On the possibility of performing an experiment in the search for a sterile neutrino

At present, the possible existence of a sterile neutrino having a significantly smaller cross section of interaction with a substance than, for example, electronic antineutrinos from a reactor is being widely discussed. It has been suggested that, due to reactor antineutrino transition into a sterile state, one can observe both the oscillation effect at short distances (5–15 m) from the reactor and a deficiency of the reactor antineutrino flux at large distances. We have investigated the possibility of performing experiments in search for reactor antineutrino oscillations into a sterile state on research reactors. A model experiment has been carried out on a 16-MW WWR-M reactor at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute with a view to implementing a full-scale experiment using a 100-MW SM-3 reactor at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR). Background conditions of these experiments have been studied for both reactors. It is concluded that the implementation of a full-scale Neutrino-4 experiment on the SM-3 reactor at the RIAR is possible.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI), Gatchina, Leningrad oblast, 188300, Russia

   A. P. Serebrov, A. K. Fomin, V. G. Zinoviev, V. G. Ivochkin, Yu. E. Loginov, G. A. Petrov, V. A. Solovey, A. V. Chernyi, O. M. Zherebtsov & R. M. Samoylov

2. National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, 123182, Russia

   V. P. Martemyanov, V. G. Tsinoev, V. G. Tarasenkov & V. I. Aleshin

3. State Scientific Centre Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR), Dimitrovgrad-10, Ulyanov oblast, 433510, Russia

   A. L. Petelin, S. V. Pavlov, M. N. Svyatkin, A. L. Izhutov, S. A. Sazontov, D. K. Ryazanov, M. O. Gromov & V. V. Afanasiev

4. Institute for High Energy Physics, Protvino, Moscow oblast, 142281, Russia

   V. I. Rykalin

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. P. Serebrov.

Original Russian Text © A.P. Serebrov, A.K. Fomin, V.G. Zinoviev, V.G. Ivochkin, Yu.E. Loginov, G.A. Petrov, V.A. Solovey, A.V. Chernyi, O.M. Zherebtsov, R.M. Samoylov, V.P. Martemyanov, V.G. Tsinoev, V.G. Tarasenkov, V.I. Aleshin, A.L. Petelin, S.V. Pavlov, M.N. Svyatkin, A.L. Izhutov, S.A. Sazontov, D.K. Ryazanov, M.O. Gromov, V.V. Afanasiev, V.I. Rykalin, 2014, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, 2014, Vol. 40, No. 11, pp. 8–16.

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