Double Chooz and a History of Reactor Theta13 Experiments
F. Suekane, T. J. C. Bezerra
备注:
28 pages, 11figures. The final version to be printed in Nuclear Physics B after the review. Most recent results and references were added, some typos were corrected. The title was changed to represent the contents better. Contents did not change
This is a contribution paper from the Double Chooz experiment to the special issue of NPB on neutrino oscillations. The physics and a history of the reactor theta13 experiments, as well as Double Chooz experiment and its neutrino oscillation analyses are reviewed.
We discuss the potential of the proposed Double Chooz reactor experiment to measure the neutrino mixing angle $\sin^2 2θ_{13}$. We especially consider systematical uncertainties and their partial cancellation in a near and far detector operation, and we discuss implications of a delayed near detector startup. Furthermore, we introduce Triple Chooz, which is a possible upgrade scenario assuming a second, larger far detector, which could start data taking in an existing cavern five years after the first far detector. We review the role of the Chooz reactor experiments in the global context of fu…
We investigate the possible effects of short-baseline antinu_e disappearance implied by the reactor antineutrino anomaly on the Double-Chooz determination of theta_{13} through the normalization of the initial antineutrino flux with the Bugey-4 measurement. We show that the effects are negligible and the value of theta_{13} obtained by the Double-Chooz collaboration is accurate only if Delta m^2_{41} is larger than about 3 eV^2. For smaller values of Delta m^2_{41} the short-baseline oscillations are not fully averaged at Bugey-4 and the uncertainties due to the reactor antineutrino anomaly ca…
In 2011 and 2012, three reactor neutrino experiments, Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO showed positive signals of reactor neutrino disappearance and measured a mixing parameter sin^2(2th13) at average baselines 1.05, 1.65 and 1.44km, respectively. It is possible to measure effective Dm31^2 from distortion of neutrino energy spectrum (E dependence of the oscillation) in those experiments. However, since it requires a precise energy calibration, such measurements have not been reported yet. Dm31^2 can also be measured from baseline (L) dependence of the neutrino oscillation. In this paper, Dm31^2…
The Double Chooz experiment is meant to search for the neutrino mixing angle theta13 taking advantage of the neutrinos generated at the nuclear power plant of Chooz. Double Chooz relies on neutrino flux measurements at two different locations, the so-called far and near detectors, although the first phase runs only with the far detector. The commissioning of the far detector started in January 2011 and first results improving the current limit on theta13 are expected by the summer 2011. The status of the Double Chooz experiment is presented.
Double Chooz is a reactor neutrino experiment which investigates the last neutrino mixing angle; theta-13. It is necessary to measure reactor neutrino disappearance with precision 1% or better to detect finite value of theta-13. This requirement is the most strict compared to other reactor neutrino experiments performed so far. The Double Chooz experiment makes use of a number of techniques to reduce the possible errors to achieve the sensitivity. The detector is now under construction and it is expected to take first neutrino data in 2009 and to measure sin^22theta-13 with a sensitivity of 0.…
Double Chooz experiment will search for a disappearance of the reactor neutrinos from Chooz reactor cores in Ardenne, France, in order to detect the yet unknown neutrino oscillation angle θ13. The far detector was completed in 2010 and data-taking has started in spring 2011. Status of data-taking is presented and some performance plots from physics data are shown in this paper for the first time. Also the prospect of experimental sensitivity is presented, in light of recent indication from T2K for a non-zero θ13 value.
