Project 8

Experiment Overview

Project 8 is an experiment that seeks to measure the absolute mass of the neutrino using the beta decay of tritium, an isotope of hydrogen. Pioneering a novel technique called Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), the multi-institutional collaboration is performing precision beta-electron spectroscopy at the endpoint of the decay spectrum of a gaseous tritium source. This fundamentally new approach to precision beta spectroscopy is set to push the current limit on sensitivity in direct neutrino mass experiments. Having demonstrated the first measurement of a single electron radiation, the collaboration is currently designing a demonstrator of CRES in a large free-space volume. 

Our group is led by Professor Karsten Heeger and operates out of the Wright Laboratory. The experiment is housed at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Yale Research Activities

The Yale Project 8 group is focused on the next phase of the Project 8 experiment, referred to as Phase III. This stage is critical to prepare for the final neutrino mass measurement because it will be the first to employ the CRES technique in a free-space radiation environment, demonstrating a new technology and measuring the neutrino mass to ~2 eV/c². It will be contained in an MRI magnet at the University of Washington. Scaling up to this size involves developing several subsystems as well as a significant simulation and analysis effort. 

In addition, the Yale group is investigating the application of machine learning techniques to electron track finding. This will increase our ability to reconstruct electrons for both current and future phases. 

For more detailed information, please see the Project 8 at Yale website.