The Double Chooz experiment measures the neutrino mixing angle $theta_{13}$ by detecting reactor $bar{ u}_e$ via inverse beta decay. The positron-neutron space and time coincidence allows for a sizable background rejection, nonetheless liquid scintil
lator detectors would profit from a positron/electron discrimination, if feasible in large detector, to suppress the remaining background. Standard particle identification, based on particle dependent time profile of photon emission in liquid scintillator, can not be used given the identical mass of the two particles. However, the positron annihilation is sometimes delayed by the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) metastable state formation, which induces a pulse shape distortion that could be used for positron identification. In this paper we report on the first observation of positronium formation in a large liquid scintillator detector based on pulse shape analysis of single events. The o-Ps formation fraction and its lifetime were measured, finding the values of 44$%$ $pm$ 12$%$ (sys.) $pm$ 5$%$ (stat.) and $3.68$ns $pm$ 0.17ns (sys.) $pm$ 0.15ns (stat.) respectively, in agreement with the results obtained with a dedicated positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy setup.
The Double Chooz experiment presents improved measurements of the neutrino mixing angle $theta_{13}$ using the data collected in 467.90 live days from a detector positioned at an average distance of 1050 m from two reactor cores at the Chooz nuclear
power plant. Several novel techniques have been developed to achieve significant reductions of the backgrounds and systematic uncertainties with respect to previous publications, whereas the efficiency of the $bar u_{e}$ signal has increased. The value of $theta_{13}$ is measured to be $sin^{2}2theta_{13} = 0.090 ^{+0.032}_{-0.029}$ from a fit to the observed energy spectrum. Deviations from the reactor $bar u_{e}$ prediction observed above a prompt signal energy of 4 MeV and possible explanations are also reported. A consistent value of $theta_{13}$ is obtained from a fit to the observed rate as a function of the reactor power independently of the spectrum shape and background estimation, demonstrating the robustness of the $theta_{13}$ measurement despite the observed distortion.
We describe a muon track reconstruction algorithm for the reactor anti-neutrino experiment Double Chooz. The Double Chooz detector consists of two optically isolated volumes of liquid scintillator viewed by PMTs, and an Outer Veto above these made of
crossed scintillator strips. Muons are reconstructed by their Outer Veto hit positions along with timing information from the other two detector volumes. All muons are fit under the hypothesis that they are through-going and ultrarelativistic. If the energy depositions suggest that the muon may have stopped, the reconstruction fits also for this hypothesis and chooses between the two via the relative goodness-of-fit. In the ideal case of a through-going muon intersecting the center of the detector, the resolution is ~40 mm in each transverse dimension. High quality muon reconstruction is an important tool for reducing the impact of the cosmogenic isotope background in Double Chooz.
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 $theta_{13}$
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 $theta_{13}$ 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 of the total background rate. This reactor rate modulation analysis considers antineutrino candidates with neutron captures on both Gd and H, whose combination yields $sin^2(2theta_{13})=$ 0.102 $pm$ 0.028(stat.) $pm$ 0.033(syst.). The results presented in this study are fully consistent with the ones already published by Double Chooz, achieving a competitive precision. They provide, for the first time, a determination of $theta_{13}$ that does not depend on a background model.
The Double Chooz experiment has determined the value of the neutrino oscillation parameter $theta_{13}$ from an analysis of inverse beta decay interactions with neutron capture on hydrogen. This analysis uses a three times larger fiducial volume than
the standard Double Chooz assessment, which is restricted to a region doped with gadolinium (Gd), yielding an exposure of 113.1 GW-ton-years. The data sample used in this analysis is distinct from that of the Gd analysis, and the systematic uncertainties are also largely independent, with some exceptions, such as the reactor neutrino flux prediction. A combined rate- and energy-dependent fit finds $sin^2 2theta_{13}=0.097pm 0.034(stat.) pm 0.034 (syst.)$, excluding the no-oscillation hypothesis at 2.0 sigma. This result is consistent with previous measurements of $sin^2 2theta_{13}$.
Double Chooz is unique among modern reactor-based neutrino experiments studying $bar u_e$ 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 sele
ction 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 $beta$-$n$-emitting isotopes, fast neutrons from cosmic muons, and stopped-$mu$ decays used in the oscillation analysis is demonstrated to be correct within the uncertainties. Kinematic distributions of the events, which are dominantly cosmic-ray-produced correlated-background events, are provided. The background rates are scaled to the shielding depths of two other reactor-based oscillation experiments, Daya Bay and RENO.
We present a search for Lorentz violation with 8249 candidate electron antineutrino events taken by the Double Chooz experiment in 227.9 live days of running. This analysis, featuring a search for a sidereal time dependence of the events, is the firs
t test of Lorentz invariance using a reactor-based antineutrino source. No sidereal variation is present in the data and the disappearance results are consistent with sidereal time independent oscillations. Under the Standard-Model Extension (SME), we set the first limits on fourteen Lorentz violating coefficients associated with transitions between electron and tau flavor, and set two competitive limits associated with transitions between electron and muon flavor.
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 2{theta}13 = 0.109 pm 0.030(stat) pm 0.025(syst). The data exclude the no-oscillation hypothesis at 99.8% CL (2.9{sigma}).
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 run
ning 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-zero value of the still unmeasured neutrino mixing parameter sang. Analyzing both the rate of the prompt positrons and their energy spectrum we find sang = 0.086 $pm$ 0.041 (stat) $pm$ 0.030 (syst), or, at 90% CL, 0.015 $<$ sang $ <$ 0.16.
