Heidelberg 2022 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 49: Neutrino Physics without Accelerators 4

T 49.3: Vortrag

Dienstag, 22. März 2022, 16:50–17:05, T-H34

Atom-source development for Project 8 — •Alec Lindman and Sebastian Böser for the Project 8 collaboration — Institute of Physics and Excellence Cluster PRISMA+, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany

The Project 8 experiment aims to make a direct measurement sensitive to much of the unexplored range of neutrino masses. Past experiments used molecular tritium, which has a large energy smearing from its final states. Project 8 will use atomic tritium to reach m_β≤40 meV. This requires O(10²⁰) T atoms held at tens of mK in a several-cubic-meter magnetic trap. The efficiencies of cooling the atoms and their trapped lifetime require 0.03 cm>10¹⁹ atoms/s at the source. Phase III of Project 8 will include an Atomic Tritium Demonstrator to confirm we can produce, cool, and trap sufficient atomic T for the final Phase IV experiment.

I will discuss work at the University of Mainz to develop a high-flux tritium-compatible atom source. Our tests extend to a hydrogen flow of 20 sccm, 20 times the previously-published values for this type of source. Recent progress includes a redesign that boosted the atomic signal 100-fold and separation of the atom signal from background via low-energy ionization. Upgrades are underway to definitively determine if the present atom source provides sufficient atomic flux for Project 8’s neutrino mass sensitivity. Designs for a higher-output source, if needed, and subsequent cooling and trapping stages are in progress and will be tested in due course.