New limit on neutrinoless double β decay inXe136with a time projection chamber

Abstract
A xenon time projection chamber with an active volume of 207 L has been built to study neutrinoless double β decay in Xe136. Data were taken in the Gotthard Underground Laboratory, with 5 atm of xenon enriched to 62.5% in Xe136. From 3380 h of data, no evidence has been found for the 0ν 0+0+ transition. Half-life limits of T1/20ν>2.5(4.9)×1023 yr in the mass-mechanism mode and T1/20ν>1.7(3.2)×1023 yr in the right-handed-current mode, at the 90(68)% C.L., were derived. An upper limit for the Majorana neutrino mass parameter was deduced.