Among ongoing reactor-based experiments, Double Chooz is unique in obtaining data when the reactor cores are brought down for maintenance. These reactor-off data allow for a clean measurement of the backgrounds of the experiment, thus being of uppermost importance for the theta13 oscillation analysis. While the oscillation results published by the collaboration in 2011 and 2012 rely on background models derived from reactor-on data, in this talk we present an independent study based on the handle provided by 7.53 days of reactor-off data. A global fit to both theta13 and the total background i…
It has recently been widely recognized that a reactor anti-neutrino disappearance experiment with two or more detectors is one of the most cost-effective ways to extend our reach in sensitivity for the neutrino mixing angle theta-13 without ambiguities from CP violation and matter effects. The physics capabilities of a new reactor experiment together with superbeams and neutrino factories have also been studied but these latter are considered by many to be more ambitious projects due to their higher costs, and hence to be farther in the future. We propose to contribute to an international coll…
We report first results of a search for the non-zero neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} from the Double Chooz experiment. Double Chooz aims to measure the mixing angle based on anti-electron-neutrino disappearance as a consequence of neutrino oscillation. A new generation of anti-electron-neutrino detector having 10 m^3 fiducial volume is located 1 km from the two 4.25 GW_{th} reactors at the Chooz Power Plant in France. Physics data taking has been continuing since April 2011. A ratio of observed-to-predicted event rate of 0.944 +/- 0.016 (stat) +/- 0.040 (syst) was obtained in 101 days of detector…
The Double Chooz reactor neutrino experiment will be the next detector to search for a non vanishing theta13 mixing angle with unprecedented sensitivity, which might open the way to unveiling CP violation in the leptonic sector. The measurement of this angle will be based in a precise comparison of the antineutrino spectrum at two identical detectors located at different distances from the Chooz nuclear reactor cores in France. Double Chooz is particularly attractive because of its capability to measure sin2(2theta13) to 3 sigmas if sin2(2theta13) > 0.05 or to exclude sin2(2theta13) down to 0.…
We present the potential sensitivity of a future recoil detector for a first detection of the process of coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering (CE$ν$NS). We use the Chooz reactor complex in France as our luminous source of reactor neutrinos. Leveraging the ability to cleanly separate the rate correlated with the reactor thermal power against (uncorrelated) backgrounds, we show that a 10 kilogram cryogenic bolometric array with 100 eV threshold should be able to extract a CE$ν$NS signal within one year of running.
We revisit the reactor antineutrino anomaly using the recent reactor flux independent determination of sizable theta?13 by considering the full set of the absolute reactor electron antineutrino flux measurements. When normalized to the predicted flux of Mueller et al. [1], the new world average, after including results from Palo Verde, Chooz, and Double Chooz, is 0.959 +- 0.009 (experiment uncertainty) +- 0.027 (flux systematics). Including the data with kilometer baseline, the new world average is only about 1.4 sigma lower than the unity, weakening the significance of the reactor antineutrin…
The Double Chooz reactor neutrino experiment will be the next detector to search for a non vanishing theta(13) mixing angle with unprecedented sensitivity, which might open the way to unveiling CP violation in the leptonic sector. The measurement of this angle will be based on a precise comparison of the antineutrino spectrum at two identical detectors located at different distances from the Chooz nuclear reactor cores in France. Double Chooz is particularly attractive because of its capability to measure sin^2(2theta(13)) to 3 sigma significance if sin^2(2theta(13)) > 0.05 or to exclude sin^2…
Initial results are presented from CHOOZ, a long-baseline reactor-neutrino vacuum-oscillation experiment. Electron antineutrinos were detected by a liquid scintillation calorimeter located at a distance of about 1 km. The detector was constructed in a tunnel protected from cosmic rays by a 300 MWE rock overburden. This massive shielding strongly reduced potentially troublesome backgrounds due to cosmic-ray muons, leading to a background rate of about one event per day, more than an order of magnitude smaller than the observed neutrino signal. From the statistical agreement between detected and…
Since the first indication in 2011 of a non-vanishing value of $θ_{13}$ using reactor neutrinos by Double Chooz, this collaboration has developed new analyses leading to an increased precision on $θ_{13}$ and different cross-checks of the oscillation results. Beyond the update of the analysis based on neutron captures on Gd in 2012, Double Chooz has also released a consistent measurement of $θ_{13}$ by means of neutron captures on H. The combination of the n-Gd and n-H data samples, as well as 7.23 days of reactor off data, in a global rate+shape analysis yields $\sin^22θ_{13} = 0.109\pm 0.035…
Double Chooz main target is to measure Theta13 oscillation parameter by comparing reactor neutrino fluxes in two identical detectors located respectively at 400 m and 1 km away from the 2 Chooz reactor cores. The far detector is now under construction, while we have just completed the design phase of the near one. In this report I will discuss the detector principle, sensitivity and its present construction status.
