Multipolar correlations and deformation effect on nuclear transi- tion matrix elements of double-β decay

The two neutrino and neutrinoless double beta decay of Zr, Mo, Ru, Pd, Te and Nd isotopes for the 0 → 0 transition is studied within the PHFB framework along with an effective two-body interaction consisting of pairing, quadrupole-quadrupole and hexadecapole-hexadecapole correlations. It is found that the effect of hexadecapolar correlations can be assimilated substantially as a renormalization of the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction. The effect of deformation on nuclear transition matrix elements is investigated by varying the strength of quadrupolar correlations in the parent and daughter nuclei independently. The variation of the nuclear transition matrix elements as a function of the difference in deformation parameters of parent and daughter nuclei reveals that in general, the former tend to be maximum for equal deformation and they decrease as the difference in deformation parameters increases, exhibiting a very similar trend for the (