High sensitivity quest for Majorana neutrino mass with the BOREXINO counting test facility

The unique features of the CTF and BOREXINO set ups are used for a high sen sitivity study of Mo-100 and Cd-116 neutrinoless 2 beta decay. Pilot measur ements with 116Cd and Monte Carlo simulation show that the sensitivity of t he CAMEO experiment tin terms of the T-1/2 limit for 0 nu2 beta decay) is ( 3-5) x 10(24) yr with a 1 kg source of Mo-100 (Cd-116, Se-82, Nd-150) and a pproximate to 10(26) yr with 65 kg of (CdWO4)-Cd-116 crystals placed in the CTE The last value corresponds to a limit on the neutrino mass of m(nu) le ss than or equal to 0.06 eV. Moreover, with 1000 kg of (CdWO4)-Cd-116 cryst als located in the BOREXINO apparatus the neutrino mass limit can be pushed down to m(nu) less than or equal to 0.02 eV. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevie r Science B.V.