The Neutrino Mass Experiment KATRIN

Abstract

The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a large-scale experiment with the objective to determine the effective electron antineutrino mass in a model-independent way with an unprecedented sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c2 at 90% C.L. The measurement method is based on the precision B-decay spectroscopy of molecular tritium. The experimental setup consists of a high-luminosity windowless gaseous tritium source, a magnetic electron transport system with differential cryogenic pumping for the tritium retention, and an electrostatic spectrometer section for the energy analysis, followed by a segmented detector system for the counting of transmitted B-electrons. The first KATRIN neutrino mass measurement phase started in March 2019. Here, we will give an overview of the KATRIN experiment and its current status.