Experiment for search for sterile neutrino at SM-3 reactor
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xperiment for Search for Sterile Neutrino at SM-3 Reactor1, 2 A. P. Serebrova, *, V. G. Ivochkina, R. M. Samoylova, A. K. Fomina, V. G. Zinovieva, P. V. Neustroeva, V. L. Golovtsova, N. V. Gruzinskya, V. A. Soloveya, A. V. Cherniya, O. M. Zherebtsova, V. P. Martemyanovb, V. G. Zinoevb, V. G. Tarasenkovb, V. I. Aleshinb, A. L. Petelinc, S. V. Pavlovc, A. L. Izhutovc, S. A. Sazontovc, D. K. Ryazanovc, M. O. Gromovc, V. V. Afanasievc, L. N. Matrosova, and M. Yu. Matrosovaa aPetersburg
Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, 188300 Russia Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, 123182 Russia c State Scientific Centre—Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, Dimitrovgrad-10, 433510 Russia *e-mail: [email protected] bNational
Abstract⎯In connection with the question of possible existence of sterile neutrino the laboratory on the basis of SM-3 reactor was created to search for oscillations of reactor antineutrino. A prototype of a neutrino detector with scintillator volume of 400 l can be moved at the distance of 6–11 m from the reactor core. The measurements of background conditions have been made. It is shown that the main experimental problem is associated with cosmic radiation background. Test measurements of dependence of a reactor antineutrino flux on the distance from a reactor core have been made. The prospects of search for oscillations of reactor antineutrino at short distances are discussed. DOI: 10.1134/S1063779616060228
1. INTRODUCTION At present there is a widely spread discussion of possible existence of a sterile neutrino having much less cross-section of interaction with matter than, for example, reactor electron antineutrino. It is assumed that owing to reactor antineutrino transition to sterile condition, oscillation effect at a short reactor distance and deficiency of a reactor antineutrino beam at a long range are likely to be observed [1, 2]. Moreover, sterile neutrino can be regarded as being a candidate for the dark matter. We have studied possibility of making new experiments at research reactors in Russia. It is research reactors that are required for performing such experiments as they possess a compact reactor core center and can be situated at a sufficiently small distance from possible location of a neutrino detector. Unfortunately, the research reactor beam hall has a fairly large background of neutron and gamma quanta, which makes it difficult to perform low background experiments. Due to some peculiar characteristics of its construction, reactor SM-3 provides the most favorable conditions for conducting an experiment on search for neutron oscillations at short distances. 1 Talk
at The International Workshop on Prospects of Particle Physics: “Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics”, Valday, Ferbuary 1–8, 2015. 2 The article is published in the original.
2. REACTOR SM-3 Initially 100-MW reactor SM-3 was designed for carrying out both beam and loop experiments. Five beam halls were built, separated from each other with big concrete walls as wide as ∼ 1 m (Fig. 1). This enabled to carry out e
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