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arXiv · 2207.06337

Search for keV-scale Sterile Neutrinos with first KATRIN Data

M. Aker·D. Batzler·A. Beglarian·J. Behrens·A. Berlev·U. Besserer·B. Bieringer·F. Block·S. Bobien·B. Bornschein·L. Bornschein·M. Böttcher·T. Brunst·T. S. Caldwell·R. M. D. Carney·S. Chilingaryan·W. Choi·K. Debowski·M. Descher·D. Díaz Barrero·P. J. Doe·O. Dragoun·G. Drexlin·F. Edzards·K. Eitel·E. Ellinger·R. Engel·S. Enomoto·A. Felden·J. A. Formaggio·F. M. Fränkle·G. B. Franklin·F. Friedel·A. Fulst·K. Gauda·A. S. Gavin·W. Gil·F. Glück·R. Grössle·R. Gumbsheimer·V. Hannen·N. Haußmann·K. Helbing·S. Hickford·R. Hiller·D. Hillesheimer·D. Hinz·T. Höhn·T. Houdy·A. Huber·A. Jansen·C. Karl·J. Kellerer·M. Kleifges·M. Klein·C. Köhler·L. Köllenberger·A. Kopmann·M. Korzeczek·A. Kovalík·B. Krasch·H. Krause·L. La Cascio·T. Lasserre·T. L. Le·O. Lebeda·B. Lehnert·A. Lokhov·M. Machatschek·E. Malcherek·M. Mark·A. Marsteller·E. L. Martin·C. Melzer·S. Mertens·J. Mostafa·K. Müller·H. Neumann·S. Niemes·P. Oelpmann·D. S. Parno·A. W. P. Poon·J. M. L. Poyato·F. Priester·J. Ráliš·S. Ramachandran·R. G. H. Robertson·W. Rodejohann·C. Rodenbeck·M. Röllig·C. Röttele·M. Ryšavý·R. Sack·A. Saenz·R. Salomon·P. Schäfer·L. Schimpf·M. Schlösser·K. Schlösser·L. Schlüter
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Abstract

In this work we present a keV-scale sterile-neutrino search with the first tritium data of the KATRIN experiment, acquired in the commissioning run in 2018. KATRIN performs a spectroscopic measurement of the tritium $\beta$-decay spectrum with the main goal of directly determining the effective electron anti-neutrino mass. During this commissioning phase a lower tritium activity facilitated the search for sterile neutrinos with a mass of up to $1.6\, \mathrm{keV}$. We do not find a signal and set an exclusion limit on the sterile-to-active mixing amplitude of down to $\sin^2\theta < 5\cdot10^{-4}$ ($95\,\%$ C.L.), improving current laboratory-based bounds in the sterile-neutrino mass range between 0.1 and $1.0\, \mathrm{keV}$.

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M. Aker, D. Batzler, A. Beglarian, J. Behrens, A. Berlev, U. Besserer, B. Bieringer, F. Block, S. Bobien, B. Bornschein, L. Bornschein, M. Böttcher, T. Brunst, T. S. Caldwell, R. M. D. Carney, S. Chilingaryan, W. Choi, K. Debowski, M. Descher, D. Díaz Barrero, P. J. Doe, O. Dragoun, G. Drexlin, F. Edzards, K. Eitel, E. Ellinger, R. Engel, S. Enomoto, A. Felden, J. A. Formaggio, F. M. Fränkle, G. B. Franklin, F. Friedel, A. Fulst, K. Gauda, A. S. Gavin, W. Gil, F. Glück, R. Grössle, R. Gumbsheimer, V. Hannen, N. Haußmann, K. Helbing, S. Hickford, R. Hiller, D. Hillesheimer, D. Hinz, T. Höhn, T. Houdy, A. Huber, A. Jansen, C. Karl, J. Kellerer, M. Kleifges, M. Klein, C. Köhler, L. Köllenberger, A. Kopmann, M. Korzeczek, A. Kovalík, B. Krasch, H. Krause, L. La Cascio, T. Lasserre, T. L. Le, O. Lebeda, B. Lehnert, A. Lokhov, M. Machatschek, E. Malcherek, M. Mark, A. Marsteller, E. L. Martin, C. Melzer, S. Mertens, J. Mostafa, K. Müller, H. Neumann, S. Niemes, P. Oelpmann, D. S. Parno, A. W. P. Poon, J. M. L. Poyato, F. Priester, J. Ráliš, S. Ramachandran, R. G. H. Robertson, W. Rodejohann, C. Rodenbeck, M. Röllig, C. Röttele, M. Ryšavý, R. Sack, A. Saenz, R. Salomon, P. Schäfer, L. Schimpf, M. Schlösser, K. Schlösser, L. Schlüter. 2022-07-13. Search for keV-scale Sterile Neutrinos with first KATRIN Data. https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.06337

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