Rejection of Evidence for Nonzero Neutrino Rest Mass from Double Beta Decay

Previous evidence from double beta decay (DBD) of ¹²⁸Te and ¹³⁰Te required neutrinoless DBD involving a neutrino rest mass of ^m_ν~34 eV ({~}10 eV in the most recent theoretical treatment) or else a strong violation of lepton-number conservation (η≠0) due to a ($V+A$) admixture. The DBD rate ratio of ¹²⁸Te and ¹³⁰Te has been redetermined. The present result is consistent with ^m_ν=η=0. The experimental limits still allow Majorana decay at levels of ^m_ν<~5.6 eV or η<~2.4×10^-5 (95% confidence). The DBD half-life for ¹²⁸Te is T1/2(¹²⁸Te)>8×10²⁴ yr (2σ).