Search for Sterile Neutrinos with a Radioactive Source at Daya Bay

TL;DR

This paper proposes using the Daya Bay far site detector with a radioactive source to search for sterile neutrinos with > eV mass, demonstrating the feasibility and sensitivity of the approach within one year.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental setup at Daya Bay to search for sterile neutrinos using a radioactive source, with detailed site layout and background analysis.

Findings

Full parameter space coverage for sterile neutrino hypothesis within one year.

Backgrounds from nearby reactors are manageable.

Flexible source placement enhances experimental sensitivity.

Abstract

The far site detector complex of the Daya Bay reactor experiment is proposed as a location to search for sterile neutrinos with > eV mass. Antineutrinos from a 500 kCi 144Ce-144Pr beta-decay source (DeltaQ=2.996 MeV) would be detected by four identical 20-ton antineutrino targets. The site layout allows flexible source placement; several specific source locations are discussed. In one year, the 3+1 sterile neutrino hypothesis can be tested at essentially the full suggested range of the parameters Delta m^2_{new} and sin^22theta_{new} (90% C.L.). The backgrounds from six nuclear reactors at >1.6 km distance are shown to be manageable. Advantages of performing the experiment at the Daya Bay far site are described.