Münster 2017 – scientific programme

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 81: Neutrinophysik 7 (Doppelbetazerfall, sterile Neutrinos)

T 81.6: Talk

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 18:10–18:25, VSH 118

Characterization of the detector dead layer for a sterile neutrino search with KATRIN — •Tim Brunst for the KATRIN collaboration — Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Munich, Germany

The KATRIN (Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino) experiment investigates the energy endpoint of the tritium beta-decay to determine the effective mass of the electron anti-neutrino with a precision of 200 meV (@90CL) after an effective data taking time of three years.

The TRISTAN (Tritium Beta Decay to Search for Sterile Neutrinos) group aims to detect a sterile neutrino signature by measuring the entire tritium beta decay spectrum with an upgraded KATRIN system. One of the greatest challenges is to measure all electron energies in the decay spectrum up to the endpoint at 18.6 keV with a resolution < 300 eV (FWHM). Since systematic effects (e.g. detector backscattering) lead to drastic modifications of the measured energy spectrum, a thin dead layer (<30nm) at the entrance window of the detector is crucial for achieving high sterile neutrino sensitivities. Several prototype detectors have been manufactured at the Halbleiterlabor of the Max-Planck-Society in Munich. The dead layer thickness will be determined by a combined analysis of simulated and measured data with dedicated proton and electron sources.

This talk gives first simulation results and an overview of the planned experimental implementation of the dead layer characterization.