Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay through Argon 40 Data

Two-proton drop-off reactions can test the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) approximation used to describe the ground states in Quasi-Random Phase Approximation (QRPA) calculations of double beta-decay nuclear matrix elements (NME). $^{\mathrm{134,136}}$Xe($^{\mathrm{3}}$He,n) reaction measurements have been carried out at the TUNL tandem laboratory to test the BCS approximation for $^{\mathrm{136}}$Xe double-beta decay. The measurements were carried out using a neutron time of flight system with a 13 m flight path, achieving a 3 ns timing resolution. We will report on analysis of $^{\mathrm{40}}$Ar($^{\mathrm{3}}$He,n) cross-sections carried out with the same experimental setup to characterize systematic errors.