Two neutrino mixing angles have been measured, and much of the neutrino community is turning its attention to the unmeasured mixing angle, $\quq$, whose best limit comes from the reactor neutrino experiment CHOOZ.\cite{bib:chooz} New two detector reactor neutrino experiments are being planned, along with more ambitious accelerator experiments, to measure or further limit $\quq$. Here I will overview how to measure $\quq$ using reactor neutrinos, mention some experiments that were considered and are not going forward, and review the current status of four projects: Double Chooz in France, Daya …
The Double Chooz experiment returns to the site of the Chooz experiment with a pair of detectors for a differential neutrino flux measurement, providing sensitivity to sin^2(2theta13) > 0.03. Reaching this goal requires significant improvements in systematic uncertainties, based on the experience with previous reactor neutrino experiments.
There is an observed deficit of about 6\% in the expected rate of anti-neutrino interactions when averaging over many different reactor experiments. While the significance of the deficit is low (98.6 \% CL), there is speculation that a non-interacting "sterile" neutrino could be the cause. In this paper we explore the possibility of a two-reactor/one-detector experiment at intermediate distances (100-500 meters) to look for a sterile neutrino in the mass range implied by this deficit. A method for probing $Δm^2$ phase space is developed using interference patterns between two oscillated spectr…
The latest results from the Double Chooz experiment on the neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$ are presented. A detector located at an average distance of 1050 m from the two reactor cores of the Chooz nuclear power plant has accumulated a live time of 467.90 days, corresponding to an exposure of 66.5 GW-ton-year (reactor power $\times$ detector mass $\times$ live time). A revised analysis has boosted the signal efficiency and reduced the backgrounds and systematic uncertainties compared to previous publications, paving the way for the two detector phase. The measured $\sin^2 2θ_{13} = 0.090^{+0.03…
The disappearance of reactor antineutrinos in the Double Chooz experiment is used to investigate the possibility of neutrino-antineutrino oscillations arising due to the breakdown of Lorentz invariance. We find no evidence for this phenomenon and set the first limits on 15 coefficients describing neutrino-antineutrino mixing within the framework of the Standard-Model Extension.
This is a short review of the present ~ 1 km baseline oscillation experi-ments at nuclear reactors. An idea of a new search for very small mixing angle oscillations at Krasnoyarsk is also mentioned.
The proposed Double Chooz theta 13 experiment is described. Double Chooz will be an optimized reactor disappearance experiment similar to the original CHOOZ. The optimization includes an increase in the signal to noise by increasing the target volume to twice the original CHOOZ, reducing singles background with a non-scintillating oil buffer region around the target and carefully controlling systematic uncertainties by measuring the electron antineutrino flux of the source with a near detector. The Double Chooz far detector will be situated in the same cavern as CHOOZ but will detect ~50000 el…
Double Chooz is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment at Chooz, France. The purpose of this experiment is to measure the non-zero neutrino oscillation parameter theta13, a parameter for changing electron neutrinos into other neutrinos. This experiment uses reactors of the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant as a neutrino source. Double Chooz has published 2 result papers showing the measurement of the mixing angle, and 3rd publication is processing.
