Search for One- and Tri-Nucleon Decays of 76Ge in the GERDA Experiment

Possible one- and tri-nucleon decays that violate baryon number conservation are predicted in several extensions of the Standard Model. The main goal of the GERDA experiment was to search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 76Ge. GERDA has provided other important results in the search for different processes beyond the Standard Model. Possible manifestations of an inclusive (i.e., mode-independent) decay of single neutrons and protons and certain modes of tri-nucleon decays in the 76Ge nucleus have been sought in particular. Results from such studies are presented in the form of such constraints on partial lifetimes as τn > 1.5 × 1024 years for neutrons, τp > 1.3 × 1024 years for protons at 90% CL, and τ > 1.2 × 1026 years for tri-nucleon decays.