arXiv subjects

Alexey Lokhov

Publications and source records attributed to Alexey Lokhov.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A precision 32 keV angular-selective photoelectron source for calibration measurements at the KATRIN experiment

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment measures the neutrino mass from a precise measurement of the endpoint region of the kinematic tritium beta-decay spectrum by using a spectrometer combining magnetic adiabatic collimation and electrostatic filtering (MAC-E filter). For calibration purposes, KATRIN uses a monoenergetic angular-selective photoelectron source. We present an upgrade of this source, which was installed in the KATRIN beamline in February 2022. The source allows for a wide range of accessible electron energies up to 32 keV and a variation of the angle with regard to the magnetic field. These features are used for precise measurements of electron scattering effects off tritium molecules in KATRIN's gaseous tritium source, for investigations of angular-dependent backscattering for example at KATRIN's focal-plane detector, and for studies on adiabatic transport in the main spectrometer.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Sterile-neutrino search based on 259 days of KATRIN data

Neutrinos are the most abundant fundamental matter particles in the Universe and play a crucial role in particle physics and cosmology. Neutrino oscillation, discovered about 25 years ago, reveals that the three known species mix with each other. Anomalous results from reactor and radioactive-source experiments suggest a possible fourth neutrino state, the sterile neutrino, which does not interact via the weak force. The KATRIN experiment, primarily designed to measure the neutrino mass via tritium $β$-decay, also searches for sterile neutrinos suggested by these anomalies. A sterile-neutrino signal would appear as a distortion in the $β$-decay energy spectrum, characterized by a discontinuity in curvature (kink) related to the sterile-neutrino mass. This signature, which depends only on the shape of the spectrum rather than its absolute normalization, offers a robust, complementary approach to reactor experiments. KATRIN examined the energy spectrum of 36 million tritium $β$-decay electrons recorded in 259 measurement days within the last 40 electronvolt below the endpoint. The results exclude a substantial part of the parameter space suggested by the gallium anomaly and challenge the Neutrino-4 claim. Together with other neutrino-disappearance experiments, KATRIN probes sterile-to-active mass splittings from a fraction of an electron-volt squared to several hundred electron-volts squared, excluding light sterile neutrinos with mixing angles above a few percent.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Background reduction at the KATRIN experiment by the shifted analysing plane configuration

The KATRIN experiment aims at measuring the electron neutrino mass with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV$/c^2$ after five years of data taking. Recently a new upper limit for the neutrino mass of 0.8 eV$/c^2$ (90% CL) was obtained. To reach the design sensitivity, a reduction of the background rate by one order of magnitude is required. The shifted analysing plane (SAP) configuration exploits a specific shaping of the electric and magnetic fields in the KATRIN main spectrometer to reduce the spectrometer background by a factor of two. We discuss the general idea of the SAP configuration and describe the main features of this novel measurement mode.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

Time-Focusing Time-of-Flight, a new method to turn a MAC-E-filter into a quasi-differential spectrometer

Spectrometers based on the magnetic adiabatic collimation followed by an electrostatic filter (MAC-E-filter) principle combine high angular acceptance with an excellent energy resolution. These features make MAC-E-filters very valuable for experiments where the kinetic energy of ions or electrons from rare processes has to be measured with utmost sensitivity and precision. Examples are direct neutrino mass experiments like KATRIN which investigate the energy of electrons in the endpoint region of the tritium $β$-spectrum. However, the MAC-E-filter is a very sharp energy high-pass filter but not a differential spectrometer. To determine a spectral shape of a charged particle source, different electric retarding potentials have to be used sequentially, reducing the statistics. In a previous work we have shown that the advantages of the standard MAC-E-filter can be combined with a measurement of the time-of-flight (TOF), allowing to determine spectral information over a certain energy range with one retarding potential only, with the corresponding gain in statistics. This TOF method requires to know the start time of the charged particles, which is not always possible. Therefore, we propose a new method which does not require the determination of the start time and which we call "time-focusing Time-of-Flight" (tfTOF): By applying a time dependent acceleration and deceleration potential at a subsequent MAC-E-filter, an energy dependent post-bunching of the charged particles is achieved.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

Measurements with a TRISTAN prototype detector system at the "Troitsk nu-mass" experiment in integral and differential mode

