Speaker
Description
Reducing uncertainties in the nuclear matrix element (NME) remains a critical challenge in designing and interpreting experiments aimed at discovering neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay. Here, we identify a class of observables, distinct from those employed in low-energy nuclear structure applications, that are strongly correlated with the NME: momentum correlations among hadrons produced in high-energy nuclear collisions. Focusing on the 150Nd→150Sm transition, we combine a Bayesian analysis of the structure of 150Nd with simulations of high-energy 150Nd+150Nd collisions. We reveal prominent correlations between the NME and features of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formed in these processes, such as spatial gradients and anisotropies, which are accessible via collective flow measurements. Our findings demonstrate collider experiments involving 0νββ decay candidates as a platform for benchmarking theoretical predictions of the NME.