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Bolometric bounds on the antineutrino mass
C Arnaboldi1, C Brofferio, O Cremonesi
1Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università di Milano-Bicocca and Sezione di Milano dell'INFN, I-20126 Milano, Italy.
Physical Review Letters
|November 13, 2003
Summary
Precise calorimetric measurements of the beta spectrum of rhenium-187 (187Re) provide the most accurate data yet. This study establishes a new upper limit for the electron antineutrino mass, crucial for nuclear physics research.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Physics
- Particle Physics
- Astrophysics
Background:
- Rhenium-187 (187Re) beta decay is a key process for studying neutrino properties.
- Precise measurements of the 187Re beta spectrum are essential for determining the electron antineutrino mass.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform high-statistics calorimetric measurements of the 187Re beta spectrum.
- To obtain the most precise determination of the electron antineutrino mass.
Main Methods:
- Utilized arrays of silver perrhenate microbolometers operated at low temperatures.
- Employed a modified experimental setup with ten microbolometers, achieving 28.3 eV FWHM energy resolution.
- Collected data over 4485 h x mg effective running time.
Main Results:
- Determined the 187Re beta spectrum end-point energy to be 2466.1 ± 0.8(stat) ± 1.5(syst) eV.
- Measured the half-lifetime of 187Re decay as 43.2 ± 0.2(stat) ± 0.1(syst) Gy.
- Calculated a best fit value for m²(nu(e)) of 147 ± 237(stat) ± 90(syst) eV².
Conclusions:
- The obtained results represent the most precise measurements for 187Re to date.
- Established an upper limit for the electron antineutrino mass of m(nu(e)) < or = 21.7 eV at 90% confidence level.
- These findings contribute significantly to the understanding of fundamental particle properties.