Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum from $^{235}$U Fission using PROSPECT

TL;DR

PROSPECT is a short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiment that precisely measures the $^{235}$U spectrum to investigate anomalies and search for sterile neutrinos.

Contribution

This work provides the first high-precision measurement of the $^{235}$U reactor antineutrino spectrum at HFIR using a novel segmented liquid scintillator detector.

Findings

Measured the $^{235}$U antineutrino spectrum with high precision.

Identified deviations from predicted spectra that could indicate new physics.

Contributed to the understanding of reactor antineutrino anomalies.

Abstract

PROSPECT is a short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiment designed to search for short-baseline sterile neutrino oscillations and perform a precise measurement of $^{235}$U reactor antineutrino spectrum from the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This measurement probes our understanding of recent anomalous results observed in reactor antineutrinos. PROSPECT uses a $\sim$4-ton optically segmented, $^{6}$Li-loaded liquid scintillator detector with high light yield, world-leading energy resolution, and excellent pulse shape discrimination. The latest antineutrino spectrum measurement results from $^{235}$U fissions at HFIR are reported.