Nuclear Reactor Monitoring Using Compact Neutrino Detectors
Abstract
Coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) was experimentally demonstrated only recently, more than forty years after its theoretical description. This mechanism of neutrino interaction allows a miniaturization of neutrino detectors down to hand-held size, from their typically very large (ton or multi-ton) scale. This opens up opportunities to study not only fundamental neutrino properties, but also to implement new technological applications. Chief among the latter are nuclear power reactor safeguards against the diversion of weapons-grade fuel material. This can now be accomplished with a compact detector, able to seek tell-tale changes in neutrino flux, representative of undeclared changes in reactor core composition. This project seeks a proof-of-principle demonstration of this approach, by building a large (3 kg) p-type point-contact germanium detector able to detect tens of CEvNS interactions per day in the proximity of a reactor, but yet outside of containment. The aim is to demonstrate that detector noise, mass, background level, and energy threshold are all in place for such a measurement, while keeping the detector and its shielding down to a small, maintenance-free footprint. At the time of this writing everything seems to indicate that these goals are within immediate reach. Beyond the feasibility study supported by this project, we plan an actual reactor deployment, able to demonstrate the viability of this approach in the field.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 22, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1810222
Entities
People
- Juan Collar
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- University of Chicago