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Title: Searches for massive neutrino emission in 14C beta and 55Fe electron-capture decays

Abstract

In 1985 Simpson reported evidence for the emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino in a small fraction of tritium beta decays. An experimental controversy ensued in which a number of both positive and negative results were reported. The beta spectrum of 14C was collected in a unique 14C-doped planar germanium detector and a distortion was observed that initially confirmed Simpson`s result. Further tests linked this distortion to a splitting of the collected charge between the central detector and the surrounding guard ring in a fraction of the events. A second 14C measurement showed no evidence for emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino. In a related experiment, a high statistics electron-capture internal-bremsstrahlung photon spectrum of 55Fe was collected with a coaxial germanium detector. A local search for departures from a smooth shape near the endpoint was performed, using a second-derivative technique. An upper limit of 0.65% (95% C.L.) for the mixing Of a neutrino in the mass range 5--25 keV was established. The upper limit on the mixing of a 17 keV mass neutrino was 0.14% (95% C.L.).

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
OSTI Identifier:
10174440
Report Number(s):
LBL-35568
ON: DE94016863; TRN: 94:015657
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Thesis (Ph.D); PBD: May 1994
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; CARBON 14; BETA DECAY; IRON 55; ELECTRON CAPTURE DECAY; NEUTRINO DETECTION; NEUTRINOS; REST MASS; WEINBERG ANGLE; 662430; 663210; 663520; 663540; 440104; PROPERTIES OF LEPTONS; GROUND-STATE RADIOACTIVITY; A = 6-19; A = 39-58; HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS INSTRUMENTATION

Citation Formats

Wietfeldt, Fred Eberhardt. Searches for massive neutrino emission in 14C beta and 55Fe electron-capture decays. United States: N. p., 1994. Web. doi:10.2172/10174440.
Wietfeldt, Fred Eberhardt. Searches for massive neutrino emission in 14C beta and 55Fe electron-capture decays. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10174440
Wietfeldt, Fred Eberhardt. 1994. "Searches for massive neutrino emission in 14C beta and 55Fe electron-capture decays". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10174440. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10174440.
@article{osti_10174440,
title = {Searches for massive neutrino emission in 14C beta and 55Fe electron-capture decays},
author = {Wietfeldt, Fred Eberhardt},
abstractNote = {In 1985 Simpson reported evidence for the emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino in a small fraction of tritium beta decays. An experimental controversy ensued in which a number of both positive and negative results were reported. The beta spectrum of 14C was collected in a unique 14C-doped planar germanium detector and a distortion was observed that initially confirmed Simpson`s result. Further tests linked this distortion to a splitting of the collected charge between the central detector and the surrounding guard ring in a fraction of the events. A second 14C measurement showed no evidence for emission of a 17 keV mass neutrino. In a related experiment, a high statistics electron-capture internal-bremsstrahlung photon spectrum of 55Fe was collected with a coaxial germanium detector. A local search for departures from a smooth shape near the endpoint was performed, using a second-derivative technique. An upper limit of 0.65% (95% C.L.) for the mixing Of a neutrino in the mass range 5--25 keV was established. The upper limit on the mixing of a 17 keV mass neutrino was 0.14% (95% C.L.).},
doi = {10.2172/10174440},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10174440}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994},
month = {Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994}
}

Thesis/Dissertation:
Other availability
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