Virtual tours to the KATRIN experiment

Discussion timeslot (ZOOM-Meeting): 13. July 2021 - 12:00
ZOOM-Meeting URL: https://desy.zoom.us/j/96969970711
ZOOM-Meeting ID: 96969970711
ZOOM-Meeting Passcode: ICRC2021
Corresponding Session: https://icrc2021-venue.desy.de/channel/29-Outreach-online-OampE/44
Live-Stream URL: https://icrc2021-venue.desy.de/livestream/Discussion-07/8

Abstract:
The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment performs a model-independent measurement of the electron neutrino mass with a design sensitivity of 0.2 eV / c^2 (90% C. L.) after three full years of measurement time. KATRIN measures near the endpoint of the tritium beta spectrum, using the MAC-E filter principle, and operates a 70 m long beamline. Its technological challenges include the high-luminosity tritium source, the cryogenic pumping section and the 23 m long ultra-high vacuum vessel of the main spectrometer.
Guided tours to the KATRIN beamline with supporting presentations are frequently offered to make the experiment, astroparticle physics and scientific research in general accessible to the public and to students in particular. However, the on-site access is limited by the operation of high voltage and magnets, safety regulations for the tritium laboratory and the ongoing pandemic. This fuelled the development of three kinds of virtual tours: a 40-minute-long video tour with live commentary via zoom was created using cellphone-made footage of the beamline and archive footage of the transport and commissioning of the key components; a 3D VR panorama of five locations at the beamline for virtual reality headsets or as browser application providing a live-action guide or free exploration was developed with the National Institute for Science Communication (NaWik); and a browser interface for a low-poly model of the full beamline is work in progress. In this contribution, we present all three tours and their making, including comparative NaWik research on the knowledge transfer potential of virtual presentation forms.
Supported by BMBF (Ø05A20VK3), the Helmholtz Association, the Klaus Tschira Foundation, the KIT centre KCETA, and the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal and State Governments.

Authors: Manuel Klein | Kathrin Valerius | Leonard Köllenberger | Philipp Niemann | Philipp Schrögel | Christian Humm | Yannic Scheuermann
Indico-ID: 568
Proceeding URL: https://pos.sissa.it/395/1376