Improved measurement of the reactor antineutrino flux and spectrum at Daya Bay

A new measurement of the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment is reported. The antineutrinos were generated by six 2.9 GWth nuclear reactors and detected by eight antineutrino detectors deployed in two near(560 m and 600 m flux-weighted baselines) and one far(1640 m flux-weighted baseline) underground experimental halls. With 621 days of data, more than 1.2 million inverse beta decay(IBD) candidates were detected. The IBD yield in the eight detectors was measured, and the ratio of measured to predicted flux was found to be 0.946±0.020(0.992±0.021) for the Huber+Mueller(ILL+Vogel) model. A 2.9σ deviation was found in the measured IBD positron energy spectrum compared to the predictions. In particular, an excess of events in the region of 4–6 MeV was found in the measured spectrum, with a local significance of 4.4σ. A reactor antineutrino spectrum weighted by the IBD cross section is extracted for model-independent predictions.     

Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle θ(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GWth-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10,416 (80,376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R=0.940±0.011(stat.)±0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2θ(13)=0.092±0.016(stat.)±0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.     

A study of antineutrino spectra from spent nuclear fuel at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment is designed to determine the as yet unknown neutrino mixing angle, θ₁₃, by measuring the disappearance of electron antineutrinos from several nuclear reactor cores. The projected sensitivity in sin²(2θ₁₃) of better than 0.01 at a 90% CL should be achieved after three years of data-taking. Antineutrinos emitted from spent nuclear fuel (SNF) distort the soft part of the energy spectrum. In this article, a calculation of the antineutrino spectra from the long-life isotopes in SNF is performed. A non-equilibrium generation of long half-life isotopes during the running time of the reactor is also analyzed. Finally, we show that the antineutrino event rate contribution from SNF, which has been stored in the SNF pool for several years, may be non-negligible.     

First direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance

This Letter reports the first direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance. The MINOS experiment has taken data with an accelerator beam optimized for ν(μ) production, accumulating an exposure of 1.71 × 102? protons on target. In the Far Detector, 97 charged current ν(μ) events are observed. The no-oscillation hypothesis predicts 156 events and is excluded at 6.3σ. The best fit to oscillation yields |Δm2| = [3.36(-0.40)(+0.46)(stat) ± 0.06(syst)] × 10?3 eV2, sin2(2θ) = 0.86(-0.12)(+0.11)(stat) ± 0.01(syst). The MINOS ν(μ) and ν(μ) measurements are consistent at the 2.0% confidence level, assuming identical underlying oscillation parameters.     

PMT waveform modeling at the Daya Bay experiment

Detailed measurements of Hamamatsu R5912 photomultiplier signals are presented, including the single photoelectron charge response, waveform shape, nonlinearity, saturation, overshoot, oscillation, prepulsing, and afterpulsing. The results were used to build a detailed model of the PMT signal characteristics over a wide range of light intensities. Including the PMT model in simulated Daya Bay particle interactions shows no significant systematic effects that are detrimental to the experimental sensitivity.     

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.     

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.     

Search for electron antineutrino interactions with the Borexino Counting Test Facility at Gran Sasso

Electron antineutrino interactions above the inverse beta decay energy of protons (E_ν̄e>1.8 MeV) were looked for with the Borexino counting test facility (CTF). One candidate event survived after rejection of background, which included muon-induced neutrons and random coincidences. An upper limit on the solar ν̄_e flux, assumed having the ⁸B solar neutrino energy spectrum, of 1.1×10⁵ cm^-2 s^-1 (90% C.L.) was set with a 7.8 ton × year exposure. This upper limit corresponds to a solar neutrino transition probability, ν_e→ν̄_e, of 0.02 (90% C.L.). Predictions for antineutrino detection with Borexino, including geoneutrinos, are discussed on the basis of background measurements performed with the CTF. PACS 13.15.+g, 14.60.St, 13.40.Em, 96.60.Hv, 96.60.qd, 23.40.Bw     

Reactor antineutrino background at Gran Sasso

Summary In a recent paper, I have pointed out an important source of background for the detectors of low-energy (<10 MeV) electronic antineutrinos:the nuclear power stations. In this paper, I give more details on this background and its consequences at the location of the Gran Sasso laboratory which will become soon the largest underground centre in the world.

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Riassunto In un recente lavoro si è evidenziata un'importante sorgente di background per i rivelatori degli antineutrini elettronici a bassa energia (<10 MeV): le centrali nucleari. In questo lavoro si danno ulteriori dettagli su questo background e le sue conseguenze sull'ubicazione del laboratorio del Gran Sasso che diventerà presto il piú grande laboratorio sotterraneo nel mondo.

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Резюме В этой работе указывается важный источник фона для детекторов низкоэнергетических (<10 МэВ) электронных антинейтрино: атомные электростанции. Провосится оценка этого фона и его следствия в месте расположения лаборатории Гран Сассо, которая вскоре станет крупнейшим подземным исследовательским центром.

     

中微子非标准相互作用对大亚湾实验的影响

大亚湾中微子实验的目标是测量中微子混合矩阵中的最小混合角θ13.如果考虑中微子的非标准相互作用(NSIs),中微子的振荡概率公式要做相应的改写,其效应将和θ13纠缠在一起,从而降低了实验对θ13的敏感度(sensitivity).讨论了在NSIs存在的情况下大亚湾实验对θ13的敏感度,发现这个实验不可能同时测量出NSIs和θ13的值.由于当θ13=0时反应堆产生的反中微子将没有振荡现象(NSIs的效应也将消失),如果大亚湾实验测量到了中微子振荡效应,那将表明θ13≠0;但是,由于非零的θ13的效应和NSIs的效应有可能抵消而导致中微子没有振荡.如果大亚湾实验没有测量到中微子振荡,不能排除非零的θ13.     

