Results from the Cuoricino (Zero-Neutrino Double Beta) Decay Experiment

Recent results from the CUORICINO {sup 130}Te zero-neutrino double-beta (0v{beta}{beta}) decay experiment are reported. CUORICINO is an array of 62 tellurium oxide (TeO{sub 2}) bolometers with an active mass of 40.7 kg. It is cooled to {approx}8 mK by a dilution refrigerator shielded from environmental radioactivity and energetic neutrons. It is running in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Assergi, Italy. These data represent 11.83 kg y or 90.77 mole-years of {sup 130}Te. No evidence for 0v{beta}{beta}-decay was observed and a limit of T{sub 1/2}{sup 0v} ({sup 130}Te) {ge} 3.0 x 10{sup 24} y (90% C.L.) is set. This corresponds to upper limits on the effective mass, , between 0.19 and 0.68eV when analyzed with the many published nuclear structure calculations. In the context of these nuclear models, the values fall within the range corresponding to the claim of evidence of 0v{beta}{beta}-decay by H.V. Klapdor-Kleingrothaus and his co-workers. The experiment continues to acquire data.