Sterile neutrinos emerge in minimal extensions of the Standard Model which can solve a number of open questions in astroparticle physics. For example, sterile neutrinos in the keV-mass range are viable dark matter candidates. Their existence would lead to a kink-like distortion in the tritium $β$-decay spectrum. In this work we report about the instrumentation of the Troitsk nu-mass experiment with a 7-pixel TRISTAN prototype detector and measurements in both differential and integral mode. The combination of the two modes is a key requirement for a precise sterile neutrino search, as both methods are prone to largely different systematic uncertainties. Thanks to the excellent performance of the TRISTAN detector at high rates, a sterile neutrino search up to masses of about 6 keV could be performed, which enlarges the previous accessible mass range by a factor of 3. Upper limits on the neutrino mixing amplitude in the mass range < 5.6 keV (differential) and < 6.6 keV (integral) are presented. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a sterile neutrino search as planned in the upgrade of the KATRIN experiment with the final TRISTAN detector and read-out system.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

On possible application of spin light of neutrino in astrophysics

The $ spin $ $ light$ $ of $ $neutrino $ ($SLν$) is a phenomenon of electromagnetic radiation by a massive neutrino moving in external media that is originated owing to neutrino magnetic moment. In this short paper we note on the importance of this effect in the light of its connection with the neutrino magnetic moment, recap its basic properties in dense matter and give some general criteria for its best efficiency in nature. On this basis we propose a set of possible astrophysical environments where the $SLν$ can be manifested in principle.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

A new way to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at reactors

The determination of the neutrino mass ordering is currently pursued by several experiments and proposals. A very challenging one is its evaluation from reactor experiments based on the tiny interference effect between the $Δm^2_{31}$ and $Δm^2_{32}$ oscillations. Current analyses require several years of data taking and an extreme energy resolution to achieve anyhow less than 5 $σ$. Referring to the JUNO experimental conditions we developed a completely new technique that would provide a robust 5 $σ$ measurement in less than six years of running. The two orderings could be discriminated at the price of allowing for two different values of $Δm^2_{31}$. This degeneracy on $Δm^2_{31}$ (around $12\times 10^{-5}$ eV$^2$) can however be measured at an unprecedented accuracy of much less than 1\%, i.e. $10^{-5}$ eV$^2$, within the same analysis. Analogies with the usual $χ^2$ analysis, where the $Δm^2_{31}$ degeneracy is much more important, are discussed. Evaluation and inclusion of systematic errors and backgrounds have been performed, the most relevant among them being the addition of the two remote reactor plants 250 km away. Baselines of each contributing reactor core and its spatial resolution have been taken into account. Possible results after two years of running and the foreseen initially-reduced available reactor power have been studied, too. These results confirm the very positive perspectives for JUNO to determine the mass ordering in a vacuum-oscillation dominated region.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Spin light of neutrino in astrophysical environments

The ${\it {spin \ \ light \ \ of \ \ neutrino}}$ ($SLν$) is a new possible mechanism of electromagnetic radiation by a massive neutrino (with a nonzero magnetic moment) moving in media. Since the prediction of this mechanism, the question has been debated in a number of publications as whether the effect can be of any significance for realistic astrophysical conditions. Although this effect is strongly suppressed due to smallness of neutrino magnetic moment, for ultra-high energy neutrinos (PeV neutrinos recently observed by the IceCube collaboration, for instance) the $SLν$ might be of interest in the case of neutrinos propagating in dense matter. An advanced view on the $SLν$ in matter is given, and several astrophysical settings (a neutron star, supernova, Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB), and relic neutrino background) for which the effect can be realized are considered. Taking into account the threshold condition and also several competing processes, we determine conditions for which the $SLν$ mechanism is possible. We conclude that the most favorable case of the effect manifestation is provided by ultra dense matter of neutron stars and ultrahigh energy of the radiating neutrino, and note that these conditions can be met within galaxy clusters. It is also shown that due to the $SLν$ specific polarization properties this electromagnetic mechanism is of interest in the connection with the observed polarization of GRB emission.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Spin light in neutrino transition between different mass states

The spin light of neutrino is considered in the process of a neutrino radiative transition between two different mass states in presence of medium. By this study we investigate the influence of background matter on the initial and final neutrino states in the process of massive Dirac neutrino decay due to the non-zero transition magnetic moment. We derive corresponding corrections to the total width of the process over the matter density in most important for applications cases.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Spin light mode of massive neutrino radiative decay in matter

Using the exact solutions for the Dirac neutrino wave function in presence of matter we study the spin light mode in the process of neutrino transition from initial heavier to final lighter state. The spin light is emitted due to the neutrino nonzero transitional magnetic moment.

hep-ph↗