Bochum 1998 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help
HK: Hadronen und Kerne
HK 29: Weak Interactions and Fundamental Symmetries II
HK 29.2: Talk
Tuesday, March 17, 1998, 14:30–14:45, E
Improved setup of the Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment — •L. Bornschein, H. Barth, A. Bleile, J. Bonn, B. Degen, L. Fleischmann, E. Otten, M. Przyrembel, and Ch. Weinheimer — Institut für Physik, Joh. Gutenberg-Universität, 55099 Mainz
The Mainz Neutrino Mass Experiment [1] is investigating the β spectrum of molecular tritium searching for a non-zero mass of the electron antineutrino. After the previous measurements in 1991 and 1994 several limitations were requiring significant improvements to increase the sensitivity on the neutrino mass as well as to check the anomaly in the tritium β spectrum reported by the Troitsk experiment [2].
Besides the automation of the setup a new doublet of superconducting magnets were built up to lower the background rate and to reduce systematic uncertainties. Additionally a new source cryostat was installed allowing much lower temperatures down to 1.7 K to avoid a possible roughening transition of the quench condensed T2 film, which seems to be responsible for the problem of ”negative mass squares” which arose in previous measurements. The improved Mainz setup and first measurements are presented.
Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
[1] A. Picard et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. B63, 345 (1992)
[2] A. Belesev et al., Phys. Lett. B350, 263 (1995)