Speaker
Description
For the next generation neutrino mass experiment KATRIN++, atomic tritium will be used.
The advantage of using atomic tritium compared to the previously used molecular tritium (T$_2$) lies in the avoidance of molecular excitations in the $^3$HeT$^+$ daughter molecule, which would otherwise lead to a smearing of the beta spectrum and thus limit the maximum achievable sensitivity. To use atomic tritium for beta spectroscopy, it must be cooled down to a few mK and magnetically trapped. Neither a source of atomic tritium which can provide the required high flux, nor a tritium compatible beam cooling device are readily available and must therefore be developed. To develop an atomic beam source, analysis methods for the beam are necessary.
This poster shows a method for characterizing the particle velocity distribution inside of the beam based on a time-of-flight (ToF) setup and an optical method for mapping the particle density of the atomic beam.
Using a chopper, continuous particle beams are segmented into particle bunches, which can then be analyzed with a quadrupole mass spectrometer to infer the velocity distribution.
The method for characterizing the beam density profile is based on laser Rayleigh scattering. By measuring the intensity of the scattered light with a sensitive camera, the particle density can be mapped.
In this contribution, the conceptual design, the experimental setup, and the challenges encountered during the first implementation of the experimental apparatus for the Time of Flight setup as well as the challenge of stray light suppression and results of a first experimental stray light suppression study for Rayleigh scattering are presented.
| Collaboration or Other Affiliation | KATRIN |
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