https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-023-12227-x
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Measurement of the double-
decay of 
Nd to the 0
excited state of Sm in NEMO-3
1
Université de Bordeaux, CNRS/IN2P3, LP2i Bordeaux, UMR 5797, 33170, Gradignan, France
2
Université Louis Pasteur, CNRS/IN2P3, IPHC, 67037, Strasbourg, France
3
Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IJCLab, 91405, Orsay, France
4
Affiliated with a member institute of the NEMO-3 collaboration, Modane, France
5
University College London, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
6
University of Manchester, M13 9PL, Manchester, UK
7
Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48, Bratislava, Slovakia
8
Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CPPM, 13288, Marseille, France
9
Idaho National Laboratory, 83415, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
10
University of Texas at Austin, 78712, Austin, TX, USA
11
Normandie Université, ENSICAEN, UNICAEN, CNRS/IN2P3, LPC Caen, 14000, Caen, France
12
Université de Savoie, CNRS/IN2P3, LAPP, UMR 5814, 74941, Annecy-le-Vieux, France
13
Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
14
Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 11000, Prague, Czech Republic
15
Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Brehova 7, 115 19, Prague, Czech Republic
16
University of Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, Edinburgh, UK
17
University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK
18
Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama Toyonaka, 560-0043, Osaka, Japan
19
Saga University, 840-8502, Saga, Japan
20
LSCE, CNRS, 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
21
Institut Universitaire de France, 75005, Paris, France
22
Jyväskylä University, 40351, Jyvaskyla, Finland
23
Institute for Nuclear Research of NASU, 03028, Kyiv, Ukraine
24
INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, 67100, Assergi, AQ, Italy
25
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, 12116, Prague, Czech Republic
ch
laurent.simard@ijclab.in2p3.fr
Received:
30
August
2023
Accepted:
6
November
2023
Published online:
9
December
2023
The NEMO-3 results for the double-
decay of 
Nd to the 0
and 2 excited states of Sm are reported. The data recorded during 5.25 year with 36.6 g of the isotope Nd are used in the analysis. The signal of the 
transition to the 0 excited state is detected with a statistical significance exceeding 5
. The half-life is measured to be 
year, which is the most precise value that has been measured to date. 90% confidence-level limits are set for the other decay modes. For the decay to the 2 level the limit is 
. The limits on the 
decay to the 0 and 2 levels of Sm are significantly improved to 
and 
.
Deceased: R. Arnold, V. Brudanin, D. Lalanne, I. Vanushin.
© The Author(s) 2023
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Funded by SCOAP3. SCOAP3 supports the goals of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
