Upper limits on perturbations of nuclear decay rates induced by reactor electron antineutrinos

V. E. Barnes; D. J. Bernstein; C. D. Bryan; N. Cinko; G. G. Deichert; J. T. Gruenwald; J. M. Heim; H. B. Kaplan; R. LaZur; D. Neff; J. M. Nistor; N. Sahelijo; E. Fischbach

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.01.027

Upper limits on perturbations of nuclear decay rates induced by reactor electron antineutrinos

V. E. Barnes, D. J. Bernstein, C. D. Bryan, N. Cinko, G. G. Deichert, J. T. Gruenwald, J. M. Heim, H. B. Kaplan, R. LaZur, D. Neff, J. M. Nistor, N. Sahelijo, E. Fischbach

Radioisotope Science and Technology Divi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the results of an experiment conducted near the High Flux Isotope Reactor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, designed to address the question of whether a flux of reactor-generated electron antineutrinos (ν¯ _e )can alter the rates of weak nuclear interaction induced decays of ⁵⁴ Mn, ²² Na, and ⁶⁰ Co. This experiment has small statistical errors but, when systematic uncertainties are included, has null results. Perturbations greater than one part in 10 ⁴ are excluded at 95% confidence level in β ^± decay and electron capture processes, in the presence of an antineutrino flux of 3 × 10 ¹² cm ⁻² s ⁻¹ . The present experimental methods are applicable to a wide range of radionuclides. Improved sensitivity in future experiments can be anticipated as we continue to better understand and reduce the dominant systematic uncertainties.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	182-199
Number of pages	18
Journal	Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Volume	149
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.01.027
State	Published - Jul 2019

Funding

We wish to thank J. J. Coy, R. de Meijer, S. Fancher, J. Herczeg, G. W. Hitt, J. H. Jenkins, D. Koltick, M. Pattermann, P.A. Sturrock, and T. Ward for helpful communications. We are deeply indebted to the staff of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for their assistance in carrying out this experiment. This study was funded by the Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy under contract number DE-DT0004091.001b .

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Nuclear Energy	DE-DT0004091.001b

Keywords

Neutrino physics
Reactor physics

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10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.01.027

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Barnes, V. E., Bernstein, D. J., Bryan, C. D., Cinko, N., Deichert, G. G., Gruenwald, J. T., Heim, J. M., Kaplan, H. B., LaZur, R., Neff, D., Nistor, J. M., Sahelijo, N., & Fischbach, E. (2019). Upper limits on perturbations of nuclear decay rates induced by reactor electron antineutrinos. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 149, 182-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.01.027

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title = "Upper limits on perturbations of nuclear decay rates induced by reactor electron antineutrinos",

abstract = " We report the results of an experiment conducted near the High Flux Isotope Reactor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, designed to address the question of whether a flux of reactor-generated electron antineutrinos (ν¯ e )can alter the rates of weak nuclear interaction induced decays of 54 Mn, 22 Na, and 60 Co. This experiment has small statistical errors but, when systematic uncertainties are included, has null results. Perturbations greater than one part in 10 4 are excluded at 95% confidence level in β ± decay and electron capture processes, in the presence of an antineutrino flux of 3 × 10 12 cm −2 s −1 . The present experimental methods are applicable to a wide range of radionuclides. Improved sensitivity in future experiments can be anticipated as we continue to better understand and reduce the dominant systematic uncertainties.",

keywords = "Neutrino physics, Reactor physics",

author = "Barnes, {V. E.} and Bernstein, {D. J.} and Bryan, {C. D.} and N. Cinko and Deichert, {G. G.} and Gruenwald, {J. T.} and Heim, {J. M.} and Kaplan, {H. B.} and R. LaZur and D. Neff and Nistor, {J. M.} and N. Sahelijo and E. Fischbach",

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doi = "10.1016/j.apradiso.2019.01.027",

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AU - Barnes, V. E.

AU - Bernstein, D. J.

AU - Bryan, C. D.

AU - Cinko, N.

AU - Deichert, G. G.

AU - Gruenwald, J. T.

AU - Heim, J. M.

AU - Kaplan, H. B.

AU - LaZur, R.

AU - Neff, D.

AU - Nistor, J. M.

AU - Sahelijo, N.

AU - Fischbach, E.

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AB - We report the results of an experiment conducted near the High Flux Isotope Reactor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, designed to address the question of whether a flux of reactor-generated electron antineutrinos (ν¯ e )can alter the rates of weak nuclear interaction induced decays of 54 Mn, 22 Na, and 60 Co. This experiment has small statistical errors but, when systematic uncertainties are included, has null results. Perturbations greater than one part in 10 4 are excluded at 95% confidence level in β ± decay and electron capture processes, in the presence of an antineutrino flux of 3 × 10 12 cm −2 s −1 . The present experimental methods are applicable to a wide range of radionuclides. Improved sensitivity in future experiments can be anticipated as we continue to better understand and reduce the dominant systematic uncertainties.

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ER -

Upper limits on perturbations of nuclear decay rates induced by reactor electron antineutrinos

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