Speaker: Dr. Lisa Kaufman (IU)

Title: Observation of Two-Neutrino Double Beta Decay in 136Xe with EXO-200

Abstract: Neutrinos are all around us, yet many of their properties remain a mystery.  The study of neutrinoless double beta decay can shed light on the properties of neutrino mass and whether or not the neutrino is its own anti-particle.  In addition, because neutrinoless double beta decay violates lepton number conservation, its discovery would lead the way to physics beyond the standard model.  The Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO) program is aimed at searching for this decay in Xe-136.  I will discuss the recent results from EXO 200 which has observed the two-neutrino double beta decay process for the first time in Xe-136 - the slowest directly-measured nuclear process to date!