Search for the Neutrino Magnetic Moment in the Non-Equilibrium Reactor Antineutrino Energy Spectrum

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the antineutrino energy spectrum from nuclear reactors evolves over time and how these variations impact searches for the neutrino magnetic moment.

Contribution

It introduces an analysis of the time-dependent antineutrino spectrum and its effects on magnetic moment detection efforts.

Findings

Reactor ON period spectrum varies significantly over time.

Residual spectrum decay affects magnetic moment search sensitivity.

Soft recoil electron spectra are influenced by weak and magnetic scattering processes.

Abstract

We study the time evolution of the typical nuclear reactor antineutrino energy spectrum during reactor ON period and the decay of the residual antineutrino spectrum after reactor is stopped. We find that relevant variations of the soft recoil electron spectra produced via weak and magnetic ${\widetilde {\nu}}_{e},e$ scattering process can play a signigicant role in the current and planned searches for the neutrino magnetic moment at reactors.