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arXiv · 1910.01667

Design of a Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass-Spectrometer for Barium-tagging

K. Murray·J. Dilling·R. Gornea·Y. Ito·T. Koffas·A. A. Kwiatkowski·Y. Lan·M. P. Reiter·V. Varentsov·T. Brunner
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Abstract

The search for neutrinoless double beta decay requires increasingly advanced methods of background reduction. A bold approach to solving this problem, in experiments using Xe-136, is to extract and identify the daughter Ba-136 ion produced by double beta decay. Tagging events in this manner allows for a virtually background-free verification of double beta decay signals. Various approaches are being pursued by the nEXO collaboration to achieve Ba-tagging. A Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (MR TOF) has been designed and optimized as one of the ion-identification methods, where it will investigate the ion-extraction efficiency, as well as provide further identification of the Ba isotope. The envisioned mode of operation allows the MR TOF to achieve a quickly adjustable mass-range and resolution, with simulations suggesting that a mass-resolving power of 140,000 is within reach. This work will discuss the MR TOF design and the methods employed to simulate and optimize it.

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K. Murray, J. Dilling, R. Gornea, Y. Ito, T. Koffas, A. A. Kwiatkowski, Y. Lan, M. P. Reiter, V. Varentsov, T. Brunner. 2019-10-03. Design of a Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass-Spectrometer for Barium-tagging. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-019-1632-5

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