Internal Ionization of an Atom in the β Decay of Tritium


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Abstract

The problem of internal ionization in the beta decay of tritium due to the scattering of a β electron off a bound electron is discussed. The total probability of the process per a single decay event is calculated. The distributions over the momentum and the kinetic energy of a liberated electron are plotted. A correction to the β spectrum produced by internal ionization is determined. The identity of electrons is taken into account in all calculations. The results of calculations of the modified spectrum are of interest for the KATRIN experiment aimed at measuring the mass of an electron antineutrino. The high-luminosity source also makes it possible to search for keV-scale sterile neutrinos in the middle part of the β spectrum, where the internal ionization effect is significant.

About the authors

K. S. Tyrin

National Research Center Kurchatov Institute

Author for correspondence.
Email: k.s.tirin@inbox.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 123182

M. I. Krivoruchenko

Alikhanov Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics

Email: k.s.tirin@inbox.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 117218

F. F. Simkovic

Comenius University

Email: k.s.tirin@inbox.ru
Slovakia, Bratislava, 842 48

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