Benchmarking nuclear matrix elements of 0ββ decay with high-energy nuclear collisions
Abstract
Reducing uncertainties in the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) remains a critical challenge in designing and interpreting experiments aimed at discovering neutrinoless double beta (0ββ) decay. Here, we identify a class of observables, distinct from those employed in low-energy nuclear structure applications, that are strongly correlated with the NMEs: momentum correlations among hadrons produced in high-energy nuclear collisions. Focusing on the 150Nd→150Sm transition, we combine a Bayesian analysis of the structure of 150Nd with simulations of high-energy 150Nd+150Nd collisions. We reveal prominent correlations between the NMEs and features of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formed in these processes, such as spatial gradients and anisotropies, which are accessible via collective flow measurements. Our findings demonstrate collider experiments involving 0ββ decay candidates as a platform for benchmarking theoretical predictions of the NMEs.
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