by
Loredana Gastaldo(Kirchhoff institute for physics, Heidelberg)
→
Europe/Berlin
Building 67, SemRm 10 (DESY Hamburg)
Building 67, SemRm 10
DESY Hamburg
Description
The determination of the absolute scale of the neutrino masses is one of the major challenges of today's 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 information on the electron neutrino mass value which are model independent since can be obtained using momentum and energy conservation. The Electron Capture 163Ho experiment, ECHo, 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 163Ho. In the ECHo experiment, arrays of low temperature metallic magnetic calorimeters with high energy resolution and fast response time, having the 163Ho source embedded in the absorber, will be used to calorimetrically measure the EC spectrum. A precise description of the expected spectrum will be achieved by theoretical calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation (QRPA) supported also by experimental investigations. Moreover, independent measurements of the QEC-value will be performed using high precision Penning trap. For the QEC measurements as well as for the calorimetric measurement of the 163Ho spectrum, high purity 163Ho sources will be produced. Detailed studies of the background and of methods to reduce it will be performed in order to increase the sensitivity of the calorimetric measurement.