New Method of Enhancing Lepton Number Nonconservation

Abstract

The lepton number nonconserving (LENNON) conversion of type $ e^- \to e^+$ in heavy atoms, when irradiated by intense laser beam, is considered to determine the Majorana nature and precise values of neutrino masses. When the photon energy is fine tuned, the LENNON process is greatly enhanced by both the resonance effect and a large occupancy of photons. The signal of this process would be a positron of definite energy, and a further nuclear $\gamma$-ray in a favorable case of transition to an excited nuclear level. By constructing a united target-detector system, it is possible to explore $O[1meV]$ range of the neutrino mass parameter with a good positron energy resolution.