Overview on neutrinos and the Daya Bay experiment

Neutrinos are elementary particles in the Standard Model. Neutrino oscillation is a quantum mechanical phenomenon beyond the Standard Model. Neutrino oscillation can be described by two independent mass-squared differences Δm ₂₁ ² , Δm ₃₁ ² (or Δm ₃₂ ² ) and a 3 × 3 unitary matrix, containing three mixing angles θ ₁₂, θ ₂₃, θ ₁₃, and one charge-parity (CP) phase. θ ₁₂ is about 34° and determined by solar neutrino experiments and the reactor neutrino experiment KamLAND. θ ₂₃ is about 45° and determined by atmospheric neutrino experiments and accelerator neutrino experiments. θ ₁₃ can be measured by either accelerator or reactor neutrino experiments. On Mar. 8, 2012, the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment reported the first observation of non-zero θ ₁₃ with 5.2 standard deviations. In June, with 2.5× previous data, Daya Bay improved the measurement of sin²2θ ₁₃ = 0.089 ± 0.010(stat) ± 0.005(syst).     

大亚湾反应堆中微子实验

中微子振荡是目前唯一超出粒子物理标准模型的新现象，它证明了中微子质量不为零，对粒子物理、天体物理与宇宙学均有非常重要的意义．在描述中微子振荡的6个参数中，目前仍有两个未知：交叉混合角θ13与CP相角δ．作者建议在大亚湾反应堆附近建设一个中微子实验站，测量混合角sin^2θ13，在90％的置信度下达到0．01的精度，较过去的实验提高近一个数量级．这将对中微子物理的未来发展提供方向性指导，特别是对理解宇宙中“反物质消失之谜”具有重要意义．     

利用大亚湾中微子实验装置探测超新星中微子

在利用大亚湾中微子实验装置研究超新星中微子探测过程中, 需要考虑到中微子传播过程中受到各种效应的影响, 包括超新星震荡效应、中微子集体效应、 Mikheyev Smirnov Wolfenstein (MSW)效应和地球物质效应等。 由于超新星中微子受到这些效应, 不同味道的中微子之间振荡会发生变化, 因而利用探测某些超新星中微子事例数之比, 就有可能确定中微子的质量层次,得到中微子混合角θ13和中微子绝对质量的信息。 While detecting supernova neutrinos in the Daya Bay neutrino laboratory, several supernova neutrino effects need to be considered, including the supernova shock effects, the neutrino collective effects, the Mikheyev Smirnov Wolfenstein (MSW) effects, and the Earth matter effects. The phenomena of neutrino oscillation is affected by the above effects. Using some ratios of the event numbers of different supernova neutrinos, we propose some possible methods to identify the mass hierarchy and acquire information about the neutrino mixing angle θ13 and neutrino masses.     

大亚湾反应堆中微子实验

中微子振荡是目前唯一超出粒子物理标准模型的新现象,它证明了中微子质量不为零,对粒子物理、天体物理与宇宙学均有非常重要的意义.在描述中微子振荡的6个参数中,目前仍有两个未知：交叉混合角θ13与CP相角δ. 作者建议在大亚湾反应堆附近建设一个中微子实验站,测量混合角sin22θ13在90%的置信度下达到0.01 的精度,较过去的实验提高近一个数量级.这将对中微子物理的未来发展提供方向性指导,特别是对理解宇宙中“反物质消失之谜”具有重要意义.     

Study of RPC gas composition using Daya Bay RPCs

This study uses Daya Bay RPCs operating in streamer mode to investigate gas mixtures of at least 50% argon,at most 6% isobutane,and with small amounts of SF6.Isobutane is reduced to 2% without degradation of performance,and SF6 reduces the noise rate and current,as well as the signal size.This study provides quantitative relationships between basic RPC operating parameters and various gas compositions.     

Study of RPC gas composition using Daya Bay RPCs

This study uses Daya Bay RPCs operating in streamer mode to investigate gas mixtures of at least 50% argon, at most 6% isobutane, and with small amounts of SF6. Isobutane is reduced to 2% without degradation of performance, and SF6 reduces the noise rate and current, as well as the signal size. This study provides quantitative relationships between basic RPC operating parameters and various gas compositions.     

Design and preliminary test results of Daya Bay RPC modules

Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) modules will be used as one part of the cosmic muon veto system in the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment. A total of 189 RPC modules will cover the three water pools in the experiment. To achieve track reconstruction and high efficiency, each module consists of 4 layers, each of which contains two sizes of bare chambers. The placement of bare chambers is reversed in different layers to reduce the overlapping dead areas. The module efficiency and patch efficiency were studied both in simulation and test of the data analysis. 143 modules have been constructed and tested. The preliminary study shows that the module and patch 3 out of 4 layers efficiency reaches about 98%.     

Comparison of escape depths between Auger electron and disappearance potential spectroscopy electron

The escape depths of the characteristic electrons of the Auger electron and the quasielastically reflected electron were determined by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and disappearance potential spectroscopy (DAPS), respectively, for a Cr overlayer onto Ti and Fe substrates. For the case of Cr on Fe, in-situ measurements of AES and DAPS were carried out. From the results, the mean free paths of 455, 575 and 710 eV electrons through Cr were obtained as 9.6, 13 and 15 Å, respectively. The attenuation length of a 2.5 keV primary electron of AES through Cr was also obtained and the value was 62 Å. In addition, the mean free paths of electrons with the same energy depend on the scattering materials of Cr, Mo and W (material dependence). The phenomena are useful for a quantitative electron spectroscopy of surfaces.