Limits on Majoron-emitting double-β decays of 136Xe in the KamLAND-Zen experiment

We present limits on Majoron-emitting neutrinoless double-β decay modes based on an exposure of 112.3 days with 125 kg of 136Xe. In particular, a lower limit on the ordinary (spectral index n=1) Majoron-emitting decay half-life of 136Xe is obtained as T0νχ01/2>2.6×1024 yr at 90% C.L., a factor of five more stringent than previous limits. The corresponding upper limit on the effective Majoron-neutrino coupling, using a range of available nuclear matrix calculations, is ⟨gee⟩<(0.8-1.6)×10−5. This excludes a previously unconstrained region of parameter space and strongly limits the possible contribution of ordinary Majoron emission modes to 0νββ decay for neutrino masses in the inverted hierarchy scheme.