Characterization of the KATRIN detector section

The \underline{\textbf{Ka}}rlsruhe \underline{\textbf{Tr}}itium \underline{\textbf{N}}eutrino (KATRIN) experiment's goal is to measure the end point shape of the tritium beta decay spectrum and attain a mass sensitivity of 200 meV. KATRIN is located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Karlsruhe, Germany. There are three main sections: a tritium source, spectrometers, and a detector section. The detector section is the primary US contribution to the experiment. A short review of the KATRIN experiment's detector section and results from its characterization will be presented. I will discuss the performance of the focal plane detector (a monolithic silicon PIN diode array), calibration tools, and the detector back ground rate.