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Since the discovery of neutrino oscillations, we know that neutrinos have non-zero mass. However, the absolute neutrino-mass scale remains unknown. Here we report the upper limits on effective electron anti-neutrino mass, mν, from the second physics run of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment. In this experiment, mν is probed via a high-precision measurement of the tritium β-decay spectrum close to its endpoint. This method is independent of any cosmological model and does not rely on assumptions whether the neutrino is a Dirac or Majorana particle. By increasing the source activity and reducing the background with respect to the first physics campaign, we reached a sensitivity on mν of 0.7 eV c–2 at a 90% confidence level (CL). The best fit to the spectral data yields $${{\mbox{}}}{m}_{\nu }^{2}{{\mbox{}}}$$ m ν 2  = (0.26 ± 0.34) eV2 c–4, resulting in an upper limit of mν < 0.9 eV c–2 at 90% CL. By combining this result with the first neutrino-mass campaign, we find an upper limit of mν < 0.8 eV c–2 at 90% CL.

The magnetoresistance (MR) of 10 nm to 200 nm thin polycrystalline Co-films, deposited on glass and insulating Si(100), is studied in fields up to 120 kOe, aligned along the three principal directions with respect to the current: longitudinal, transverse (in-plane), and polar (out-of-plane). At technical saturation, the anisotropic MR (AMR) in polar fields turns out to be up to twice as large as in transverse fields, which resembles the yet unexplained geometrical size-effect (GSE), previously reported for Ni-and Permalloy films. Upon increasing temperature, the polar and transverse AMR's are reduced by phonon-mediated sd-scattering, but their ratio, i.e. the GSE remains unchanged. Basing on Potters's theory [Phys.Rev.B 10, 4626(1974)], we associate the GSE with an anisotropic effect of the spin-orbit interaction on the sd-scattering of the minority spins due to a film texture. Below magnetic saturation, the magnitudes and signs of all three MR's depend significantly on the domain structures depicted by magnetic force microscopy. Based on hysteresis loops and taking into account the GSE within an effective medium approach, the three MR's are explained by the different magnetization processes in the domain states. These reveal the importance of in-plane uniaxial anisotropy and out-of-plane texture for the thinnest and thickest films, respectively.

The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment, which aims to make a direct and model-independent determination of the absolute neutrino mass scale, is a complex experiment with many components. More than 15 years ago, we published a technical design report (TDR) [1] to describe the hardware design and requirements to achieve our sensitivity goal of 0.2 eV at 90% C.L. on the neutrino mass. Since then there has been considerable progress, culminating in the publication of first neutrino mass results with the entire beamline operating [2]. In this paper, we document the current state of all completed beamline components (as of the first neutrino mass measurement campaign), demonstrate our ability to reliably and stably control them over long times, and present details on their respective commissioning campaigns. K: Beam-line instrumentation (beam position and profile monitors, beam-intensity monitors, bunch length monitors); Spectrometers; Gas systems and purification; Neutrino detectors A X P : 2103.04755Neutrino-mass mode. This is the standard mode of operation to continually adjust the retarding voltage of the MS in the range of [ 0 − 40 eV; 0 + 50 eV] while tritium is in the system. This scanning range can be adjusted if required. The voltage and the time spent at each setting are defined by the Measurement Time Distribution (MTD) (figure 3). A typical run at a given voltage lasts between 20 s and 600 s; a full scan of the energy range given above takes about 2 h. Of these standard neutrino-mass runs, a small portion will be dedicated to sterile neutrino searches. These searches involve scanning much farther (order of keV) below the endpoint 0 .Calibration mode. To check the long-term system stability, calibration measurements are done regularly. The neutrino-mass mode is suspended for the duration of these measurement:• An energy calibration of the FPD (section 6) is performed weekly, which requires closing off the detector system from the main beamline for about 4 h.• The offset and the gain correction factor of the low-voltage readout in the high-voltage measurement chain needs to be calibrated based on standard reference sources (section 5.3.4). This requires stopping the precision monitoring of the MS retarding potential twice per week for about 0.5 h each.

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The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a large-scale effort to probe the absolute neutrino mass scale with a sensitivity of 0.2 eV (90% confidence level), via a precise measurement of the endpoint spectrum of tritium β-decay. This work documents several KATRIN commissioning milestones: the complete assembly of the experimental beamline, the successful transmission of electrons from three sources through the beamline to the primary detector, and tests of ion transport and retention. In the First Light commissioning campaign of autumn 2016, photoelectrons were generated at the rear wall and ions were created by a dedicated ion source attached to the rear section; in July 2017, gaseous 83mKr was injected into the KATRIN source section, and a condensed 83mKr source was deployed in the transport section. In this paper we describe the technical details of the apparatus and the configuration for each measurement, and give first results on source and system performance. We have successfully achieved transmission from all four sources, established system stability, and characterized many aspects of the apparatus.

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