Monitoring the Thermal Power of Nuclear Reactors with a Prototype Cubic Meter Antineutrino Detector

Journal Article · Wed Jun 27 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Journal of Applied Physics

OSTI ID:929183

Bernstein, A; Bowden, N; Misner, A; Palmer, T

In this paper, we estimate how quickly and how precisely a reactor's operational status and thermal power can be monitored over hour to month time scales, using the antineutrino rate as measured by a cubic meter scale detector. Our results are obtained from a detector we have deployed and operated at 25 meter standoff from a reactor core. This prototype can detect a prompt reactor shutdown within five hours, and monitor relative thermal power to 3.5% within 7 days. Monitoring of short-term power changes in this way may be useful in the context of International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Reactor Safeguards Regime, or other cooperative monitoring regimes.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 929183
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JRNL-233165; JAPIAU; TRN: US0804078
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 103; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
ANTINEUTRINOS
IAEA
METERS
MONITORING
MONITORS
NUCLEAR ENERGY
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
REACTORS
SAFEGUARDS