Can one ever prove that neutrinos are Dirac particles?

Abstract

According to the "Black Box" theorem the experimental confirmation of neutrinoless double beta decay ($0 ν2 β$) would imply that at least one of the neutrinos is a Majorana particle. However, a null $0 ν2 β$ signal cannot decide the nature of neutrinos, as it can be suppressed even for Majorana neutrinos. In this letter we argue that if the null $0 ν2 β$ decay signal is accompanied by a $0 ν4 β$ quadruple beta decay signal, then at least one neutrino should be a Dirac particle. This argument holds irrespective of the underlying processes leading to such decays.

5 pages, 3 figures