Study of the double Gamow-Teller transitions using the shell model approach.

The double Gamow-Teller strength distributions in the lightest double beta-decay candidate ⁴⁸Ca and its isotope ⁴⁶Ca were calculated using the nuclear shell model by applying the single Gamow-Teller operator two times sequentially on the ground state of parent nucleus. The nuclear matrix element of the double Gamow- Teller transition from the ground state to the ground state that goes into the double beta decay calculation was shown as a small fraction of the total transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]