Search for charge non-conserving processes in 127I by coincidence technique

New lifetime limits on the charge non-conserving (CNC) electron capture with excitation of the 417.9 keV nuclear level in the I-127 are established by using the coincidence technique. The analysed exposure is 0.87 ton x yr, collected deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN by the highly radiopure DAMA/LIBRA setup (approximate to 250 kg of highly radiopure NaI(Tl)). The new limit on the mean life is tau > 1.2 x 10(24) yr (90 % C.L.), about one order of magnitude larger than those previously available for CNC electron capture involving nuclear level excitations of I-127 and of the same order of magnitude than those achieved for analogous processes in Xe-129.