BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:Data::ICal 0.22 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Reyco Henning\, University of North Carolina\n\n
\n Neutrinos are remarkable particles. They are the only known fermions that interact only via the weak force and have unusually small but finite masses. Althou gh we have learned much about their nature over the past decades\, fundame ntal question remain. A key one is whether neutrinos are Majorana fermions \, which would imply that they are their own antiparticles. Surprisingly\, this is a very difficult property to test experimentally\, and the curren t best experimental method is to search for neutrinoless nuclear double-be ta decay (NDBD). Just demonstrating the existence of this decay would show that neutrinos are Majorana fermions. In this talk I will give a theoreti cal and historical overview of NDBD\, followed by a discussion of the expe rimental challenges and current international efforts to search for NDBD\, with an emphasis on the Majorana experiment that is being led by UNC and Oak Ridge National Lab.
\n DTSTART:20140910T193000Z LOCATION:Physics Building\, Room 204 SUMMARY:Quest for the nature of the neutrino END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR