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At least 19 records

Monte Carlo Simulation of a Segmented Detector for Low-Energy Electron Antineutrinos

Detection of low-energy electron antineutrinos is of importance for several purposes, such as ex-vessel reactor monitoring, neutrino oscillation studies, etc. The inverse beta decay (IBD) is the interaction that is responsible for detection mechanism in (organic) plastic scintillation detectors. Here, a detailed study will be presented dealing with the radiation and optical transport simulation of a typical segmented antineutrino detector withMonte Carlo method using MCNPX and FLUKA codes. This study shows different aspects of the detector, benefiting from inherent capabilities of the Monte Carlo simulation codes.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A Search for Correlated Low-energy Electron Antineutrinos in KamLAND with Gamma-Ray Bursts

We present the results of a time-coincident event search for low-energy electron antineutrinos in the KamLAND detector with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from the Gamma-ray Coordinates Network and Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. Using a variable coincidence time window of ±500 s plus the duration of each GRB, no statistically significant excess above the background is observed. We place the world’s most stringent 90% confidence level upper limit on the electron antineutrino fluence below 17.5 MeV. Assuming a Fermi–Dirac neutrino energy spectrum from the GRB source, we use the available redshift data to constrain the electron antineutrino luminosity and effective temperature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Limits on the Low-energy Electron Antineutrino Flux from the Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst of All Time

The electron antineutrino flux limits are presented for the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) of all time, GRB221009A, over a range of 1.8–200 MeV using the Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Antineutrino Detector. Using multiple time windows ranging from minutes to days surrounding the event to search for electron antineutrinos coincident with the GRB, we set an upper limit on the flux under the assumption of several power-law neutrino source spectra, with power-law indices ranging from 1.5 to 3 in steps of 0.5. No excess was observed in any time windows ranging from seconds to days around the event trigger time T 0 . For a power-law index of 2 and a time window of T 0 ± 500 s, a flux upper limit of 2.34 × 10 9 cm −2 was calculated. The limits are compared to the results presented by IceCube.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Search For Electron-Antineutrinos Associated With 2 Gravitational-Wave Events GW150914, GW151012, GW151226, 3 GW170104, GW170608, GW170814, and GW170817 at Daya Bay

Providing a possible connection between neutrino emission and gravitational-wave (GW) bursts is important to our understanding of the physical processes that occur when black holes or neutron stars merge. In the Daya Bay experiment, using the data collected from December 2011 to August 2017, a search has been performed for electron-antineutrino signals coinciding with detected GW events, including GW150914, GW151012, GW151226, GW170104, GW170608, GW170814, and GW170817. We used three time windows of ±10 s, ±500 s, and ±1000 s relative to the occurrence of the GW events, and a neutrino energy range of 1.8 to 100 MeV to search for correlated neutrino candidates. The detected electron-antineutrino candidates are consistent with the expected background rates for all the three time windows. Assuming monochromatic spectra, we found upper limits (90% confidence level) on electron-antineutrino fluence of (1.13 - 2.44)×1011 cm-2 at 5 MeV to 8.0×107cm-2at 100 MeV for the three timewindows. Under the assumption of a Fermi-Dirac spectrum, the upper limits were found to be (5.4 - 7.0)×109 cm-2 for the three time windows.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

KamLAND’s search for correlated low-energy electron antineutrinos with astrophysical neutrinos from IceCube

In this work, we report the results of a search for MeV-scale astrophysical neutrinos in KamLAND presented as an excess in the number of coincident neutrino interactions associated with the publicly available high-energy neutrino datasets from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. We find no statistically significant excess in the number of observed low-energy electron antineutrinos in KamLAND, given a coincidence time window of ±500 s, ±1,000 s, ±3,600 s, and ±10,000 s around each of the IceCube neutrinos. We use this observation to present limits from 1.8 MeV to 100 MeV on the electron antineutrino fluence, assuming a mono-energetic flux. We then compare the results to several astrophysical measurements performed by IceCube and place a limit at the 90% confidence level on the electron antineutrino isotropic thermal luminosity from the TXS 0506+056 blazar.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Search for Low-energy Electron Antineutrinos in KamLAND Associated with Gravitational Wave Events

We present the results of a search for MeV-scale electron antineutrino events in KamLAND in coincident with the 60 gravitational wave events/candidates reported by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration during their second and third observing runs. We find no significant coincident signals within a $\pm$ 500 s timing window from each gravitational wave and present 90% C.L. upper limits on the electron antineutrino fluence between $10^{8}$-$10^{13}\,{\mathrm cm^2}$ for neutrino energies in the energy range of 1.8-111 MeV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Search for Astrophysical Electron Antineutrinos in Super-Kamiokande with 0.01% Gadolinium-loaded Water

We report the first search result for the flux of astrophysical electron antineutrinos for energies $\mathcal{O}$(10)$MeV$ in the gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector. In 2020 June, gadolinium was introduced to the ultrapure water of the SK detector in order to detect neutrons more efficiently. In this new experimental phase, SK-Gd, we can search for electron antineutrinos via inverse beta decay with efficient background rejection thanks to the high efficiency of the neutron tagging technique. In this paper, we report the result for the initial stage of SK-Gd, during 2020 August 26, and 2022 June 1 with a 22.5 × 552 kton · day exposure at 0.01% Gd mass concentration. No significant excess over the expected background in the observed events is found for the neutrino energies below 31.3 MeV. Thus, the flux upper limits are placed at the 90% confidence level. The limits and sensitivities are already comparable with the previous SK result with pure water (22.5 × 2970 kton · day) owing to the enhanced neutron tagging. Operation with Gd increased to 0.03% started in 2022 June.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Short-baseline electron antineutrino disappearance study by using neutrino sources from {sup 13}C + {sup 9}Be reaction

To investigate the existence of sterile neutrino, we propose a new neutrino production method using {sup 13}C beams and a {sup 9}Be target for short-baseline electron antineutrino (ν-bar {sub e} ) disappearance study. The production of secondary unstable isotopes which can emit neutrinos from the {sup 13}C + {sup 9}Be reaction is calculated with three different nucleus-nucleus (AA) reaction models. Different isotope yields are obtained using these models, but the results of the neutrino flux are found to have unanimous similarities. This feature gives an opportunity to study neutrino oscillation through shape analysis. In this work, expected neutrino flux and event rates are discussed in detail through intensive simulation of the light ion collision reaction and the neutrino flux from the beta decay of unstable isotopes followed by this collision. Together with the reactor and accelerator anomalies, the present proposed ν-bar {sub e} source is shown to be a practically alternative test of the existence of the Δ m {sup 2} ∼ 1 eV{sup 2} scale sterile neutrino.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

aCORN: An experiment to measure the electron-antineutrino correlation coefficient in free neutron decay

Here, we describe an apparatus used to measure the electron-antineutrino angular correlation coefficient in free neutron decay. This apparatus employs a novel measurement technique in which the angular correlation is converted into a proton time-of-flight asymmetry that is counted directly, avoiding the need for proton spectroscopy. We present details of the method, apparatus, detectors, data acquisition, and data reduction scheme, along with a discussion of the important systematic effects.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation based on 1230 days of operation of the Daya Bay experiment

Here, a measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation by the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is described in detail. Six 2.9-GWth nuclear power reactors of the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power facilities served as intense sources of ¯ν e ’s. Comparison of the ¯ν e rate and energy spectrum measured by antineutrino detectors far from the nuclear reactors (~1500–1950 m) relative to detectors near the reactors (~350–600 m) allowed a precise measurement of ¯ν e disappearance. More than 2.5 million ¯ν e inverse beta-decay interactions were observed, based on the combination of 217 days of operation of six antineutrino detectors (December, 2011–July, 2012) with a subsequent 1013 days using the complete configuration of eight detectors (October, 2012–July, 2015). The ¯ν e rate observed at the far detectors relative to the near detectors showed a significant deficit, R = 0.949 ± 0.002(stat) ± 0.002(syst). The energy dependence of ¯ν e disappearance showed the distinct variation predicted by neutrino oscillation. Analysis using an approximation for the three-flavor oscillation probability yielded the flavor-mixing angle sin 2 2θ 13 = 0.0841 ± 0.0027(stat) ± 0.0019(syst) and the effective neutrino mass-squared difference of |Δm 2 ee | = (2.50 ± 0.06(stat) ± 0.06(syst)) × 10 –3 eV 2 . Analysis using the exact three-flavor probability found Δm 2 32 = (2.45 ± 0.06(stat) ± 0.06(syst)) × 10 –3 eV 2 assuming the normal neutrino mass hierarchy and Δm 2 32 = (–2.56 ± 0.06(stat) ± 0.06(syst)) × 10 –3 eV 2 for the inverted hierarchy.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Precision Measurement of Electron Antineutrino Disappearance in the Daya Bay Experiment

The Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment studies the disappearance of electron antineutrinos from reactor cores at the Daya Bay Power Plant located in China. Daya Bay has made a precision measurement of one of the parameters describing the quantum mechanical mixing between neutrino flavor states and mass states, the mixing angle $\theta_{13}$. One source of systematic uncertainty in the measurement is due to background induced by cosmic ray muons. The detectors are located underground to minimize the cosmic flux, but the residual backgrounds must be measured. This program will focus on the study and measurement of the cosmic muon-induced backgrounds at Daya Bay with a goal of achieving the lowest possible level of background-related systematics on the disappearance measurement. In addition to providing crucial input to the Daya Bay disappearance analysis, measurements of the muon flux and the production of neutrons and radioactive nuclei by cosmic muons will be of general interest to other underground experiments such as double beta decay and dark matter searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Neutrinos from SN 1987A - Implications for cooling of the nascent neutron star and the mass of the electron antineutrino

Data on neutrinos from SN 1987A are compared here with parameterized models of the neutrino emission using a consistent and straightforward statistical methodology. The empirically measured detector background spectra are included in the analysis, and the data are compared with a much wider variety of neutrino emission models than was explored previously. It is shown that the inferred neutrino emission model parameters are strongly correlated. The analysis confirms that simple models of the neutrino cooling of the nascent neutron star formed by the SN adequately explain the data. The inferred radius and binding energy of the neutron star are in excellent agreement with model calculations based on a wide range of equations of state. The results also raise the upper limit of the electron antineutrino rest mass to roughly 25 eV at the 95 percent confidence level, roughly 1.5-5 times higher than found previously.

Loredo, Thomas J.↗

MEASUREMENT OF THE CHARGED-CURRENT INCLUSIVE ELECTRON NEUTRINO AND ELECTRON ANTINEUTRINO CROSS SECTION USING THE MICROBOONE DETECTOR IN THE NUMI BEAM

Detection of electron neutrino appearance is the process by which modern neutrino experiments seek to answer the open questions in neutrino physics: CP-violation in the neutrino sector, the neutrino mass ordering, and sterile neutrino oscillations. To date, only three measurements of electron neutrino cross sections have been performed. The analysis presented in this thesis describes the extraction of the first charged-current inclusive $\nu_e$ + $\bar{\nu}_e$ cross section on argon. This calculation was performed with data collected by the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber using neutrinos from the Neutrino Main Injector (NuMI) beam located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Extraction of this cross section is enabled by the first fully-automated inclusive selection of $\nu_e$ + $\bar{\nu}_e$ charged-current interactions in a liquid argon time projection chamber, which provided the largest sample of $\nu_e$ + $\bar{\nu}_e$ charged-current interactions ever observed in liquid argon. The selection utilises the signature capabilities of liquid argon, such as distinguishing electron-like and photon-like electromagnetic showers using their charge-deposition profiles (dE/dx). The evaluation of systematic effects influencing the final cross section, including detector simulation and flux simulation uncertainties, which have been applied for the first time to a MicroBooNE analysis using neutrinos from the NuMI beam, is also presented. The total impact of all systematic and statistical effects results in a 38.44\% uncertainty on the flux integrated cross section, giving $\sigma_{\nu_{e}~+~\bar{\nu}_e} = 4.67 \pm 1.01 \textrm{(stat)} \pm 1.48 \textrm{(sys)} \times 10^{-39}$ cm$^{2}$ per nucleon as the final result, which is in agreement with theoretical predictions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A search for electron antineutrinos associated with gravitational-wave events GW150914 and GW151226 using KamLAND

Here, we present a search, using KamLAND, a kiloton-scale anti-neutrino detector, for low-energy anti-neutrino events that were coincident with the gravitational-wave (GW) events GW150914 and GW151226, and the candidate event LVT151012. We find no inverse beta-decay neutrino events within ±500 s of either GW signal. This non-detection is used to constrain the electron anti-neutrino fluence and the total integrated luminosity of the astrophysical sources.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

CeLAND: search for a 4th light neutrino state with a 3 PBq 144 Ce- 144 Pr electron antineutrino generator in KamLAND

The reactor neutrino and gallium anomalies can be tested with a 3-4 PBq (75-100 kCi scale) 144 Ce- 144 Pr antineutrino beta-source deployed at the center or next to a large low-background liquid scintillator detector. The antineutrino generator will be produced by the Russian reprocessing plant PA Mayak as early as 2014, transported to Japan, and deployed in the Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector (KamLAND) as early as 2015. KamLAND's 13 m diameter target volume provides a suitable environment to measure the energy and position dependence of the detected neutrino flux. A characteristic oscillation pattern would be visible for a baseline of about 10 m or less, providing a very clean signal of neutrino disappearance into a yet-unknown, sterile neutrino state. This will provide a comprehensive test of the electron dissaperance neutrino anomalies and could lead to the discovery of a 4th neutrino state for Δm$2\atop{new}$ ≳ 0.1 eV 2 and sin 2 (2θ new ) > 0.05.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