Search for Perturbations of Nuclear Decay Rates Induced by Reactor Electron Antineutrinos

2016/06/30 by V. E. Barnes, Barnes, V. E., Bernstein, D. J. +17
Health Professions · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det) #Neutrino Physics Research #Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex) #Radioactive Decay and Measurement Techniques #Radioactivity and Radon Measurements

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1606.09325

openalex publication_date 2016/06/30 · openalex created_date 2016/07/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

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 can alter the rates of weak nuclear interaction-induced decays for Mn-54, Na-22, and Co-60. This experiment, while quite sensitive, cannot exclude perturbations less than one or two parts in 10⁴ in β decay (or electron capture) processes, in the presence of an antineutrino flux of 3× 10¹² cm^-2 s^-1. The present experimental methods are applicable to a wide range of isotopes. Improved sensitivity in future experiments may be possible if we can understand and reduce the dominant systematic uncertainties.

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