Production of Electron Neutrinos at Nuclear Power Reactors and the Prospects for Neutrino Physics

TL;DR

This paper investigates electron neutrino production at nuclear reactors, simulates neutron capture processes, and explores applications like neutrino magnetic moment limits, isotope loading for flux enhancement, and neutrino physics measurements.

Contribution

It provides realistic simulations of neutrino production at reactors and assesses potential applications and experimental sensitivities for neutrino physics research.

Findings

Mono-energetic neutrinos at specific Q-values identified

Limits on neutrino magnetic moment and lifetime derived

Potential for flux enhancement via isotope loading analyzed

Abstract

High flux of electron neutrinos($\nue$) is produced at nuclear power reactors through the decays of nuclei activated by neutron capture. Realistic simulation studies on the neutron transport and capture at the reactor core were performed. The production of $\chr51$ and $\fe55$ give rise to mono-energetic $\nue$'s at Q-values of 753 keV and 231 keV and fluxes of $8.3 \times 10^{-4}$ and $3.0 \times 10^{-4}$ $\nue$/fission, respectively. Using data from a germanium detector at the Kuo-Sheng Power Plant, we derived direct limits on the $\nue$ magnetic moment and the radiative lifetime of $\mu_{\nu} < 1.3 \times 10^{-8} ~ \mub$ and $\rm{\tau_{\nu} / m_{\nu} > 0.11 s / eV}$ at 90% confidence level (CL), respectively. Indirect bounds on $\rm{\tau_{\nu} / m_{\nu}^3}$ were also inferred. The $\nue$-flux can be enhanced by loading selected isotopes to the reactor core, and the potential applications and achievable statistical accuracies were examined. These include accurate cross-section measurements, studies of mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ and monitoring of plutonium production.