Jun Terasaki, Ph.D.

Jun Terasaki, Ph.D.

Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics
E-mail:
Phone:+420 244 105 160

Personal data

I am interested in neutrinos. These are quite attractive elementary particles in terms of their mysterious mass, their role in the evolution of the universe, and future applications for the investigations of highly dense matter such as stars. My research subject is the theoretical calculation of the decay probability of the neutrinoless double-β decay, which is predicted but not yet observed. Usually, this kind of decay is accompanied by the emission of the neutrino, but this exotic decay is an exception. The study of this decay is a subject attracting many researchers because this leads to a new physical law. Many experimental groups intensively work on the experiments to find this new decay. If it is found, certainly, that achievement is worthy of the Nobel Prize. 

This decay is predicted to occur with a very long half-life, which means that decay is extremely rare. The accurate calculation of its decay probability is as difficult as the experimental search for the decay. This decay occurs only in nuclei consisting of more than 50 nucleons. The nuclei are the many-body system bound by the strong interaction—their stability is a result of the complicated interactions between the constituent nucleons. Including the influence of this complexity on the neutrinoless double-β decay is the difficult part in the calculation of the decay probability. I use super-parallel computers for the calculation, but still it is necessary to develop effective approximations. 

Several groups are engaged in this theoretical task. The predicted decay probability significantly depends on the methods of calculation, and the improvement is demanded. Recently, I found a key point to solve this problem by using new advanced calculations. This study will make a major contribution to the entire community of neutrino physics.