Using Cold Atoms to Measure Neutrino Mass

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel ultracold atomic tritium beta decay experiment to improve neutrino mass measurement precision through coincidence detection and spectral analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a new experimental approach using ultracold atoms and coincidence detection to enhance neutrino mass measurement capabilities.

Findings

Simulations show feasible limits on neutrino mass with the proposed method.

The approach combines spectral shape analysis with direct neutrino mass peak reconstruction.

Potential for improved sensitivity over existing neutrino mass measurement techniques.

Abstract

We propose a beta decay experiment based on a sample of ultracold atomic tritium. These initial conditions enable detection of the helium ion in coincidence with the beta. We construct a two-dimensional fit incorporating both the shape of the beta-spectrum and the direct reconstruction of the neutrino mass peak. We present simulation results of the feasible limits on the neutrino mass achievable in this new type of tritium beta-decay experiment.