Exotic Contributions to Two Neutrino Double Beta Decay

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In this project, we investigate different exotic decay channels for the two-neutrino double beta decay. Double beta decay is a second order process in which two neutrinos and two electrons get emitted through two simultaneous beta decays. It has been known for decades that neutrinos are left-handed particles and is massless in the Standard Model (SM) as a consequence. Recent neutrino experiments have detected a non-zero neutrino mass, which means that neutrinos acquire a mass from a different process. In this report, we consider Physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) terms in the form of right-handed fields. We calculate the matrix elements and decay rate for these terms and compare the decay spectrum. The only observable difference between the SM and BSM terms is in the angle distribution due to the approximations used in this report, where the angle is between the emitted electrons. We observe that in the SM the distribution is dominant at large angles, which means that the electron travels in opposite directions. The distribution, where we include one right-handed leptonic current, is dominant in the small angles, so the electrons travel in the same directions. These decay distributions are important for comparing the experimental data for signs of new physics.

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