Tackling the experimental challange to detect relic neutrinos with PTOLEMY

The PTOLEMY project aims to directly detect the Cosmic Neutrino Background radiation exploiting the interaction between relic neutrinos and tritium nuclei. The experimental method developed for this purpose is based on the energy measurement of final state electrons produced during the neutrino capture reaction, and consists of an extremely high-energy resolution measurement with high background rejection. The PTOLEMY experimental method allows to do such measurement using an instrumented high-mass solid tritium target. In particular, electrons from the tritium target are filtered by using the novel PTOLEMY electromagnetic filter that is capable to reject non interesting electrons in real-time. To do such filter, a trigger with a rough measurements of the electron kinematic variables is required. The remaining electrons kinetic energy is measured with high resolution by low energy detectors like Transition Edge Sensors, used as calorimeters. The complete conceptual design is under development and the first prototype will be tested at LNGS by 2025.