Measurement of the 116Sn(18O, 18Ne)116Cd double charge exchange reaction at 276 MeV

The measurement of the 116Sn(18O, 18Ne)116Cd double charge exchange reaction cross section at very forward angles was performed for the first time at INFN-LNS using the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer. This study, carried out at 276 MeV beam energy, provides a cross section of 34 nb ([9, 44] nb at 95% confidence level), confirming the tiny values recently obtained for the same reaction in other nuclides. This result has a major impact on the forthcoming systematic investigation of 0νββ decay candidates carried out by the NUMEN project, since it allows to properly tailor future experiments with high-intensity beams. The ultimate goal of this exploration is to experimentally access information about nuclear matrix elements relevant to the 0νββ decay rate. •116Sn(18O,18 Ne)116Cd DCE reaction cross section was measured for the first time.•Tiny values for DCE cross-section are confirmed as found in our previous measurement.•Although the cross-section is measured for different systems, its value seems stable.