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Register a new userThe Electron Capture $^{163}$Ho Experiment ECHo: an overview
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The determination of the absolute scale of the neutrino masses is one of the most challenging present questions in particle physics. The most stringent limit, $m(bar{ u}_{mathrm{e}})<2$eV, was achieved for the electron anti-neutrino mass cite{numass}. Different approaches are followed to achieve a sensitivity on neutrino masses in the sub-eV range. Among them, experiments exploring the beta decay or electron capture of suitable nuclides can provide information on the electron neutrino mass value. We present the Electron Capture $^{163}$Ho experiment ECHo, which aims to investigate the electron neutrino mass in the sub-eV range by means of the analysis of the calorimetrically measured energy spectrum following electron capture of $^{163}$Ho. A high precision and high statistics spectrum will be measured with arrays of metallic magnetic calorimeters. We discuss some of the essential aspects of ECHo to reach the proposed sensitivity: detector optimization and performance, multiplexed readout, $^{163}$Ho source production and purification, as well as a precise theoretical and experimental parameterization of the calorimetric EC spectrum including in particular the value of $Q_{mathrm{EC}}$. We present preliminary results obtained with a first prototype of single channel detectors as well as a first 64-pixel chip with integrated micro-wave SQUID multiplexer, which will already allow to investigate $m( u_{mathrm{e}})$ in the eV range.
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The determination of the absolute scale of the neutrino masses is one of the most challenging questions in particle physics. Different approaches are followed to achieve a sensitivity on neutrino masses in the sub-eV range. Among them, experiments exploring the beta decay and electron capture processes of suitable nuclides can provide necessary information on the electron neutrino mass value. In this talk we present the Electron Capture 163-Ho experiment ECHo, which aims to investigate the electron neutrino mass in the sub-eV range by means of the analysis of the calorimetrically measured energy spectrum following the electron capture process of 163-Ho. A high precision and high statistics spectrum will be measured by means of low temperature magnetic calorimeter arrays. We present preliminary results obtained with a first prototype of single channel detectors as well as the participating groups and their on-going developments.
The isotope $^{163}$Ho undergoes an electron capture process with a recommended value for the energy available to the decay, $Q_{rm EC}$, of about 2.5 keV. According to the present knowledge, this is the lowest $Q_{rm EC}$ value for electron capture processes. Because of that, $^{163}$Ho is the best candidate to perform experiments to investigate the value of the electron neutrino mass based on the analysis of the calorimetrically measured spectrum. We present for the first time the calorimetric measurement of the atomic de-excitation of the $^{163}$Dy daughter atom upon the capture of an electron from the 5s shell in $^{163}$Ho, OI-line. The measured peak energy is 48 eV. This measurement was performed using low temperature metallic magnetic calorimeters with the $^{163}$Ho ion implanted in the absorber. We demonstrate that the calorimetric spectrum of $^{163}$Ho can be measured with high precision and that the parameters describing the spectrum can be learned from the analysis of the data. Finally, we discuss the implications of this result for the Electron Capture $^{163}$Ho experiment, ECHo, aiming to reach sub-eV sensitivity on the electron neutrino mass by a high precision and high statistics calorimetric measurement of the $^{163}$Ho spectrum.
For the first time we have investigated the behavior of fully micro-fabricated low temperature metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) after undergoing an ion-implantation process. This experiment had the aim to show the possibility to perform a high precision calorimetric measurement of the energy spectrum following the electron capture of $^{163}$Ho using MMCs having the radioactive $^{163}$Ho ions implanted in the absorber. The implantation of $^{163}$Ho ions was performed at ISOLDE-CERN. The performance of a detector that underwent an ion-implantation process is compared to the one of a detector without implanted ions. The results show that the implantation dose of ions used in this experiment does not compromise the properties of the detector. In addition an optimized detector design for future $^{163}$Ho experiments is presented.
The KATRIN experiment is going to search for the average mass of the electron antineutrino with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c2. It uses a retardation spectrometer of MAC-E filter type to accurately measure the shape of the electron spectrum at the endpoint of tritium beta decay. In order to achieve the planned sensitivity the transmission properties of the spectrometer have to be understood with high precision for all initial conditions. For this purpose an electron source has been developed that emits single electrons at adjustable total energy and adjustable emission angle. The emission is pointlike and can be moved across the full flux tube that is imaged onto the detector. Here, we demonstrate that this novel type of electron source can be used to investigate the transmission properties of a MAC-E filter in detail.
The electron-neutrino mass (or masses and mixing angles) may be directly measurable in weak electron-capture decays. The favoured experimental technique is calorimetric. The optimal nuclide is $^{163}$Ho, and several experiments (ECHo, HOLMES and NuMECS) are currently studying its decay. The most relevant range of the calorimetric-energy spectrum extends for the last few hundred eV below its endpoint. It has not yet been well measured. We explore the theory, mainly in the cited range, of electron capture in $^{163}$Ho decay. A so far neglected process turns out to be most relevant: electron-capture accompanied by the shake-off of a second electron. Our two main conclusions are very encouraging: the counting rate close to the endpoint may be more than an order of magnitude larger than previously expected; the pile-up problem may be significantly reduced.
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