The implications of extra sterile neutrinos for the Double Chooz experiment is expounded. The so-called ``3+2'' mass spectrum with 2 sterile neutrinos mixed with the active ones, is still allowed by the global neutrino data including MiniBooNE. We probe its impact on the resultant reactor antineutrino signal at the near and far detector of the Double Chooz experiment. The oscillations driven by the additional mass squared difference due to the sterile states bring an energy independent constant suppression at both the near and far detectors. We study to what extent the measurement of $θ_{13}$ …
The goal of Double Chooz experiment is a precise measurement of the last unknown mixing angle theta_13 using two identical detectors placed at far and near sites from Chooz reactor cores. The detector is optimized for reactor-neutrino detection using specially developed 10-inch PMTs. We developed two types of measurement systems and evaluated 400 PMTs before the installation. Those PMTs fulfill our requirements, and a half of those have been installed to the far detector in 2009. The character and performance data of the PMTs are stored in a database and will be referenced in analysis and MC s…
Neutrino oscillation scenarios involving large angle $ν_μ \to ν_e$ oscillations are disfavoured in the parameter range $Δm^2/eV^2 >~ 10^{-3}$ by recent results from the CHOOZ reactor-based $\barν_e$ disappearance experiment. For this reason we extend our previous work on up-down asymmetries for various oscillation scenarios by computing up-down asymmetries and the R ratio for the entire conceivable range $10^{-4} - 10^{-1} eV^2$ of $Δm^2$. Matter effects in the Earth play a crucial role. We perform a $χ^2$ fit to the data. We find that, because of the matter effect, the three-flavour maximal m…
The Double Chooz Reactor Neutrino Experiment in France plans to quickly measure the neutrino mixing angle theta-13, or limit it to sin^2 2-theta_13 less than 0.025. The physics reach, experimental site, detector structures, scintillator, photodetection, electronics, calibration and simulations are described. The possibility of using Double Chooz to explore the possible use of a antineutrino detector for non-proliferation goals is also presented.
We study non-standard interactions (NSIs) at reactor neutrino experiments, and in particular, the mimicking effects on θ_13. We present generic formulas for oscillation probabilities including NSIs from sources and detectors. Instructive mappings between the fundamental leptonic mixing parameters and the effective leptonic mixing parameters are established. In addition, NSI corrections to the mixing angles θ_13 and θ_12 are discussed in detailed. Finally, we show that, even for a vanishing θ_13, an oscillation phenomenon may still be observed in future short baseline reactor neutrino experimen…
There is broad consensus in the worldwide physics community as to the need for a new reactor-neutrino experiment to measure or limit the neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$. The Double Chooz Experiment, planned for operation in the years 2008-2011, will search for values of $\sin^2{2θ_{13}}$ down to $\approx$0.03. This will be the first new information on $θ_{13}$ in over a decade and will cover most of the remaining parameter space. A quick and relatively inexpensive project is made possible by the existing neutrino laboratory at the Chooz site.
We present in this article a detailed quantitative discussion of the measurement of the leptonic mixing angle theta_13 through currently scheduled reactor neutrino oscillation experiments. We thus focus on Double Chooz (Phase I & II), Daya Bay (Phase I & II) and RENO experiments. We perform a unified analysis, including systematics, backgrounds and accurate experimental setup in each case. Each identified systematic error and background impact has been assessed on experimental setups following published data when available and extrapolating from Double Chooz acquired knowledge otherwise. After…
The Double Chooz experiment is the first of the next wave of reactor experiments searching for a non-vanishing value of the mixing angle theta_13. The experimental concept and detector design are presented, and the most pertinent backgrounds are discussed. Operation of the far detector is expected to begin by the end of 2009. Installation of the near detector will occur in 2010. Double Chooz has the capacity to measure sin^2(2theta_13) to 3 sigma if sin^2(2theta_13) >0.05 or exclude sin^2 (2theta_13) down to 0.03 at 90% for Delta m_31^2 = 2.5 x 10^-3 eV^2 with three years of data with both nea…
Precise measurement of the neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$ is the primary goal of the Double Chooz Experiment (DC), which is located in Chooz, France. The inverse beta decay process provides a unique signature of reactor anti-neutrino interactions, giving prompt signals from positron annihilation and delayed signals from neutron capture by either Gadolinium (Gd) or Hydrogen (H). This paper is dedicated to the latest nH analysis in Double Chooz. Typically, The Gd analysis is primary since fewer background events are involved. However, with accurate estimates of backgrounds and a precise reconstr…
