# The Radioactive Source Calibration System of the PROSPECT Reactor Antineutrino Detector

## TL;DR

This paper details the design, operation, and performance of the calibration system for the PROSPECT reactor neutrino detector, which is crucial for accurate antineutrino measurement and sterile neutrino searches.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel radioactive source calibration system specifically designed for the PROSPECT detector, enhancing its measurement precision.

## Key findings

- Calibration system effectively characterizes detector response.
- System improves accuracy of antineutrino spectrum measurement.
- Reliable source deployment demonstrated in operational environment.

## Abstract

The Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum (PROSPECT) Experiment is a reactor neutrino experiment designed to search for sterile neutrinos with a mass on the order of 1 eV/c$^2$ and to measure the spectrum of electron antineutrinos from a highly-enriched $^{235}$U nuclear reactor. The PROSPECT detector consists of an 11 by 14 array of optical segments in $^{6}$Li-loaded liquid scintillator at the High Flux Isotope Reactor in Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Antineutrino events are identified via inverse beta decay and read out by photomultiplier tubes located at the ends of each segment. The detector response is characterized using a radioactive source calibration system. This paper describes the design, operation, and performance of the PROSPECT source calibration system.