Production of 83Rb for the KATRIN experiment

M. Rasulbaev, K. Maier, R. Vianden, T. Thümmler, B. Ostrick and Ch. Weinheimer

Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Volume 66, Issue 12, Pages 1838– 1843, 25 April 2008

DOI Link: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2008.04.020

Abstract:

For the neutrino mass determination experiment KATRIN, the long-term stability of the spectrometer voltage is of crucial importance. Therefore, it is planned to control the voltage continuously in a smaller spectrometer, which monitors the position of the conversion electron line emitted in the 32 keV transition in the decay of 83mKr. Due to the short half-life of 83mKr (t1/2=1.83 h), it has to be supplied by a long-lived 83mKr(83Rb) generator (t1/2=86 d). Here, a hitherto unexploited method for the efficient production of 83Rb and its suitability for its application in the KATRIN monitor spectrometer is described.