Probing the neutrino mass scale with the KATRIN experiment: First sub-eV sensitivity results

by Prof. Susanne Mertens (Max Planck Institute)

Thursday 4 Nov 2021, 14:00 → 17:00 Europe/Rome

https://unipd.zoom.us/j/83357857329 (online - Zoom Platform)

The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino experiment (KATRIN) is searching for the minute imprint of the neutrino mass in the endpoint region of the tritium beta-decay spectrum. KATRIN employs a high-intensity gaseous molecular tritium source and a high-resolution electrostatic filter with magnetic adiabatic collimation to target a neutrino-mass sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c2, thus improving on previous experiments by an order of magnitude, after five years of data-taking.

This presentation we will focus on the second data taking phase which took place in autumn 2019. In this physics run, the tritium-activity-to-background ratio increased by a factor of three with respect to the previous campaign and, for the first time in the history of direct neutrino mass experiment, a sub-eV sensitivity to the neutrino mass could be achieved. The talk will introduce the measurement principle of KATRIN, present the latest results, and give a brief outlook to the ongoing and upcoming data taking campaigns.

Mertens.pdf

Seminario_Susanne Mertens.pdf