The PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment

Journal Article · Wed Jan 02 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.12.079· OSTI ID:1491145

Ashenfelter, J.; Balantekin, A. B.; Baldenegro, C.; Band, H. R.; Bass, C. D.; Bergeron, D. E.; Berish, D.; Bignell, L. J.; Bowden, N. S.; Boyle, J.; Bricco, J.; Brodsky, J. P.; Bryan, C. D.; Telles, A. Bykadorova; Cherwinka, J. J.; Classen, T.; Commeford, K.; Conant, A.; Cox, A. A.; Davee, D. ; Dean, D.; Deichert, G.; Diwan, M. V.; Dolinski, M. J.; Erickson, A.; Febbraro, M.; Foust, B. T.; Gaison, J. K.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Gilbert, C.; Gilje, K.; Glenn, A.; Goddard, B. W.; Hackett, B.; Han, K.; Hans, S.; Hansell, A. B.; Heeger, K. M.; Heffron, B.; Insler, J.; Jaffe, D. E.; Ji, X.; Jones, D. C.; Koehler, K.; Kyzylova, O.; Lane, C. E.; Langford, T. J.; LaRosa, J.; Littlejohn, B. R.; Lopez, F.; Lu, X.; Caicedo, D. A. Martinez; Matta, J. T.; McKeown, R. D.; Mendenhall, M. ..; Miller, H. J.; Minock, J.; Mueller, P. E.; Mumm, H. P.; Napolitano, J.; Neilson, R.; Nikkel, J. A.; Norcini, D.; Nour, S.; Pushin, D. A.; Qian, X.; Romero-Romero, E.; Rosero, R.; Sarenac, D.; Seilhan, B.; Sharma, R.; Surukuchi, P. T.; Trinh, C.; Tyra, M. A.; Varner, R. L.; Viren, B.; Wagner, J. M.; Wang, W.; White, B.; White, C.; Wilhelmi, J.; Wise, T.; Yao, H.; Yeh, M.; Yen, Y. -R.; Zhang, A.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, M.

The Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment, PROSPECT, is designed to make both a precise measurement of the antineutrino spectrum from a highly-enriched uranium reactor and to probe eV-scale sterile neutrinos by searching for neutrino oscillations over meter-long baselines. PROSPECT utilizes a segmented ⁶Li-doped liquid scintillator detector for both efficient detection of reactor antineutrinos through the inverse beta decay reaction and excellent background discrimination. PROSPECT is a movable 4-ton antineutrino detector covering distances of 7 m to 13 m from the High Flux Isotope Reactor core. It will probe the best-fit point of the v¯_e disappearance experiments at 4 σ in 1 year and the favored regions of the sterile neutrino parameter space at more than 3σ in 3 years. PROSPECT will test the origin of spectral deviations observed in recent θ₁₃ experiments, search for sterile neutrinos, and address the hypothesis of sterile neutrinos as an explanation of the reactor anomaly. This study describes the design, construction, and commissioning of PROSPECT and reports first data characterizing the performance of the PROSPECT antineutrino detector.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Illinois Inst. of Technology, Chicago, IL (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25)
• Contributing Organization: PROSPECT collaboration
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725; AC52-07NA27344; SC0008347; SC0012704; SC0016060; SC0016357; SC0017660; SC0017815
• OSTI ID: 1491145
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1502042; OSTI ID: 1547902; OSTI ID: 1564147; OSTI ID: 1595058
• Report Number(s): BNL--210855-2019-JAAM; LLNL-JRNL--755965
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Journal Name: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Vol. 922; ISSN 0168-9002
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
Neutrino mixing
Neutrino oscillation
PROSPECT
Reactor