ZeroNu
We ask a simple question. Why can’t we have the experimental answer tomorrow?
Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) is the only direct experimental path to test whether neutrinos are Majorana particles. The bottleneck is not ideas — it is decisive execution at scale.
The thesis
Modern 0νββ experiments are not “killer idea” problems. They are integration hell problems. Success requires a single detector that combines best‑in‑class resolution, background control, and topology discrimination at scale — with schedule discipline. The hard part is not demonstrating each capability in isolation, but keeping them all working together in one large, stable system over years.
Integration is the main physics risk
Cross‑contamination, calibration coupling, and analysis complexity appear only once subsystems meet. The experiment is the integration.
The approach
A side‑channel attack means building outside the slow, consensus‑bound model. It is a deliberate choice to prioritize speed, accountability, and end‑to‑end execution over breadth, committees, and incrementalism.
- 100% dedicated funding in a single‑purpose nonprofit.
- Full‑time commitment from a small expert team for five years.
- Single‑point accountability for direction, risk, and outcome.
- Open data once stable, to maximize scientific return.
Why small and focused wins
Large collaborations diffuse ownership and slow iteration. A compact team can build, test, and iterate weekly instead of annually.
Scale is the king
Scale is where backgrounds become statistically decisive and discovery becomes unavoidable. Scale is also where engineering, procurement, QA, and schedule discipline dominate outcomes. If the system cannot be built and maintained on a real schedule, the physics outcome is moot.
Funding is part of the system
Treat funding like any other subsystem: owners, milestones, and integration points with engineering and procurement.
What this site is for
This site is a technical manifesto for building the decisive 0νββ experiment. It is written for scientists, engineers, and funders who want the answer on a human timescale.
Why a “side-channel attack”?
We borrow the term from security: when the main path is blocked, you exploit an indirect route. We do the same with funding and organization, bypassing entrenched bottlenecks.