In the last decade the energy dispersive spectroscopy of nuclear radiation has made impressive progresses by means of small thermal microcalorimeters operating at about 0.1 K. The present status of this technology, which has achieved 2 eV energy resolution, allows to design a true calorimetric experiment for neutrino mass direct determination with sub-eV sensitivity from the β spectrum of187Re and the E.C. spectrum of163Ho. The calorimetric method, often indicated as solution for a model-independent measurement, allows to overcome the final states problem of impulse spectroscopy. A further reduction of the systematic uncertatinties might be achived by comparing the finite neutrino mass effect of the two isotopes. Here, the motivations, the principles of operations, the results from the first pilot measurements and the future perspectives are described. © Società Italiana di Fisica.
Calorimetric beta spectroscopy
Gatti, F.
2009-01-01
Abstract
In the last decade the energy dispersive spectroscopy of nuclear radiation has made impressive progresses by means of small thermal microcalorimeters operating at about 0.1 K. The present status of this technology, which has achieved 2 eV energy resolution, allows to design a true calorimetric experiment for neutrino mass direct determination with sub-eV sensitivity from the β spectrum of187Re and the E.C. spectrum of163Ho. The calorimetric method, often indicated as solution for a model-independent measurement, allows to overcome the final states problem of impulse spectroscopy. A further reduction of the systematic uncertatinties might be achived by comparing the finite neutrino mass effect of the two isotopes. Here, the motivations, the principles of operations, the results from the first pilot measurements and the future perspectives are described. © Società Italiana di Fisica.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.