Determining Reactor Neutrino Flux

TL;DR

This paper reviews methods for accurately determining reactor neutrino flux, emphasizing recent progress and its importance for neutrino oscillation measurements and reactor monitoring.

Contribution

It provides an overview of flux calculation techniques, recent advancements, and discusses how uncertainty correlations impact future neutrino experiments.

Findings

Reactor neutrino flux is determined from multiple sources including thermal power and isotope spectra.

Recent progress has improved flux calculation accuracy and uncertainty understanding.

Precise flux determination enhances neutrino oscillation measurements and non-proliferation efforts.

Abstract

Flux is an important source of uncertainties for a reactor neutrino experiment. It is determined from thermal power measurements, reactor core simulation, and knowledge of neutrino spectra of fuel isotopes. Past reactor neutrino experiments have determined the flux to (2-3)% precision. Precision measurements of mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ by reactor neutrino experiments in the coming years will use near-far detector configurations. Most uncertainties from reactor will be canceled out. Understanding of the correlation of uncertainties is required for $\theta_{13}$ experiments. Precise determination of reactor neutrino flux will also improve the sensitivity of the non-proliferation monitoring and future reactor experiments. We will discuss the flux calculation and recent progresses.