Phenomenological modeling of the 163Ho calorimetric electron capture spectrum from the HOLMES experiment

A bstract We present a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of the calorimetric electron capture (EC) decay spectrum of 163 Ho as measured by the HOLMES experiment. Using high-statistics data, we unfold the instrumental energy resolution from the measured spectrum and model it as a sum of Breit-Wigner resonances and shake-off continua, providing a complete set of parameters for each component. Our approach enables the identification and tentative interpretation of all observed spectral features, including weak and overlapping structures, in terms of atomic de-excitation processes. We compare our phenomenological model with recent ab initio theoretical calculations, finding good agreement for both the main peaks and the spectral tails, despite the limitations of current theoretical and experimental precision. The model delivers an accurate description of the endpoint region, which is crucial for neutrino mass determination, and allows for a realistic treatment of backgrounds such as pile-up and tails of low-energy components. Furthermore, our decomposition facilitates the generation of Monte Carlo toy spectra for sensitivity studies and provides a framework for investigating systematic uncertainties related to solid-state and detector effects. This work establishes a robust foundation for future calorimetric neutrino mass experiments employing 163 Ho, supporting both data analysis and experimental design.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of High Energy Physics
Published
2026-03-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep03(2026)215
Primary Topic
Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
Type
article
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article

Phenomenological modeling of the 163Ho calorimetric electron capture spectrum from the HOLMES experiment

Daniel Becker, N. Crescini, S. Gamba, Rodolfo Carobene et al.
Journal of High Energy Physics
Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
article

Phenomenological modeling of the 163Ho calorimetric electron capture spectrum from the HOLMES experiment

Daniel Becker, N. Crescini, S. Gamba, Rodolfo Carobene, Luca Origo, Hobey Garrone, Angela Cattaneo, G.C O'Neil, E. Monticone, Zeynep Talip, E Ferri, M de Gerone, G. Gallucci, L. Ferrari Barusso, Felix B. Ahrens, M. Faverzani, D. R. Schmidt, Federica Mantegazzini, Hervè Atsè Corti, D. A. Bennett, Daniel S. Swetz, G. Pessina, W. B. Doriese, M. Lusignoli, F. Gatti, Maria Renata de Mira Gobbo, Danilo Labranca, A Giachero, Joel N. Ullom, Andrea Irace, Leila R. Vale, B. Margesin, M. Rajteri, Angelo Nucciotti, M. Borghesi, John A. B. Mates, C. D. Reintsema, Johnathon D. Gard, Bradley K. Alpert, Alessandro Cian, Joseph F. Fowler, P Campana, Federico Malnati, Roberto Moretti, S. Ragazzi, U. Köster, E. A. Maugeri, E Bogoni
article en

Abstract

A bstract We present a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of the calorimetric electron capture (EC) decay spectrum of 163 Ho as measured by the HOLMES experiment. Using high-statistics data, we unfold the instrumental energy resolution from the measured spectrum and model it as a sum of Breit-Wigner resonances and shake-off continua, providing a complete set of parameters for each component. Our approach enables the identification and tentative interpretation of all observed spectral features, including weak and overlapping structures, in terms of atomic de-excitation processes. We compare our phenomenological model with recent ab initio theoretical calculations, finding good agreement for both the main peaks and the spectral tails, despite the limitations of current theoretical and experimental precision. The model delivers an accurate description of the endpoint region, which is crucial for neutrino mass determination, and allows for a realistic treatment of backgrounds such as pile-up and tails of low-energy components. Furthermore, our decomposition facilitates the generation of Monte Carlo toy spectra for sensitivity studies and provides a framework for investigating systematic uncertainties related to solid-state and detector effects. This work establishes a robust foundation for future calorimetric neutrino mass experiments employing 163 Ho, supporting both data analysis and experimental design.

Journal of High Energy PhysicsVol. 2026(3)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (US), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (IT), Politecnico di Torino (IT), University of Trento (IT), Fondazione Bruno Kessler (IT), University of Colorado System (US), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma Tre (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics And Applications (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino (IT), Institut Laue-Langevin (FR), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (IT), University of Milano-Bicocca (IT), University of Genoa (IT), Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 99%
Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
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