Antineutrino science by KamLAND

KamLAND measured the $\bar{\nu }$_e’s flux from distant nuclear reactors, and found fewer events than expected from standard assumptions about $\bar{\nu }$_e propagation at the 99.998% confidence level (C.L.). The observed energy spectrum disagrees with the expected spectral shape at 99.6% C.L., and prefers the distortion from neutrino oscillation effects. A two-flavor oscillation analysis of the data from KamLAND and solar neutrino experiments with CPT invariance, yields Δm2=7.9−0.5+0.6×10−5 eV² and tan2θ=0.40−0.07+0.10. All solutions to the solar neutrino problem except for the large mixing angle (LMA) region are excluded. KamLAND succeeded in detecting geoneutrinos produced by the decays of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th within the Earth. The total observed number of 4.5 to 54.2, assuming a Th/U mass concentration ratio of 3.9 is consistent with 19 predicted by geophysical models. This detection allows better estimation of the abundances and distributions of radioactive elements in the Earth, and of the Earth’s overall heat budget.     

KamLAND and T2K

KamLAND announced the first evidence of disappearance, followed by direct evidence for neutrino oscillation by observing distortion of the reactor energy spectrum, demonstrated almost two cycles of the periodic feature expected neutrino oscillation, and determined a precise value for the neutrino oscillation parameter and stringent constraints on θ₁₂. KamLAND also succeeded in detecting geoneutrinos produced by natural radioactivities in the Earth. This detection allows better estimation of the abundances and distributions of radioactive elements in the Earth and of the Earth’s overall heat generation. In the J-PARC neutrino facility, T2K is ready for operation. T2K is supposed to give critical information, which guides the future direction of the neutrino physics. The current status of T2K is shown.     

TEXONO反应堆中微子能谱的计算

在低能反应堆中微子物理实验中,无论是研究中微子振荡、中微子反应还是测量中微子反常磁矩,都必须准确地知道反应堆中微子的通量和能谱.本文详细讨论了反应堆中微子能谱的计算方法,依据TEXONO实验所用的NP2反应堆的实际情况及探测器的安排,计算并得到中微子的通量和能谱.     

KamLAND and solar antineutrino spectrum

We use the recent KamLAND observations to predict the solar antineutrino spectrum at some confidence limits. We find a scaling of the antineutrino probability with respect to the magnetic field profile—in the sense that the same probability function can be reproduced by any profile with a suitable peak field value—that can be utilized to obtain the general shape ofthe solar antineutrino spectrum. This scaling and the upper bound on the solar antineutrino event rate, which can be derived from the data, lead to: 1) an upper bound on the solar antineutrino flux and 2) the prediction of their energy spectrum. We get \(\phi _{\bar \nu } < 3.8 \times 10^{ - 3} \phi (^8 B)\) or \(\phi _{\bar \nu } < 5.5 \times 10^{ - 3} \phi (^8 B)\) at 95% C.L., assuming Gaussian or Poissonian statistics, respectively. For 90% C.L., these become \(\phi _{\bar \nu } < 3.4 \times 10^{ - 3} \phi (^8 B)\) and \(\phi _{\bar \nu } < 4.9 \times 10^{ - 3} \phi (^8 B)\). This provides an improvement by a factor of 3–5 with respect to the existing bounds. These limits are quite general and independent of the detailed structure of the magnetic field in the solar interior.     

Solar neutrino oscillation parameters after KamLAND

We explore the impact of the data from the KamLAND experiment in constraining neutrino mass and mixing angles involved in solar neutrino oscillations. In particular, we discuss the precision with which we can determine the mass squared difference Δm _⊙ ² and the mixing angle θ_⊙ from combined solar and KamLAND data. We show that the precision with which Δm _⊙ ² can be determined improves drastically with the KamLAND data, but the sensitivity of KamLAND to the mixing angle is not as good. We study the effect of enhanced statistics in KamLAND as well as reduced systematics in improving the precision. We also show the effect of the SNO salt data in improving the precision. Finally, we discuss how a dedicated reactor experiment with a baseline of 70 km can improve the θ_⊙ sensitivity by a large amount.     

