14 research outputs found
A novel detector system for KATRIN to search for keV-scale sterile neutrinos
International audienceSterile neutrinos appear in minimal extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. If their mass is in the keV regime, they are viable dark matter candidates. One way to search for sterile neutrinos in a laboratory-based experiment is via the analysis of β-decay spectra, where the new neutrino mass eigenstate would manifest itself as a kink-like distortion of the β-decay spectrum. The objective of the TRISTAN project is to extend the KATRIN setup with a new multi-pixel silicon drift detector system to search for a keV-scale sterile neutrino signal. In this paper we describe the requirements of such a new detector, and present first characterization measurement results obtained with a 7 pixel prototype system
Detector Development for a Sterile Neutrino Search with the KATRIN Experiment
International audienceThe KATRIN (Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino) experiment investigates the energetic endpoint of the tritium -decay spectrum to determine the effective mass of the electron anti-neutrino with a precision of ( C.L.) after an effective data taking time of three years. The TRISTAN (tritium -decay to search for sterile neutrinos) group aims to detect a sterile neutrino signature by measuring the entire tritium -decay spectrum with an upgraded KATRIN system. One of the greatest challenges is to handle the high signal rates generated by the strong activity of the KATRIN tritium source. Therefore, a novel multi-pixel silicon drift detector is being designed, which is able to handle rates up to with an excellent energy resolution of (FWHM) at . This work gives an overview of the ongoing detector development and test results of the first seven pixel prototype detectors
Silicon drift detector prototypes for the keV-scale sterile neutrino search with TRISTAN
International audienceThe TRISTAN project is an extension of the KATRIN experiment to search for the signature of keV-scale sterile neutrinos in the tritium beta decay spectrum. Sterile neutrinos are hypothetical particles that mix with the active neutrinos and thus affect the spectral shape of the beta decay. For the spectroscopy of electrons from the high-activity tritium source a novel pixelated silicon drift detector (SDD) is in development. In this work the characterization of 7-pixel SDD prototypes equipped with the IDeF-X BD ASIC is presented. The prototype detectors have pixel diameters between 0.5 and 2 mm with 2–12 drift rings. The ASIC noise floor was reached with all designs. A particular focus of the characterization measurements was the study of charge sharing. A very good general performance of the SDD prototypes was demonstrated. In order to reduce charge sharing the detector prototyping continues with SDDs with a pixel diameter of 3 mm. The next prototypes with 160 pixels are in production
First operation of the KATRIN experiment with tritium
Abstract
The determination of the neutrino mass is one of the major challenges in astroparticle physics today. Direct neutrino mass experiments, based solely on the kinematics of \upbeta β-decay, provide a largely model-independent probe to the neutrino mass scale. The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is designed to directly measure the effective electron antineutrino mass with a sensitivity of 0.2eV (90% CL). In this work we report on the first operation of KATRIN with tritium which took place in 2018. During this commissioning phase of the tritium circulation system, excellent agreement of the theoretical prediction with the recorded spectra was found and stable conditions over a time period of 13 days could be established. These results are an essential prerequisite for the subsequent neutrino mass measurements with KATRIN in 2019
Measurements with a TRISTAN prototype detector system at the “Troitsk nu-mass” experiment in integral and differential mode
International audienceSterile neutrinos emerge in minimal extensions of the Standard Model which can solve a number of open questions in astroparticle physics. For example, sterile neutrinos in the keV-mass range are viable dark matter candidates. Their existence would lead to a kink-like distortion in the tritium β-decay spectrum. In this work we report about the instrumentation of the Troitsk nu-mass experiment with a 7-pixel TRISTAN prototype detector and measurements in both differential and integral mode. The combination of the two modes is a key requirement for a precise sterile neutrino search, as both methods are prone to largely different systematic uncertainties. Thanks to the excellent performance of the TRISTAN detector at high rates, a sterile neutrino search up to masses of about 6 keV could be performed, which enlarges the previous accessible mass range by a factor of 3. Upper limits on the neutrino mixing amplitude in the mass range < 5.6 keV (differential) and < 6.6 keV (integral) are presented. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a sterile neutrino search as planned in the upgrade of the KATRIN experiment with the final TRISTAN detector and read-out system
First operation of the KATRIN experiment with tritium
The determination of the neutrino mass is one of the major challenges in astroparticle physics today. Direct neutrino mass experiments, based solely on the kinematics of β
β
-decay, provide a largely model-independent probe to the neutrino mass scale. The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is designed to directly measure the effective electron antineutrino mass with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV
0.2 eV
(90%
90%
CL). In this work we report on the first operation of KATRIN with tritium which took place in 2018. During this commissioning phase of the tritium circulation system, excellent agreement of the theoretical prediction with the recorded spectra was found and stable conditions over a time period of 13 days could be established. These results are an essential prerequisite for the subsequent neutrino mass measurements with KATRIN in 2019