First tritium results of the KATRIN test experiment trap

The TRAP experiment (TRitium Argon frost Pump) has been built at the Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK) as a test rig for the Cryogenic Pumping Section (CPS) of the KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN). TRAP employs a heterogeneous layer of pre-condensed argon to adsorb hydrogen isotopes at ∼ 4.2 K. This paper presents results obtained in the first three tritium experiments with TRAP.