TAUP 2013

The status of the MARE experiment with 187Re and 163Ho isotpes

9 Sept 2013, 16:40

20m

Asilomar, California

Oral Double Beta Decay Double Beta Decay/ Neutrino Mass II

Speaker

Dr Elena Ferri (Università Milano-Bicocca & INFN Milano-Bicocca)

Description

The goal of the MARE project (Microcalorimeter Array for a Rhenium Experiment) is the direct and calorimetric measurement of the electron neutrino mass. The design is based on arrays of thermal detectors to study the beta decay of 187Re and the electron capture (EC) of 163Ho. The measurement of 163Ho EC is an appealing alternative to the 187Re beta decay measurement because few nuclei are needed and it is a self-calibrating measurement. Regarding the Rhenium isotope, MARE has started to perform an experiment in Milan using one 6x6 array of phosphorus-implanted silicon thermistors equipped with AgReO4 absorbers. The purposes of this experiment are to achieve a neutrino mass sensitivity of few eV and to investigate the systematic errors present in 187Re neutrino mass measurement, focusing on those caused by the Beta Environmental Fine Structure and the beta spectrum theoretical shape. While this experiment is carried out, the MARE collaboration is focusing on the production of the radioactive 163Ho isotope and the possibility to embed it in a Sn absorbers. We report here the status of MARE in Milan with Rhenium and the results of radioactive 163Ho production together with the first spectra acquired with Sn/Ho/Sn multilayer absorbers in the framework of MARE.