The lepton mixing angle theta_13, the only unknown angle in the standard three-flavor neutrino mixing scheme, is finally measured by the recent reactor and accelerator neutrino experiments. We perform a combined analysis of the data coming from T2K, MINOS, Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO experiments and find sin^2 2theta_13 = 0.096 \pm 0.013 (\pm 0.040) at 1 sigma (3 sigma) CL and that the hypothesis theta_13 = 0 is now rejected at a significance level of 7.7 sigma. We also discuss the near future expectation on the precision of the theta_13 determination by using expected data from these ongo…
The establishment of the neutrino oscillations phenomenon as a solution to both solar and atmospheric neutrino anomalies had two consequences: a new oscillation mode, labelled $\mathbf{θ_{13}}$, and the possibility to observe CP violation, if $\mathbf{θ_{13}}$ was sizeable. CP violation implies that neutrino oscillations behave differently for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos -- a rare fundamental phenomenon key for our understanding of the Universe. The experimental demonstration of $\mathbf{θ_{13}}$ has aided the completion of a quest lasting half a century. The best $\mathbf{θ_{13}}$ knowledge …
A $θ_{13}$ oscillation analysis based on the observed antineutrino rates at the Double Chooz far and near detectors for different reactor power conditions is presented. This approach provides a so far unique simultaneous determination of $θ_{13}$ and the total background rates without relying on any assumptions on the specific background contributions. The analysis comprises 865 days of data collected in both detectors with at least one reactor in operation. The oscillation results are enhanced by the use of 24.06 days (12.74 days) of reactor-off data in the far (near) detector. The analysis c…
Double Chooz is unique among modern reactor-based neutrino experiments studying $\bar ν_e$ disappearance in that data can be collected with all reactors off. In this paper, we present data from 7.53 days of reactor-off running. Applying the same selection criteria as used in the Double Chooz reactor-on oscillation analysis, a measured background rate of 1.0$\pm$0.4 events/day is obtained. The background model for accidentals, cosmogenic $β$-$n$-emitting isotopes, fast neutrons from cosmic muons, and stopped-$μ$ decays used in the oscillation analysis is demonstrated to be correct within the un…
The Double Chooz Experiment presents an indication of reactor electron antineutrino disappearance consistent with neutrino oscillations. A ratio of 0.944 $\pm$ 0.016 (stat) $\pm$ 0.040 (syst) observed to predicted events was obtained in 101 days of running at the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant in France, with two 4.25 GW$_{th}$ reactors. The results were obtained from a single 10 m$^3$ fiducial volume detector located 1050 m from the two reactor cores. The reactor antineutrino flux prediction used the Bugey4 measurement as an anchor point. The deficit can be interpreted as an indication of a non-ze…
Recent studies of atmospheric neutrinos and the results from CHOOZ and Palo-Verde experiment call for new and more sensitive searches for neutrino oscillations at reactors. The main goal of the project considered here is to look for very small mixing angle oscillations of electron neutrinos in the atmospheric neutrino mass parameter region around Δm^2 ~3 10^-3 eV^2 and to define the element U_{e3} of the neutrino mixing matrix (U_{e3}is the contribution of the mass-3 state to the electron neutrino flavor state). The practical goal of the project is to decrease, relative to the CHOOZ, the stati…
We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments. Long baseline oscillation experiments at Palo Verde and Chooz have provided limits for the oscillation parameters while the recently proposed Kamland experiment at a baseline of more than 100km is now in the planning stage. We also describe the status of neutrino magnetic moment experiments at reactors.
The Double-Chooz experiment goal is to search for a non-vanishing value of the Theta13 neutrino mixing angle. This is the last step to accomplish prior moving towards a new era of precision measurements in the lepton sector. The current best constraint on the third mixing angle comes from the CHOOZ reactor neutrino experiment $\sin(2θ_{13})^{2}<0.2$ (90% C.L., $Δm_{atm}^{2}=2.0$ eV$^{2}$). Double-Chooz will explore the range of $\sin(2θ_{13})^{2}$ from 0.2 to 0.03-0.02, within three years of data taking. The improvement of the CHOOZ result requires an increase in the statistics, a reduction of…
The hemispherical 10" photomultiplier tube (PMT) R7081 from Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (HPK) is used in various experiments in particle and astroparticle physics. We describe the test and calibration of 474 PMTs for the reactor antineutrino experiment Double Chooz. The unique test setup at Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik Heidelberg (MPIK) allows one to calibrate 30 PMTs simultaneously and to characterize the single photo electron response, transit time spread, linear behaviour and saturation effects, photon detection efficiency and high voltage calibration.
