Sensitivity Studies for the KATRIN Experiment

by Anna Schubert

Thursday 9 Nov 2023, 09:30 → 11:00 Europe/Berlin

E18 Seminar Room

The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is designed to probe the neutrino mass down to $m_{\nu e}$ <0.2$eV/c^2$ at 90 % C.L. using the kinematics of tritium beta decay. KATRIN started taking data in 2018, and published a leading limit on the neutrino mass of 0.8eV in 2022. In my Master's thesis I investigated the expected final sensitivity and possible sensitivity improvements of the experiment. 

It is found that, given the current operating parameters, a sensitivity of $m_{\nu e}$<0.3 $eV/c^2$ at 90 % C.L. is achievable. Further, various means to improve the sensitivity beyond this value are investigated. The study considers on the one hand the option of enhancing the statistics by means of increasing the data taking efficiency, enlarging the considered analysis window in the electron energy spectrum, and increasing the acceptance angle of the electrons, and on the other hand the option of reducing the background. It is shown that these methods can be beneficial for the sensitivity.