Measurement of Neutrino Absolute Mass

Abstract

Experimental observations have shown undoubtedly that neutrinos are indeed massive particles. The most favourable interpretation of all experimental results is to assume neutrino flavour oscillations, but to complete this picture some crucial informations are still missing, like the absolute neutrino mass scale, the neutrino mass pattern, the neutrino nature (Dirac or Majorana), and the neutrino mixing matrix parameter θ₁₃. In particular, the neutrino mass scale is a key element of any theoretical framework beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, and therefore a crucial challenge of future experimental efforts. There are three possible experimental approaches: i) observational cosmology, ii) the search for neutrinoless double beta decay, and iii) the kinematical measurement via single beta decay. Here I will compare the latter two, and review current experimental situation and future prospects. For recent reviews, refer for example to [1] and references therein.