Sterile neutrinos in neutrinoless double beta decay

Abstract

We study possible contribution of the Majorana neutrino mass eigenstate $ν_h$ dominated by a sterile neutrino component to neutrinoless double beta ($0νββ$) decay. From the current experimental lower bound on the $0νββ$-decay half-life of $^{76}$Ge we derive stringent constraints on the $ν_h-ν_e$ mixing in a wide region of the values of $ν_h$ mass. We discuss cosmological and astrophysical status of $ν_h$ in this mass region.