The Double Chooz reactor neutrino experiment

TL;DR

The Double Chooz experiment aims to measure the neutrino mixing angle theta13 with high sensitivity using two identical detectors near nuclear reactors, potentially revealing CP violation in the leptonic sector.

Contribution

This paper reviews the design, status, and expected performance of the Double Chooz experiment, highlighting its potential to measure or constrain theta13 with unprecedented sensitivity.

Findings

Potential to measure sin^2(2theta13) down to 0.03 at 90% C.L.

Capability to detect sin^2(2theta13) > 0.05 at 3 sigma within three years.

Expected first neutrino results in 2009.

Abstract

The Double Chooz reactor neutrino experiment will be the next detector to search for a non vanishing theta13 mixing angle with unprecedented sensitivity, which might open the way to unveiling CP violation in the leptonic sector. The measurement of this angle will be based in a precise comparison of the antineutrino spectrum at two identical detectors located at different distances from the Chooz nuclear reactor cores in France. Double Chooz is particularly attractive because of its capability to measure sin2(2theta13) to 3 sigmas if sin2(2theta13) > 0.05 or to exclude sin2(2theta13) down to 0.03 at 90% C.L. for Dm2 = 2.5 x 10-3 eV2 in three years of data taking with both detectors. The construction of the far detector starts in 2008 and the first neutrino results are expected in 2009. The current status of the experiment, its physics potential and design and expected performance of the detector are reviewed.