A high pressure gas scintillation drift chamber to search for evidence of a massive neutrino in the beta decay spectrum of 14 C

A laboratory beta decay experiment to search for evidence of a massive neutrino in the beta spectrum of ¹⁴C is discussed. There is controversial evidence for a 17-keV neutrino; this demands experimental initiatives using new detector technologies to decide the issue. An existing high pressure gas scintillation drift chamber (GSDC) is modified to perform an innovative experiment. This technique has many merits that define a unique experimental niche. The imaging capabilities of the chamber permit fiducial cuts to eliminate events near chamber boundaries. The gaseous radioisotope source is spread uniformly throughout the active detector volume. The data rate is high, and the background is low and systematically measurable. High pressure operation limits beta particle ranges and allows good energy resolution