Vanishing effective mass of the neutrinoless double beta decay including light sterile neutrinos

Abstract

Light sterile neutrinos with masses at the sub-eV or eV scale are hinted by current experimental and cosmological data. Assuming the Majorana nature of these hypothetical particles, we discuss their effects in the neutrinoless double beta decay by exploring the implications of a vanishing effective Majorana neutrino mass. Allowed ranges of neutrino masses, mixing angles and Majorana CP-violating phases are illustrated in some instructive cases for both normal and inverted mass hierarchies of three active neutrinos.