Abstract

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment aims to determine the effective mass of the electron antineutrino by investigating the tritium β-spectrum close to the energetic endpoint. To achieve this, there are stringent and challenging requirements on the stability of the gaseous tritium source. The tritium loop system has the task to provide the <0.1 % stabilized flow rate of tritium gas into the KATRIN source with a throughput of 40 g/day and a tritium purity>95 %. KATRIN started full tritium operation in early 2019. This paper focusses on the observed radiochemical effects and confirms that non-negligible quantities during initial tritium operation have to be expected.

Highlights

  • The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment aims at the determination of the effective mass of the electron antineutrino with a projected sensitivity of 0.2 eV/ c2 (90 % confidence level) [1]

  • After a brief description of the tritium handling (Loop) system fol­ lowed by a recap of the performance of the first 150 d of full T2 oper­ ation, the focus is set to the observed radiochemical reactions at the inner surfaces of the Loop system

  • Tritium is injected from a pressure controlled buffer vessel over a transfer line and capillary into the injection chamber in the middle of the WGTS beam­ tube

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Summary

Introduction

The KATRIN experiment aims at the determination of the effective mass of the electron antineutrino with a projected sensitivity of 0.2 eV/ c2 (90 % confidence level) [1]. After first campaigns with deuterium and traces of tritium [2,3], KATRIN started full tritium operation in early 2019. With the first full tritium measurement campaign, a new upper limit of 1.1 eV/c2 for the neutrino mass was found [4]. After a brief description of the tritium handling (Loop) system fol­ lowed by a recap of the performance of the first 150 d of full T2 oper­ ation, the focus is set to the observed radiochemical reactions at the inner surfaces of the Loop system

The KATRIN tritium Loop system
Tritium commissioning of the system
Initial high throughput tritium operation
Identification of tritiated methane and CO
Consecutive high T2 throughput operation
Quantification of released methane and CO
Review of literature data
Inner surfaces of Loop system
Carbon exhaustion by tritium exposure
Performance after tritium exposure
Conclusion
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