Neutrino-less double beta decay of ⁴⁸Ca - CANDLES

Neutrino-less double beta decay (0νββ) is currently known to be an only experiment to verify whether lepton number is conserved or not. The lepton number non-conservation is the key to create matter dominated universe with CP violation. The so-called leptogenesys scenario presents a way to create the matter dominated universe by these violations. If neutrinos have Majorana mass, transition from a particle to an anti-particle is possible and the left-handed and right-handed neutrinos could have different masses. It is highly likely that the neutrinos are Majorana particles. We have been studying double beta decay of ⁴⁸Ca. Our first stage experiment using the ELEGANT VI detector system gave the best lower limit of the half life of 0νββ of ⁴⁸Ca. We have been working on CANDLES detector system to sense much longer lifetime region. We have developed techniques to reduce backgrounds. The CADLES detector system was installed at Kamioka underground laboratory. Here I describe a schematic view of the system.