Speaker
James Mead
(UvA)
Description
Though their imprint upon the CMB and large-scale structure of the universe remains to this day, Big Bang relic neutrinos (the CνB) have never been directly observed. This remains an outstanding test of the Standard Model in ΛCDM cosmology and, carrying a signal from only one second after the Big Bang, relies upon messengers predating any previously observed. PTOLEMY aims to make the first direct observation of the CνB by resolving the β-decay endpoint of atomic tritium to O(10meV) precision. If achieved, this first observation would also reap at least the lowest neutrino mass. The project is in its prototyping phase and looks to begin physics runs in the 2030s.
Primary author
James Mead
(UvA)
