Project 8: Measuring Neutrino Masses Using Radio-Frequency Techniques

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports a novel experiment designed to measure the absolute mass scale of the electron neutrino. Though the existence of neutrino mass is now firmly established experimentally, the mass scale itself remains unknown. The new technique supported by this award relies on the detection and measurement of coherent radiation created from the cyclotron motion of electrons in strong magnetic fields. Since the frequency of the emitted cyclotron radiation depends inversely on the particle's Lorentz boost, detection and measurement of the coherent radiation is tantamount to measuring the kinetic energy of the electron. One immediate application of this new technique is in the measurement of the endpoint spectrum from tritium beta decay, which is directly sensitive to the absolute mass scale of neutrinos. Broader Impact: Knowledge of neutrino masses has a broad impact to the scientific community, particularly in the fields of nuclear and particle physics, as well as cosmology. The broad appeal and novelty of this technique are expected to engage undergraduate students. The technique explored in this proposal also has potential applications in national security, specifically, in monitoring for nuclear non-proliferation.