Design of a Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass-Spectrometer for Barium-tagging

TL;DR

This paper presents the design and optimization of a Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer aimed at identifying barium ions for background reduction in neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, enhancing detection accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces a novel MR TOF design optimized for Ba-tagging, with simulations indicating high mass-resolving power and adjustable operational modes.

Findings

Achieved a simulated mass-resolving power of 140,000.

Demonstrated the MR TOF's ability to quickly adjust mass-range and resolution.

Optimized the design for efficient Ba-ion identification.

Abstract

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay requires increasingly advanced methods of background reduction. A bold approach to solving this problem, in experiments using Xe-136, is to extract and identify the daughter Ba-136 ion produced by double beta decay. Tagging events in this manner allows for a virtually background-free verification of double beta decay signals. Various approaches are being pursued by the nEXO collaboration to achieve Ba-tagging. A Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (MR TOF) has been designed and optimized as one of the ion-identification methods, where it will investigate the ion-extraction efficiency, as well as provide further identification of the Ba isotope. The envisioned mode of operation allows the MR TOF to achieve a quickly adjustable mass-range and resolution, with simulations suggesting that a mass-resolving power of 140,000 is within reach. This work will discuss the MR TOF design and the methods employed to simulate and optimize it.