Muon-induced background in the KATRIN main spectrometer

0503183 - ÚJF 2020 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Altenmuller, K. - Arenz, M. - Baek, W. -J. - Beck, M. - Beglarian, A. - Behrens, J. - Bergmann, T. - Berlev, A. I. - Dragoun, Otokar - Kovalík, Alojz - Lebeda, Ondřej - Ryšavý, Miloš - Sentkerestiová, Jana - Suchopár, Martin - Vénos, Drahoslav … Total 134 authors
Muon-induced background in the KATRIN main spectrometer.
Astroparticle Physics. Roč. 108, č. 3 (2019), s. 40-49. ISSN 0927-6505. E-ISSN 1873-2852
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LTT18021; GA MŠMT LM2015056; GA MŠMT LTT19005
Institutional support: RVO:61389005
Keywords : cosmic ray muon backgrounds * electrostatic spectrometer * neutrino mass
OECD category: Particles and field physics
Impact factor: 2.610, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2019.01.003

The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment aims to make a model-independent determination of the effective electron antineutrino mass with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c(2). It investigates the kinematics of beta-particles from tritium beta-decay close to the endpoint of the energy spectrum. Because the KATRIN main spectrometer (MS) is located above ground, muon-induced backgrounds are of particular concern. Coincidence measurements with the MS and a scintillator-based muon detector system confirmed the model of secondary electron production by cosmic-ray muons inside the MS. Correlation measurements with the same setup showed that about 12% of secondary electrons emitted from the inner surface are induced by cosmic-ray muons, with approximately one secondary electron produced for every 17 muon crossings. However, the magnetic and electrostatic shielding of the MS is able to efficiently suppress these electrons, and we find that muons are responsible for less than 17% (90% confidence level) of the overall MS background.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0295000