arxiv: 2604.08950 · v1 · submitted 2026-04-10 · ⚛️ nucl-ex · hep-ex· hep-ph

Recognition: unknown

New limits on the Pauli forbidden transitions in 12C nuclei obtained with the complete Borexino dataset

A. Caminata, A. Chepurnov, A. Derbin, A. Di Giacinto, A. Di Ludovico, A. Goretti, A. Jany, Aldo Ianni, Andrea Ianni, A. Pocar, A. Razeto, A. Re, A. Singhal, A. Sotnikov, A. Vishneva, B. Caccianiga, Borexino collaboration, C. Galbiati, C. Ghiano, D. Basilico, D. D Angelo, D. Franco, D. Guffanti, D. Semenov, E. Litvinovich, E. Meroni, E. Unzhakov, F. Ortica, F. von Feilitzsch, G. Bellini, G. Korga, G. Raikov, G. Ranucci, G. Settanta, G. Testera, G. Zuzel, I. Drachnev, I. Lomskaya, I. Machulin, J. Benziger, J. Martyn, K. Zuber, L. Di Noto, L. Ludhova, L. Miramonti, L. Oberauer, L. Pelicci, L. Pietrofaccia, M. Giammarchi, M. Gromov, M. Laubenstein, M. Misiaszek, M. Pallavicini, M. Skorokhvatov, M.T. Ranalli, M. Wojcik, M. Wurm, N. Pilipenko, N. Rossi, O. Penek, O. Smirnov, P. Lombardi, R. Biondi, R.B. Vogelaar, R. Tartaglia, S. Kumaran, S. Schonert, S. Zavatarelli, V. Di Marcello, V. Kobychev, V. Muratova, V. Orekhov, X.F. Ding

Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 16:55 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ⚛️ nucl-ex hep-exhep-ph

keywords Pauli exclusion principleforbidden transitionsBorexinocarbon-12lifetime limitsnuclear transitionsfundamental tests

0 comments

The pith

Borexino data sets the tightest experimental limits on Pauli-forbidden transitions in 12C nuclei.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper examines the entire Borexino dataset from 2007 to 2021 to hunt for signs of nucleons in 12C nuclei making transitions that the Pauli exclusion principle forbids. No such events were detected above the expected background in searches for gamma rays, protons, neutrons, and beta particles. This absence allows the setting of very high lower bounds on the lifetime of the 12C nucleus against these processes, reaching up to 1.1 times 10 to the 32 years for the gamma channel. A reader cares because it provides the best test yet of whether the Pauli principle is strictly obeyed for nucleons inside atomic nuclei.

Core claim

No Pauli-forbidden transitions were observed in 12C nuclei. The resulting limits at 90% confidence level are tau(12C to 12C~ plus gamma) at least 1.1 times 10^32 years, tau(12C to 11B~ plus proton) at least 1.0 times 10^31 years, tau(12C to 11C~ plus neutron) at least 2.0 times 10^31 years, tau(12C to 12N~ plus electron plus antineutrino) at least 6.4 times 10^30 years, and tau(12C to 12B~ plus positron plus neutrino) at least 6.6 times 10^30 years. These translate to upper limits on the relative violation strengths of delta squared gamma less than or equal to 1.0 times 10 to the -57, delta squared N less than or equal to 7.0 times 10 to the -61, and delta squared beta less than or equal to

What carries the argument

Detection of particles emitted in non-Paulian nucleon transitions from the 1P3/2 shell to the filled 1S1/2 shell within the 12C nucleus, using the low-background capabilities of the Borexino liquid scintillator detector.

If this is right

The electromagnetic component of any Pauli violation is constrained to relative strength below 10^{-57}.
The strong interaction Pauli violation strength is limited below 7 times 10^{-61}.
The weak interaction violation strength is limited below 10^{-35}.
These bounds are the most stringent experimental constraints obtained so far for nucleon transitions in nuclei.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

These limits could help bound parameters in theories that predict small violations of the Pauli principle, such as those involving deformed commutation relations.
Experiments with even larger detectors or different target nuclei could test for violations in other systems or at higher sensitivity.
The approach shows how neutrino observatories can double as precision tests of fundamental quantum rules.

Load-bearing premise

The analysis assumes that background events are perfectly modeled and subtracted across all search channels and that the detector efficiency and energy response for any hypothetical signal are accurately known from calibration and simulation.

What would settle it

The discovery of even one event with the energy and particle type expected for a Pauli-forbidden transition in 12C, after accounting for all known backgrounds, would contradict the reported lifetime limits.

read the original abstract

The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) was tested for nucleons in $\rm{^{12}C}$ nuclei using the Borexino dataset from 2007 to 2021. %the complete Borexino detector data. The approach consists of searching for $\gamma$-quanta, neutrons, protons, as well as electrons and positrons emitted in non-Paulian transitions of nucleons from the $1P_{3/2}$ shell to the filled $1S_{1/2}$ shell. Due to the uniquely low background level, the large mass, and long measurement time of the Borexino detector, the most stringent experimental constraints to date on the lifetime of the $\rm{^{12}C}$ nucleus with respect to PEP-forbidden transitions were obtained: $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+\gamma) \geq {1.1\times10^{32}}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ p) \geq {1.0\times10^{31}}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+ n) \geq 2.0 \times 10^{31}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{N}}}+ e^- + \widetilde{\nu_e}) \geq 6.4 \times 10^{30}$ y and $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\rightarrow{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ e^+ + \nu_e) \geq 6.6 \times 10^{30}$ y (90\% C.L.). The upper limits on the relative strengths for the non-Paulian electromagnetic, strong, and weak transitions have been obtained: $\delta^2_{\gamma}\leq 1.0\times 10^{-57}$, $\delta^2_{N}\leq 7.0\times 10^{-61}$ and $\delta^2_{\beta}\leq 9.6\times 10^{-36}$, all at 90\% C.L..