After the KamLAND results, the remaining important targets in neutrino experiments are to measure still unknown 3 basic parameters; absolute neutrino mass scale, CP violation phase $δ_{CP}$ and last mixing angle $θ_{13}$. The angle $θ_{13}$ among them is expected to be measured in near future by long baseline accelerator experiments and reactor experiments. In this paper, a realistic idea of high sensitivity reactor measurement of $\sin^22θ_{13}$ is described. This experiment uses a giant nuclear power plant as the neutrino source and three identical detectors are used to cancel detector and n…
Precisely measuring $θ_{13}$ is one of the highest priority in neutrino oscillation study. Reactor experiments can cleanly determine $θ_{13}$. Past reactor neutrino experiments are reviewed and status of next precision $θ_{13}$ experiments are presented. Daya Bay is designed to measure $\sin^22θ_{13}$ to better than 0.01 and Double Chooz and RENO are designed to measure it to 0.02-0.03. All are heading to full operation in 2010. Recent improvements in neutrino moment measurement are also briefed.
We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments, that toe the cutting edge of neutrino research. Short baseline experiments have provided the measurement of the reactor neutrino spectrum, and are still searching for important phenomena such as the neutrino magnetic moment. They could open the door to the measurement of coherent neutrino scattering in a near future. Middle and long baseline oscillation experiments at Chooz and KamLAND have played a relevant role in neutrino oscillation physics in the last years. It is now widely accepted that a new middle baseline disappear…
Recently, three reactor neutrino experiments, Daya Bay, Double Chooz and RENO have directly measured the neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$. In this paper, another important oscillation parameter, effective $Δm_{31}^2$ (= $Δ\tilde{m}_{31}^2$) is measured using baseline dependence of the reactor neutrino disappearance. A global fit is applied to publicly available data and $Δ\tilde{m}_{31}^2 = 2.95^{+0.42}_{-0.61} \times 10^{-3}$ eV$^2$, $\sin^22θ_{13} = 0.099^{+0.016}_{-0.012}$ are obtained by setting both parameters free. This result is complementary to $Δtilde{m}_{31}^2$ to be measured by spectr…
The oscillation results published by the Double Chooz collaboration in 2011 and 2012 rely on background models substantiated by reactor-on data. In this analysis, we present a background-model-independent measurement of the mixing angle $θ_{13}$ by including 7.53 days of reactor-off data. A global fit of the observed neutrino rates for different reactor power conditions is performed, yielding a measurement of both $θ_{13}$ and the total background rate. The results on the mixing angle are improved significantly by including the reactor-off data in the fit, as it provides a direct measurement o…
The Double Chooz experiment has observed 8,249 candidate electron antineutrino events in 227.93 live days with 33.71 GW-ton-years (reactor power x detector mass x livetime) exposure using a 10.3 cubic meter fiducial volume detector located at 1050 m from the reactor cores of the Chooz nuclear power plant in France. The expectation in case of theta13 = 0 is 8,937 events. The deficit is interpreted as evidence of electron antineutrino disappearance. From a rate plus spectral shape analysis we find sin^2 2θ13 = 0.109 \pm 0.030(stat) \pm 0.025(syst). The data exclude the no-oscillation hypothesis …
In this document we will review the current status of reactor neutrino oscillation experiments and present their physics potentials for measuring the $θ_{13}$ neutrino mixing angle. The neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$ is currently a high-priority topic in the field of neutrino physics. There are currently three different reactor neutrino experiments, \textsc{Double Chooz}, \textsc{Daya Bay} and \textsc{Reno} and a few accelerator neutrino experiments searching for neutrino oscillations induced by this angle. A description of the reactor experiments searching for a non-zero value of $θ_{13}$ is …
Experiments with reactor neutrinos continue to shed light on our understanding of neutrino oscillations. We review some of the early decisive experiments. We then turn to the recent long baseline oscillation experiments at Palo Verde and Chooz which are leading to the conclusion that the atmospheric neutrino anomaly if attributed to oscillations does not involve an appreciable mixing with the $\barν_e$ . The very long baseline KamLAND experiment is now in the planning stages. Its goal is to help explore the large mixing angle solar solution. A review of the $\barν_e + d$ experiment at Bugey an…
