KATRIN sharpens the limit on neutrino mass
The KATRIN experiment has significantly improved the direct measurement of neutrino mass, cutting the upper limit in half using data from five runs—bringing us closer to uncovering physics beyond the Standard Model.
RESEARCH
4/11/20251 min read
Neutrinos are nearly massless, uncharged particles that rarely interact with matter. While the Standard Model of particle physics once predicted neutrinos to be massless, experiments have shown they do have mass—though the exact value remains unknown. Measuring this mass could unlock new physics beyond the Standard Model. The KATRIN Collaboration uses the beta decay of molecular tritium to directly probe the mass of the electron antineutrino. By combining data from the first five measurement runs, KATRIN has now halved the upper limit of the neutrino mass to below 0.45 eV, marking a major step forward in the quest to understand one of nature’s most elusive particles.
More information: KATRIN results