Monitoring of the operating parameters of the KATRIN Windowless Gaseous Tritium Source

M Babutzka; M Bahr; J Bonn; B Bornschein; A Dieter; G Drexlin; K Eitel; S Fischer; F Glück; S Grohmann; M Hötzel; T M James; W Käfer; M Leber; B Monreal; F Priester; M Röllig; M Schlösser; U Schmitt; F Sharipov; M Steidl; M Sturm; H H Telle; N Titov

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/14/10/103046

New Journal of Physics (Jan 2012)

Monitoring of the operating parameters of the KATRIN Windowless Gaseous Tritium Source

M Babutzka,
M Bahr,
J Bonn,
B Bornschein,
A Dieter,
G Drexlin,
K Eitel,
S Fischer,
F Glück,
S Grohmann,
M Hötzel,
T M James,
W Käfer,
M Leber,
B Monreal,
F Priester,
M Röllig,
M Schlösser,
U Schmitt,
F Sharipov,
M Steidl,
M Sturm,
H H Telle,
N Titov

Affiliations

M Babutzka: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
M Bahr: Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, CA, USA
J Bonn: IKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
B Bornschein: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
A Dieter: EKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
G Drexlin: IKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany; EKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
K Eitel: IKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
S Fischer: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
F Glück: EKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany; ITTK, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
S Grohmann: Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics , Wigner RCP, PO Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary
M Hötzel: EKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
T M James: Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University , Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
W Käfer: IKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
M Leber: Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, CA, USA
B Monreal: Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, CA, USA
F Priester: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
M Röllig: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
M Schlösser: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
U Schmitt: IKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
F Sharipov: Departmento de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Parana , Curitiba, Brazil
M Steidl: IKP, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
M Sturm: Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , PO Box 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
H H Telle: Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University , Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
N Titov: Academy of Sciences of Russia, Institute for Nuclear Research , 60th October Anniversary Prospect 7a, 117312 Moscow, Russia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/14/10/103046
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 10
p. 103046

Abstract

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The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment will measure the absolute mass scale of neutrinos with a sensitivity of m _ν = 200 meV/ c ^2 by high-precision spectroscopy close to the tritium β -decay endpoint at 18.6 keV. Its Windowless Gaseous Tritium Source (WGTS) is a β -decay source of high intensity (10 ^11 s ^−1 ) and stability, where high-purity molecular tritium at 30 K is circulated in a closed loop with a yearly throughput of 10 kg. To limit systematic effects the column density of the source has to be stabilized at the 10 ^−3 level. This requires extensive sensor instrumentation and dedicated control and monitoring systems for parameters such as the beam tube temperature, injection pressure, gas composition and so on. In this paper, we give an overview of these systems including a dedicated laser-Raman system as well as several β -decay activity monitors. We also report on the results of the WGTS demonstrator and other large-scale test experiments giving proof-of-principle that all parameters relevant to the systematics can be controlled and monitored on the 10 ^−3 level or better. As a result of these works, the WGTS systematics can be controlled within stringent margins, enabling the KATRIN experiment to explore the neutrino mass scale with the design sensitivity.

Published in New Journal of Physics

ISSN: 1367-2630 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1367-2630

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