Measuring Antineutrino Direction Using Inverse Beta Decay

Determination of the direction to a source of (anti)neutrinos is important for the physics of supernovae and of the Earth. Inverse beta decay reaction allows to reconstruct the direction to a source of antineutrinos. We present modern mathematical formalism and recent experimental data on antineutrino directionality.     

Antineutrino spectroscopy with large water Cerenkov detectors

We propose modifying large water C erenkov detectors by the addition of 0.2% gadolinium trichloride, which is highly soluble, newly inexpensive, and transparent in solution. Since Gd has an enormous cross section for radiative neutron capture, with summation operatorE(gamma)=8 MeV, this would make neutrons visible for the first time in such detectors, allowing antineutrino tagging by the coincidence detection reaction nu (e)+p-->e(+)+n (similarly for nu (mu)). Taking Super-Kamiokande as a working example, dramatic consequences for reactor neutrino measurements, first observation of the diffuse supernova neutrino background, galactic supernova detection, and other topics are discussed.     

On Coherent Neutrino and Antineutrino Scattering off Nuclei

Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters - Neutrino-nucleus $$nu A to nu A$$ and antineutrino-nucleus $$bar {nu }A to bar {nu }A$$ interactions, when the nucleus conserves its integrity, are...     

Precision measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters with KamLAND

The KamLAND experiment has determined a precise value for the neutrino oscillation parameter Deltam21(2) and stringent constraints on theta12. The exposure to nuclear reactor antineutrinos is increased almost fourfold over previous results to 2.44 x 10(32) proton yr due to longer livetime and an enlarged fiducial volume. An undistorted reactor nu[over]e energy spectrum is now rejected at >5sigma. Analysis of the reactor spectrum above the inverse beta decay energy threshold, and including geoneutrinos, gives a best fit at Deltam21(2)=7.58(-0.13)(+0.14)(stat) -0.15+0.15(syst) x 10(-5) eV2 and tan2theta12=0.56(-0.07)+0.10(stat) -0.06+0.10(syst). Local Deltachi2 minima at higher and lower Deltam21(2) are disfavored at >4sigma. Combining with solar neutrino data, we obtain Deltam21(2)=7.59(-0.21)+0.21 x 10(-5) eV2 and tan2theta12=0.47(-0.05)+0.06.     

Search for the invisible decay of neutrons with KamLAND

The Kamioka Liquid scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector is used in a search for single neutron or two-neutron intranuclear disappearance that would produce holes in the -shell energy level of (12)C nuclei. Such holes could be created as a result of nucleon decay into invisible modes (inv), e.g., n--> 3v or nn--> 2v. The deexcitation of the corresponding daughter nucleus results in a sequence of space and time-correlated events observable in the liquid scintillator detector. We report on new limits for one- and two-neutron disappearance: tau(n--> inv) > 5.8 x 10(29) years and tau (nn--> inv) > 1.4 x 10(30) years at 90% C.L. These results represent an improvement of factors of approximately 3 and >10(4) and over previous experiments.     

Scattering of a Neutrino (Antineutrino) on an Electron

Russian Physics Journal -     

First results from KamLAND: evidence for reactor antineutrino disappearance

KamLAND has measured the flux of nu;(e)'s from distant nuclear reactors. We find fewer nu;(e) events than expected from standard assumptions about nu;(e) propagation at the 99.95% C.L. In a 162 ton.yr exposure the ratio of the observed inverse beta-decay events to the expected number without nu;(e) disappearance is 0.611+/-0.085(stat)+/-0.041(syst) for nu;(e) energies >3.4 MeV. In the context of two-flavor neutrino oscillations with CPT invariance, all solutions to the solar neutrino problem except for the "large mixing angle" region are excluded.     

