A massive neutrino in nuclear beta decay?

Conference · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:10115905

Norman, E B; Chan, Yuen-Dat; Garcia, A; Lesko, K T; Larimer, R M; Stokstad, R.G. Sur, B.; Zlimen, I ^[1]; da Cruz, M T.F. ^[1]; Hindi, M M ^[1]; Wietfeldt, F E ^[1]

---

1. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

We have continued our studies of the {beta}-spectrum of {sup 14}C using a germanium detector doped with {sup l4}C. There is a feature in the {beta}-spectrum 17 keV below the endpoint which could be explained by the hypothesis that there is a heavy neutrino emitted in the {beta}-decay of {sup 14}C with a mass of 17{plus_minus}1 keV and an emission probability of 1.26{plus_minus}0.25%. However, we also have performed a high statistics measurement of the inner bremsstrahlung spectrum of {sup 55}Fe and find no indication of the emission of a {sup 17}-keV neutrino. We conclude that the origin of the ``kink`` that has been observed in some recent beta spectral measurements is not a neutrino.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098; FG05-87ER40314
• OSTI ID: 10115905
• Report Number(s): LBL--32913; CONF-920682--3; ON: DE93004706
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440104
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
662430
663210
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
BETA DECAY
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CARBON 14
ELECTRON CAPTURE DECAY
GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
GROUND-STATE RADIOACTIVITY
HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS INSTRUMENTATION
IRON 55
NEUTRINO DETECTION
PROPERTIES OF LEPTONS
REST MASS