Production of electron neutrinos at nuclear power reactors and the prospects for neutrino physics
- Department of Nuclear Physics, Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing 102413 (China)
- Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan (China)
- Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115 (China)
- Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100039 (China)
- LPNHE, Universite de Paris VII, Paris 75252 (France)
High flux of electron neutrinos({nu}{sub e}) is produced at nuclear power reactors through the decays of nuclei activated by neutron capture. Realistic simulation studies on the neutron transport and capture at the reactor core were performed. The production of {sup 51}Cr and {sup 55}Fe give rise to monoenergetic {nu}{sub e}'s at Q-values of 753 keV and 231 keV and fluxes of 8.3x10{sup -4} and 3.0x10{sup -4}{nu}{sub e}/fission, respectively. Using data from a germanium detector at the Kuo-Sheng Power Plant, we derived direct limits on the {nu}{sub e} magnetic moment and the radiative lifetime of {mu}{sub {nu}}<1.3x10{sup -8}{mu}{sub B} and {tau}{sub {nu}}/m{sub {nu}}>0.11 s/eV at 90% confidence level (CL), respectively. Indirect bounds on {tau}{sub {nu}}/m{sub {nu}}{sup 3} were also inferred. The {nu}{sub e}-flux can be enhanced by loading selected isotopes to the reactor core, and the potential applications and achievable statistical accuracies were examined. These include accurate cross-section measurements, studies of mixing angle {theta}{sub 13} and monitoring of plutonium production.
- OSTI ID:
- 20711033
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 72, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.72.012006; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). TEXONO Collaboration; ISSN 0556-2821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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