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Register a new userAnalysis of the Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Flux Changes with Fuel Burnup
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We investigate the recent Daya Bay results on the changes in the antineutrino flux and spectrum with the burnup of the reactor fuel. We find that the discrepancy between current model predictions and the Daya Bay results can be traced to the original measured $^{235}$U/$^{239}$Pu ratio of the fission beta spectra that were used as a base for the expected antineutrino fluxes. An analysis of the antineutrino spectra that is based on a summation over all fission fragment beta-decays, using nuclear database input, explains all of the features seen in the Daya Bay evolution data. However, this summation method still predicts an anomaly. Thus, we conclude that there is currently not enough information to use the antineutrino flux changes to rule out the possible existence of sterile neutrinos.
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Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) antineutrino flux is an important source of uncertainties for a reactor neutrino flux prediction. However, if one want to determine the contribution of spent fuel, many data are needed, such as the amount of spent fuel in the pool, the time after discharged from the reactor core, the burnup of each assembly, and the antineutrino spectrum of the isotopes in the spend fuel. A method to calculate the contribution of SNF is proposed in this study. In this method, reactor simulation code verified by experiment have been used to simulate the fuel depletion by taking into account more than 2000 isotopes and fission products, the quantity of SNF in each six spend fuel pool, and the antineutrino spectrum of SNF varying with time after SNF discharged from core. Results show that the contribution of SNF to the total antineutrino flux is about 0.26%~0.34%, and the shutdown impact is about 20%. The SNF spectrum would distort the softer part of antineutrino spectra, and the maximum contribution from SNF is about 3.0%, but there is 18% difference between line evaluate method and under evaluate method. In addition, non-equilibrium effects are also discussed, and the results are compatible with theirs considering the uncertainties.
This Letter reports a measurement of the flux and energy spectrum of electron antineutrinos from six 2.9~GW$_{th}$ nuclear reactors with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512~m and 561~m) and one far (1,579~m) underground experimental halls in the Daya Bay experiment. Using 217 days of data, 296,721 and 41,589 inverse beta decay (IBD) candidates were detected in the near and far halls, respectively. The measured IBD yield is (1.55 $pm$ 0.04) $times$ 10$^{-18}$~cm$^2$/GW/day or (5.92 $pm$ 0.14) $times$ 10$^{-43}$~cm$^2$/fission. This flux measurement is consistent with previous short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments and is $0.946pm0.022$ ($0.991pm0.023$) relative to the flux predicted with the Huber+Mueller (ILL+Vogel) fissile antineutrino model. The measured IBD positron energy spectrum deviates from both spectral predictions by more than 2$sigma$ over the full energy range with a local significance of up to $sim$4$sigma$ between 4-6 MeV. A reactor antineutrino spectrum of IBD reactions is extracted from the measured positron energy spectrum for model-independent predictions.
The Daya Bay experiment has observed correlations between reactor core fuel evolution and changes in the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum. Four antineutrino detectors in two experimental halls were used to identify 2.2 million inverse beta decays (IBDs) over 1230 days spanning multiple fuel cycles for each of six 2.9 GW$_{textrm{th}}$ reactor cores at the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power plants. Using detector data spanning effective $^{239}$Pu fission fractions, $F_{239}$, from 0.25 to 0.35, Daya Bay measures an average IBD yield, $bar{sigma}_f$, of $(5.90 pm 0.13) times 10^{-43}$ cm$^2$/fission and a fuel-dependent variation in the IBD yield, $dsigma_f/dF_{239}$, of $(-1.86 pm 0.18) times 10^{-43}$ cm$^2$/fission. This observation rejects the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino flux as a function of the $^{239}$Pu fission fraction at 10 standard deviations. The variation in IBD yield was found to be energy-dependent, rejecting the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino energy spectrum at 5.1 standard deviations. While measurements of the evolution in the IBD spectrum show general agreement with predictions from recent reactor models, the measured evolution in total IBD yield disagrees with recent predictions at 3.1$sigma$. This discrepancy indicates that an overall deficit in measured flux with respect to predictions does not result from equal fractional deficits from the primary fission isotopes $^{235}$U, $^{239}$Pu, $^{238}$U, and $^{241}$Pu. Based on measured IBD yield variations, yields of $(6.17 pm 0.17)$ and $(4.27 pm 0.26) times 10^{-43}$ cm$^2$/fission have been determined for the two dominant fission parent isotopes $^{235}$U and $^{239}$Pu. A 7.8% discrepancy between the observed and predicted $^{235}$U yield suggests that this isotope may be the primary contributor to the reactor antineutrino anomaly.
This work reports a precise measurement of the reactor antineutrino flux using 2.2 million inverse beta decay (IBD) events collected with the Daya Bay near detectors in 1230 days. The dominant uncertainty on the neutron detection efficiency is reduced by 56% with respect to the previous measurement through a comprehensive neutron calibration and detailed data and simulation analysis. The new average IBD yield is determined to be $(5.91pm0.09)times10^{-43}~rm{cm}^2/rm{fission}$ with total uncertainty improved by 29%. The corresponding mean fission fractions from the four main fission isotopes $^{235}$U, $^{238}$U, $^{239}$Pu, and $^{241}$Pu are 0.564, 0.076, 0.304, and 0.056, respectively. The ratio of measured to predicted antineutrino yield is found to be $0.952pm0.014pm0.023$ ($1.001pm0.015pm0.027$) for the Huber-Mueller (ILL-Vogel) model, where the first and second uncertainty are experimental and theoretical model uncertainty, respectively. This measurement confirms the discrepancy between the world average of reactor antineutrino flux and the Huber-Mueller model.
A new measurement of the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment is reported. The antineutrinos were generated by six 2.9~GW$_{mathrm{th}}$ nuclear reactors and detected by eight antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (560~m and 600~m flux-weighted baselines) and one far (1640~m flux-weighted baseline) underground experimental halls. With 621 days of data, more than 1.2 million inverse beta decay (IBD) candidates were detected. The IBD yield in the eight detectors was measured, and the ratio of measured to predicted flux was found to be $0.946pm0.020$ ($0.992pm0.021$) for the Huber+Mueller (ILL+Vogel) model. A 2.9~$sigma$ deviation was found in the measured IBD positron energy spectrum compared to the predictions. In particular, an excess of events in the region of 4-6~MeV was found in the measured spectrum, with a local significance of 4.4~$sigma$. A reactor antineutrino spectrum weighted by the IBD cross section is extracted for model-independent predictions.
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