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Atomic Tritium Production for the Project 8 Neutrino Mass Experiment

Walter Pettus, Indiana University
Thursday, February 20, 2025 - 2:30pm
CENPA Conference Room NPL-178

The science of neutrino mass is inextricably linked to several grand open questions of physics. Project 8 is an experimental program to directly probe this property, reaching neutrino mass sensitivity down to 40 meV through measurement of the tritium beta spectrum endpoint. Advancing to this sensitivity level requires development of a new decay source using atomic tritium. In this talk, I will overview the components of this atomic source and highlight ongoing R&D to validate these technologies. I will then focus on a new design for the dissociator, which is the initial element of the source, leveraging electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) to drive a microwave plasma. Modeling indicates this dissociator concept can achieve the high flux requirements, and a demonstrator is under development at Indiana University.

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