A search for 0 ν β β decay of 124 Sn with tin-loaded liquid scintillator

Abstract

A search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 124 Sn was carried out using the tin-loaded liquid scintillator for an active source-detector technique. Tin (32.6%) in weight was successfully loaded into the liquid scintillator, and light output was as high as 57% of the unloaded liquid scintillator. A tin-loaded liquid scintillator with 1.1ℓ volume was installed at the 700 m underground laboratory in YangYang, and data were taken for 5285 h. No evidence for the 0 ν β β decay was found and a lower limit on the 124 Sn half-life was obtained to be 2.0 × 1019 year with 90% C.L. The new limit represents a significant improvement with respect to those previously available for 124 Sn. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.