhonen, J. (2023). Ordinary Muon Capture on 136Ba : Comparative Study Using the Shell Model and pnQRPA. Universe, 9(6), Article 270. https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9060270

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Gimeno, Patricia; Jokiniemi, Lotta; Kotila, Jenni; Ramalho, Marlom; Suhonen, Jouni

Journal or series: Universe

eISSN: 2218-1997

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 05/06/2023

Volume: 9

Issue number: 6

Article number: 270

Publisher: MDPI AG

Publication country: Switzerland

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9060270

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/87516

Abstract

In this work, we present a study of ordinary muon capture (OMC) on 136136Ba, the daughter nucleus of 136136Xe double beta decay (DBD). The OMC rates at low-lying nuclear states (below 1 MeV of excitation energy) in 136136Cs are assessed by using both the interacting shell model (ISM) and proton–neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation (pnQRPA). We also add chiral two-body (2BC) meson-exchange currents and use an exact Dirac wave function for the captured s-orbital muon. OMC can be viewed as a complementary probe of the wave functions in 136136Cs, the intermediate nucleus of the 136136Xe DBD. At the same time, OMC can be considered a powerful probe of the effective values of weak axial-type couplings in a 100 MeV momentum exchange region, which is relevant for neutrinoless DBD. The present work represents the first attempt to compare the ISM and pnQRPA results for OMC on a heavy nucleus while also including the exact muon wave function and the 2BC. The sensitivity estimates of the current and future neutrinoless DBD experiments will clearly benefit from future OMC measurements taken using OMC calculations similar to the one presented here.

Keywords: neutrinos; weak interaction; dark matter; particle physics

Free keywords: neutrino physics; muon capture rates; double beta decays; weak interaction

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Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023

Preliminary JUFO rating: 1