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Desk Editor's Note private letter to a colleague

Borexino's full dataset through 2021 tightens the lifetime bounds on several PEP-violating channels in 12C by roughly an order of magnitude over prior work, using standard null-result statistics on a low-background detector.

read the letter

The paper's core result is a set of new 90% CL lower limits on the lifetime of 12C against Pauli-forbidden transitions: 1.1e32 y for the gamma channel, 1e31 y for proton emission, 2e31 y for neutron emission, and around 6e30 y for the beta channels. These come from the complete Borexino exposure and translate into delta^2 upper limits at the 10^-57 to 10^-36 level depending on the interaction type. The work is incremental rather than revolutionary; it follows the same search strategy as earlier Borexino PEP papers but benefits from the full statistics and multi-channel coverage. The detector's low background, large mass, and long live time are genuine strengths here, and the limits rest on straightforward counting experiments against expected backgrounds with no evident circularity in the derivation. Standard 90% CL procedures are applied, which is appropriate for rare-process searches. The main soft spot is that the provided abstract and summary give little visibility into the background modeling details or efficiency uncertainties per channel; those would need checking in the full text to confirm they do not dominate the final numbers. If the modeling holds up, the results are reliable. This is useful for anyone tracking experimental constraints on the Pauli principle or related exotic physics, but it is not broad enough to interest most readers outside that niche. The paper shows clear, honest engagement with the data and literature. It deserves peer review as a careful update that improves the published bounds.

Referee Report

1 major / 2 minor

Summary. The manuscript reports new experimental limits on Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) violating transitions in ^{12}C nuclei using the full Borexino dataset collected between 2007 and 2021. By searching for specific signatures of forbidden transitions—such as γ-quanta, protons, neutrons, and electrons/positrons—the authors derive lower bounds on the lifetimes for five channels and upper limits on the relative strengths δ² for electromagnetic, strong, and weak interactions, claiming these are the most stringent to date at 90% CL.

Significance. If the background subtraction and efficiency estimates hold, this work strengthens the experimental constraints on possible PEP violations by orders of magnitude compared to previous limits. The use of a large-volume, ultra-low-background detector like Borexino for this purpose is a notable strength, and the direct counting approach avoids circularity. These limits can inform theoretical models of PEP violation and are a valuable addition to the field of fundamental symmetry tests.

major comments (1)

The background modeling and subtraction for each PEP-violating channel is not described with sufficient quantitative detail, including the specific background components, their normalizations, and associated systematic uncertainties. This is critical because the 90% CL limits (e.g., τ ≥ 1.1×10^{32} y for the γ channel) rely directly on the assumption that observed events are consistent with background expectations.

minor comments (2)

The notation for the forbidden states (e.g., ^{12}widetilde{C}) should be defined more clearly in the introduction for readers unfamiliar with the convention.
Ensure all figures have clear captions explaining the energy spectra or event distributions used in the analysis and how they relate to the efficiency calculations.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

1 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for the positive evaluation of our work and the recommendation for minor revision. We address the single major comment below.

read point-by-point responses

Referee: The background modeling and subtraction for each PEP-violating channel is not described with sufficient quantitative detail, including the specific background components, their normalizations, and associated systematic uncertainties. This is critical because the 90% CL limits (e.g., τ ≥ 1.1×10^{32} y for the γ channel) rely directly on the assumption that observed events are consistent with background expectations.

Authors: We appreciate the referee's emphasis on the need for quantitative transparency in background modeling. The current manuscript outlines the primary background sources and the overall approach to subtraction for each channel, but we agree that additional detail on specific components, normalizations (from data and Monte Carlo), and systematic uncertainties would strengthen the presentation. In the revised version we will expand the relevant sections to include these quantitative elements, thereby clarifying how the observed event counts are shown to be consistent with background expectations and how the 90% CL limits are extracted. This addition will be made without altering the reported results. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity; experimental limits from null search

full rationale

The paper reports new lower bounds on 12C lifetimes against PEP-forbidden transitions directly from a null result in the Borexino dataset (2007-2021). Observed event counts in gamma, proton, neutron, and beta channels are compared to modeled backgrounds after standard cuts; limits follow from the known exposure, fiducial mass, and channel-specific efficiencies determined by calibration and simulation. The delta^2 upper limits are obtained by rescaling the lifetime bounds using the standard definitional relation (forbidden rate = delta^2 times allowed rate), which introduces no circularity because delta^2 is an externally defined parameter quantifying violation strength. No load-bearing self-citation, fitted-input-as-prediction, or self-definitional step appears in the central chain; the analysis is a conventional statistical upper-limit procedure that remains self-contained against external benchmarks.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

2 free parameters · 2 axioms · 0 invented entities

The limits rest on the assumption of standard nuclear structure and particle physics, accurate detector modeling, and well-understood backgrounds; no new entities are postulated.

free parameters (2)

background normalization factors
Background rates in the relevant energy and particle channels are modeled from sidebands or simulations and may be adjusted within uncertainties.
detection efficiency
Efficiencies for gamma, neutron, proton, and beta signals are determined from calibration data and Monte Carlo.

axioms (2)

domain assumption Standard model of particle physics and nuclear shell structure hold except for possible small PEP violation parameterized by delta
The search assumes that any non-Paulian transition would produce detectable particles or radiation according to conventional nuclear physics.
domain assumption Borexino detector response, energy resolution, and background composition are accurately known
Relies on prior calibration campaigns and Monte Carlo simulations of the liquid scintillator detector.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 6108 in / 1528 out tokens · 45384 ms · 2026-05-10T16:55:42.156282+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Reference graph

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