TrappedIons.org

F. Wauters

First detection and energy measurement of recoil ions following beta decay in a Penning trap with the WITCH experiment

M. Beck [1], S. Coeck [2], V. Yu. Kozlov, M. Breitenfeld [2], P. Delahaye [3], P. Friedag [1], M. Herbane [2], A. Herlert [3,2], I. S. Kraev, J. Mader [1], M. Tandecki [2], S. Van Gorp [2], F. Wauters [2], Ch. Weinheimer [1], F. Wenander [3], N. Severijns [2]

Abstract

The WITCH experiment (Weak Interaction Trap for CHarged particles) will search for exotic interactions by investigating the beta-neutrino angular correlation via the measurement of the recoil energy spectrum after beta decay. As a first step the recoil ions from the beta-minus decay of 124In stored in a Penning trap have been detected. The evidence for the detection of recoil ions is shown and the properties of the ion cloud that forms the radioactive source for the experiment in the Penning trap are presented.

The WITCH Experiment: towards weak interactions studies. Status and prospects

V. Yu. Kozlov, M. Beck, S. Coeck, M. Herbane, I. S. Kraev, N. Severijns, F. Wauters, P. Delahaye, A. Herlert, F. Wenander, D. Zakoucky

Abstract

Primary goal of the WITCH experiment is to test the Standard Model for a possible ad-mixture of a scalar or tensor type interaction in beta-decay. This information will be inferred from the shape of the recoil energy spectrum. The experimental set-up was completed and is under intensive commissioning at ISOLDE (CERN). It combines a Penning trap to store the ions and a retardation spectrometer to probe the recoil ion energy. A brief overview of the WITCH set-up and the results of commissioning tests performed until now are presented. Finally, perspectives of the physics program are reviewed.