# IC/99/36 April 1999 NEUTRINO SPECTRUM, OSCILLATION SCENARIOS AND NEUTRINOLESS DOUBLE BETA DECAY

## Abstract

We introduce the representation on one unitarity triangle of the constraints resulting (1) from the interpretation of solar and atmospheric neutrino data in terms of oscillations, and (2) from the search for neutrinoless double beta decay. We show its use for the study of a nearly degenerate neutrino spectrum. The representation shows clearly the particular cases when the neutrinoless double beta decay rate can (or cannot) be small, that is: when the connection of the decay rate with the neutrino spectrum is less (or more) direct. These cases turn out to depend crucially on the scenario of oscillation (MSW solutions, vacuum oscillations, averaged oscillations), and in particular on the size of the mixing between the electron neutrino and the neutrino state giving rise to atmospheric neutrino oscillations.

Atmospheric neutrino data can be interpreted in terms of dominant $`\nu _\mu \nu _\tau `$ oscillation channel; a sub-dominant channel $`\nu _\mu \nu _\mathrm{e}`$ is not excluded. In terms of the mixing elements, we can summarize these informations by $`|U_{\tau 3}^2||U_{\mu 3}^2||U_{\mathrm{e3}}^2|,`$ assuming that the heaviest mass $`m_3`$ is the one responsible of atmospheric neutrino oscillations.

Several possibilities are opened for interpretation of the solar neutrino data, depending on the frequencies of oscillation and mixings.

However, there is still quite a limited knowledge on the neutrino mass spectrum itself. The search for neutrinoless double beta ($`0\nu 2\beta `$) decay can shed light on this issue. The bound obtained on the parameter $`_{\mathrm{ee}}=|_iU_{\mathrm{e}i}^2m_i|`$ ($`m_3m_2m_1`$) is sensibly smaller than the mass scales probed by present studies of $`\beta `$-decay, or those inferred in cosmology.

The largest theoretical value is taken for a nearly degenerate spectrum $`m_1m_2m_3`$ ; the value is<sup>1</sup><sup>1</sup>1Notice however that a value of $`_{\mathrm{ee}}(\mathrm{\Delta }m_{atm}^2)^{1/2}`$ would be already quite large on its own. $`_{\mathrm{ee}}m_1,`$ with good approximation if $`m_1(\mathrm{\Delta }m_{atm}^2)^{1/2}.`$ The corresponding minimum value, under an arbitrary variation of the unknown phases, is conveniently represented in an unitarity triangle (fig 1). From the figure it is visible that, to interpret properly the results of $`0\nu 2\beta `$ decay studies (and possibly, to exclude the inner region in $`1^{st}`$ plot, the one where $`_{\mathrm{ee}}m_1`$ is possible) we need precise informations on the mixing elements. This requires distinguishing among oscillation scenarios. The plots illustrate also the importance of quantifying the size of $`|U_{\mathrm{e3}}^2|`$ , . In the case in which the state responsible of neutrino oscillations is the lightest one–not the heaviest–, very similar considerations apply. Graphically, this case corresponds to a $`120^{}`$ rotation of the last three plots of fig 1 (the sub-dominant mixing being $`|U_{\mathrm{e1}}^2|`$). Acknowledgements   
I thank for useful discussions R Barbieri, C Giunti, M Maris and A Yu Smirnov.