Analysis of simulated data for the KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino experiment using Bayesian inference

Anna Sejersen Riis, Steen Hannestad, and Christian Weinheimer
Phys. Rev. C 84, 045503 – Published 31 October 2011

Abstract

The KATRIN (Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino) experiment will analyze the tritium β spectrum to determine the mass of the neutrino with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV (90% C.L.). This approach to a measurement of the absolute value of the neutrino mass relies only on the principle of energy conservation and can in some sense be called model-independent as compared to cosmology and neutrinoless double β decay. However, by model independent we only mean in case of the minimal extension of the standard model. One should therefore also analyze the data for nonstandard couplings to, e.g., right-handed or sterile neutrinos. As an alternative to the frequentist minimization methods used in the analysis of the earlier experiments in Mainz and Troitsk we have been investigating Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods which are very well suited for probing multiparameter spaces. We found that implementing the KATRIN χ2 function in the cosmomc package—an MCMC code using Bayesian parameter inference—solved the task at hand very nicely.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
5 More
  • Received 31 May 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.84.045503

©2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Anna Sejersen Riis

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark and Institute of Nuclear Physics, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 9, D-48149 Münster, Germany

Steen Hannestad

  • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

Christian Weinheimer

  • Institute of Nuclear Physics, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 9, D-48149 Münster, Germany

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 84, Iss. 4 — October 2011

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review C

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×