Hamburg 2016 – scientific programme
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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik
T 92: Neutrinomasse IV
T 92.7: Talk
Thursday, March 3, 2016, 18:20–18:35, VMP5 SR 0079
KATRIN Sensitivity on Right-Handed Currents with eV Scale Sterile Neutrinos — •Nicholas Steinbrink1, 2, Steen Hannestad2, Kathrin Valerius3, and Christian Weinheimer1 — 1WWU Münster, Institute for Nuclear Physics — 2Aarhus University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Denmark — 3KIT Karlsruhe, Institute for Nuclear Physics
The KATRIN experiment aims to determine the absolute neutrino mass by measuring the endpoint of the Tritium beta spectrum. As a large-scale experiment with a sharp energy resolution, high source luminosity and low background it may also be capable of testing certain theories of neutrino interactions beyond the standard model.
As an example for such an interaction, right-handed currents are introduced in some theories which contain a hidden left-right-symmetry. They have basically the same properties as standard left-handed weak currents but are strongly suppressed. Interference between left- and right-handed currents leads to slightly modified kinematics, thus allowing to boost or weaken certain regions near the endpoint of the beta spectrum. The effect would be even more pronounced in case of the existence of a fourth sterile neutrino since it is proportional to the mass of the neutrino final state. In the talk, that is discussed for the case of a sterile neutrino with a mass of some eV. The qualitative effects on the shape of the spectrum are shown as well as results of sensitivity simulations are presented.
This work is partly funded by BMBF under contract no. 05A11PM2, by DFG RTG 2149 and by the IP@WWU program.