The determination of the absolute neutrino mass scale remains a fundamental open question in particle physics, with profound implications for both the standard model and cosmology. Direct kinematic measurements, independent of model-dependent assumptions, provide the most robust approach to address this challenge. Here we present the most stringent upper bound on the effective electron neutrino mass ever obtained with a calorimetric measurement of the electron capture decay of ^{163}Ho. The HOLMES experiment employs an array of ion-implanted transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters, achieving an average energy resolution of 6 eV FWHM with a scalable, multiplexed readout technique. With a total of 7×10^{7} decay events recorded over two months and a Bayesian statistical analysis, we derive an upper limit of m_{β}<27 eV/c^{2} at 90% credibility. These results validate the feasibility of ^{163}Ho calorimetry for next-generation neutrino mass experiments and demonstrate the potential of a scalable TES-based microcalorimetric technique to push the sensitivity of direct neutrino mass measurements beyond the current state of the art.
Most Stringent Bound on Electron Neutrino Mass Obtained with a Scalable Low-Temperature Microcalorimeter Array
De Gerone, M.;Ferrari Barusso, L.;Gallucci, G.;Gatti, F.;Manfrinetti, P.;
2025-01-01
Abstract
The determination of the absolute neutrino mass scale remains a fundamental open question in particle physics, with profound implications for both the standard model and cosmology. Direct kinematic measurements, independent of model-dependent assumptions, provide the most robust approach to address this challenge. Here we present the most stringent upper bound on the effective electron neutrino mass ever obtained with a calorimetric measurement of the electron capture decay of ^{163}Ho. The HOLMES experiment employs an array of ion-implanted transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeters, achieving an average energy resolution of 6 eV FWHM with a scalable, multiplexed readout technique. With a total of 7×10^{7} decay events recorded over two months and a Bayesian statistical analysis, we derive an upper limit of m_{β}<27 eV/c^{2} at 90% credibility. These results validate the feasibility of ^{163}Ho calorimetry for next-generation neutrino mass experiments and demonstrate the potential of a scalable TES-based microcalorimetric technique to push the sensitivity of direct neutrino mass measurements beyond the current state of the art.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.



