Hamburg 2009 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

MS: Fachverband Massenspektrometrie

MS 3: Präzisionsmassenspektrometrie, Ionenfallen, FT-IZR-MS, Moleküle, Cluster III

MS 3.5: Talk

Monday, March 2, 2009, 17:15–17:30, VMP 8 R05

Status of a non-destructive FT-ICR detection system for KATRIN — •Marta Ubieto Diaz¹, Klaus Blaum¹, Daniel Rodriguez², and Stefan Stahl³ — ¹Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg — ²Universidad de Huelva - Avda. de las Fuerzas Armadas s/n 21071 Huelva — ³Stahl Electronics. Kellerweg 23, 67528 Mettenheim

The KATRIN experiment has been designed to measure the mass of the electron antineutrino directly with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV, one order of magnitude better than the present upper limit. The intended sensitivity will be obtained by analyzing the end-point of the β spectrum from the decay of tritium gas molecules T₂ → (³HeT)⁺ + e⁻ + ν_e. The KATRIN setup comprises a gaseous tritium source, a transport section, a pre-spectrometer, the main spectrometer and the detector. In the main spectrometer the electrons from the decay are guided by a strong magnetic field and analyzed using electrostatic fields. The tritium gas is removed from the system by differential pumping and cryogenic trapping. The formation of ion clusters (T_2n+1)⁺ which decay with different end-points than T₂, will prevent unambiguous analysis of the end-point of the tritium decay. Therefore, the knowledge of the concentrations of these ions is essential to evaluate the β spectrum. The best way for a precise determination of these concentrations is the use of Penning traps with FT-ICR detection systems. These Penning trap systems will be located in the transport section. A prototype is currently under commissioning at the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. The status and results will be presented.