Relativistic effects in neutrino (Antineutrino) disintegration of the deuteron

The cross section of neutrino disintegration of the deuteron with inclusion of relativistic corrections is calculated. The transition only to¹S₀-state is taken into account, so the results are valid for reactor and meson factory energies. Comparison with earlier works is given. It is shown, that accurate choice of bound state wave function is essential for the final results. The relativistic approach developed in this work should be used as a starting point for calculations of meson exchange current corrections.     

Industrial Reactor Power Monitoring Using Antineutrino Counts in the DANSS Detector

Detection of antineutrino by the reaction of the inverse β-decay can be used for an independent monitoring of a nuclear reactor power. DANSS detector is located directly under a commercial WWER-1000 reactor and counts up to 5000 antineutrino per day, providing the accuracy of 1.5% in 2 days of the flux measurement. A powerful system of the passive and active shielding in combination with the fine spatial segmentation of the detector allows to diminish the contribution of the background processes to a level, negligible in comparison to the statistical error. The influence of the nuclear fuel composition on the neutrino flux can be accounted for based on the input from the NPP staff.

     

Antineutrino background from spent-fuel storage in sensitive searches for θ 13 at reactors

Sensitive searches for antineutrino oscillations in the atmospheric mass-parameter region much discussed in recent years are based on accurate comparison of the inverse-beta-decay positron spectra measured in two (or more) detectors, far and near, stationed, e.g., at about 1000 and about 100 m from the reactor(s). We show that antineutrinos emitted from the stored irradiated fuel can distort in a different way the soft part of positron spectra measured in the far and near detectors and thus mimic (or hide) the oscillation signal. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Measurement of neutrino oscillation with KamLAND: evidence of spectral distortion

We present results of a study of neutrino oscillation based on a 766 ton/year exposure of KamLAND to reactor antineutrinos. We observe 258 nu (e) candidate events with energies above 3.4 MeV compared to 365.2+/-23.7 events expected in the absence of neutrino oscillation. Accounting for 17.8+/-7.3 expected background events, the statistical significance for reactor nu (e) disappearance is 99.998%. The observed energy spectrum disagrees with the expected spectral shape in the absence of neutrino oscillation at 99.6% significance and prefers the distortion expected from nu (e) oscillation effects. A two-neutrino oscillation analysis of the KamLAND data gives Deltam(2)=7.9(+0.6)(-0.5)x10(-5) eV(2). A global analysis of data from KamLAND and solar-neutrino experiments yields Deltam(2)=7.9(+0.6)(-0.5)x10(-5) eV(2) and tan((2)theta=0.40(+0.10)(-0.07), the most precise determination to date.     

A Unified Empirical Model for Quasielastic Interactions of Neutrino and Antineutrino with Nuclei

Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters - We propose a simple empirical model for evaluating the quasielastic neutrino- and antineutrino-nucleus cross sections, based on the conventional...     

Antineutrino energy spectrum unfolding based on the Daya Bay measurement and its applications

The prediction of reactor antineutrino spectra will play a crucial role as reactor experiments enter the precision era.The positron energy spectrum of 3.5 million antineutrino inverse beta decay reactions observed by the Day a Bay experiment,in combination with the fission rates of fissile isotopes in the reactor,is used to extract the positron energy spectra resulting from the fission of specific isotopes.This information can be used to produce a precise,data-based prediction of the antineutrino energy spectrum in other reactor antineutrino experiments with different fission fractions than Day a Bay.The positron energy spectra are unfolded to obtain the antineutrino energy spectra by removing the contribution from detector response with the Wiener-SVD unfolding method.Consistent results are obtained with other unfolding methods.A technique to construct a data-based prediction of the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum is proposed and investigated.Given the reactor fission fractions,the technique can predict the energy spectrum to a 2% precision.In addition,we illustrate how to perform a rigorous comparison between the unfolded antineutrino spectrum and a theoretical model prediction that avoids the input model bias of the unfolding method.