Wideband precision stabilization of the -18.6 kV retarding voltage for the KATRIN spectrometer

Abstract

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) measures the effective electron anti-neutrino mass with an unprecedented design sensitivity of 0.2 eV (90 % C.L.). In this experiment, the energy spectrum of beta electrons near the tritium decay endpoint is analyzed with a highly accurate spectrometer. To reach the KATRIN sensitivity target, the retarding voltage of this spectrometer must be stable to the ppm level and well known on various time scales ($\mu s$ up to months), for values around -18.6 kV. A custom-designed high-voltage regulation system mitigates the impact of interference sources in the absence of a closed electric shield around the large spectrometer vessel. In this article, we describe the regulation system and its integration into the KATRIN setup. Independent monitoring methods demonstrate a stability within 2 ppm, exceeding KATRIN's specifications.

28 pages, 17 figures, minor improvements

References in corpus (5)

• The Design, Construction, and Commissioning of the KATRIN Experiment
• Focal-plane detector system for the KATRIN experiment
• Precision high voltage divider for the KATRIN experiment
• First direct neutrino-mass measurement with sub-eV sensitivity
• A novel ppm-precise absolute calibration method for precision high-voltage dividers

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Direct neutrino-mass measurement based on 259 days of KATRIN data
• KATRIN: Status and Prospects for the Neutrino Mass and Beyond
• A method for determining the transition energies of ${}^{83m}$Kr at the KATRIN experiment
• Measurement of the electric potential and the magnetic field in the shifted analysing plane of the KATRIN experiment
• A precision 32 keV angular-selective photoelectron source for calibration measurements at the KATRIN experiment
• Measurement of the inhomogeneity of the KATRIN tritium source electric potential by high-resolution spectroscopy of conversion electrons from ${}^{83m}$Kr