RECENT PROGRESS IN DOUBLE BETA DECAY

At least one neutrino has a mass of about 50 nieV or larger. However, the absolute mass scale for the neutrino remains unknown. Studies of double beta decay offer hope for determining the absolute mass scale. Furthermore, the critical question Is the neutrino its own antiparticle? is unanswered. In particular, zero-neutrino double beta decay (0 nu beta beta) can address the issues of lepton number conservation, the particle-antiparticle nature of the neutrino, and its mass. A summary of the recent progress in 0 nu beta beta and the related technologies will be discussed in the context of the future 0 nu beta beta program.