We compare the physics potential of the upcoming neutrino oscillation experiments Daya Bay, Double Chooz, NOvA, RENO, and T2K based on their anticipated nominal luminosities and schedules. After discussing the sensitivity to theta_{13} and the leading atmospheric parameters, we demonstrate that leptonic CP violation will hardly be measurable without upgrades of the T2K and NOvA proton drivers, even if theta_{13} is large. In the presence of the proton drivers, the fast track to hints for CP violation requires communication between the T2K and NOvA collaborations in terms of a mutual synchroniz…
This publication provides a coherent treatment for the reactor neutrino flux uncertainties suppression, specially focussed on the latest $θ_{13}$ measurement. The treatment starts with single detector in single reactor site, most relevant for all reactor experiments beyond $θ_{13}$. We demonstrate there is no trivial error cancellation, thus the flux systematic error can remain dominant even after the adoption of multi-detector configurations. However, three mechanisms for flux error suppression have been identified and calculated in the context of Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO sites. Our an…
We present new results based on the entire CHOOZ data sample. We find (at 90% confidence level) no evidence for neutrino oscillations in the anti_nue disappearance mode, for the parameter region given by approximately Delta m**2 > 7 x 10**-4 eV^2 for maximum mixing, and sin**2(2 theta) = 0.10 for large Delta m**2. Lower sensitivity results, based only on the comparison of the positron spectra from the two different-distance nuclear reactors, are also presented; these are independent of the absolute normalization of the anti_nue flux, the cross section, the number of target protons and the dete…
In this paper I give an overview of the status of neutrino oscillation experiments performed using nuclear reactors as sources of neutrinos. I review the present generation of experiments (Chooz and Palo Verde) with baselines of about 1 km as well as the next generation that will search for oscillations with a baseline of about 100 km. While the present detectors provide essential input towards the understanding of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly, in the future, the KamLAND reactor experiment represents our best opportunity to study very small mass neutrino mixing in laboratory conditions. In…
We review the current-generation short-baseline reactor neutrino experiments that have firmly established the third neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$ to be non-zero. The relative large value of $θ_{13}$ (around 9$^\circ$) has opened many new and exciting opportunities for future neutrino experiments. Daya Bay experiment with the first measurement of $Δm^2_{ee}$ is aiming for a precision measurement of this atmospheric mass-squared splitting with a comparable precision as $Δm^2_{μμ}$ from accelerator muon neutrino experiments. JUNO, a next-generation reactor neutrino experiment, is targeting to de…
Rector neutrinos have been a tool to investigate neutrino properties for more than 60 years. The reactor neutrino flux was measured throughout 80s-90s. In the 2000s, reactor neutrino oscillations at large baselines were observed by the KamLAND experiment and later in 2012 at short baselines by the Daya Bay, Double Chooz and RENO experiments. Reactor neutrino experiments have significantly contributed to our current knowledge of oscillation parameters. The detector technology has been majorly improved over decades and we have entered era of precise measurements. The recent absolute measurement …
It is now widely accepted that a new middle baseline disappearance reactor neutrino experiment with multiple detectors could provide a clean measurement of the $θ_{13}$ mixing angle, free from any parameter degeneracies and correlations induced by matter effect and the unknown leptonic Dirac CP phase. The current best constraint on the third mixing angle comes from the Chooz reactor neutrino experiment $\sin^{2}(2θ_{13})<0.2$ (90$ %$ C.L., $Δm_{\rm atm}^{2}=2.0 10^{-3}$ eV$^{2}$). Several projects of experiment, with different timescales, have been proposed over the last two years all around t…