TRISTAN measurements at the Troitsk nu-mass experiment

Abstract

The KATRIN (Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino) experiment investigates the energetic endpoint of the tritium beta-decay spectrum to determine the effective mass of the electron anti-neutrino with a sensitivity of 200 meV (90 % C.L.) after an effective data taking time of three years. The TRISTAN (tritium beta-decay to search for sterile neutrinos) group aims at detecting a sterile neutrino signature by measuring the entire tritium beta-decay spectrum with an upgraded KATRIN system. One of the greatest challenges is to handle the high signal rates generated by the strong activity of the KATRIN tritium source. Therefore, a novel multipixel silicon drift detector is being designed which is able to handle rates up to 100 Mcps with an excellent energy resolution for electrons of 300 eV (FWHM) at 10 keV. First seven-pixel prototype detectors were successfully installed and operated at the Troitsk nu-mass experiment, one of KATRIN’s technological predecessors. In this work, we present the results of these measurement campaigns.