The Next Breakthroughs in Neutrino Physics

Michael Heffner | 18-ERD-028

Executive Summary

We will explore detection schemes and a novel xenon production technique for use in next-generation experiments to uncover the underlying physics behind rare and subtle neutrino interactions. This research will have applications in nuclear reactor monitoring projects, forensics detection technology, and cross section measurements relevant to national goals to reduce global nuclear security threats.

Publications, Presentations, Etc.

Bowden, N., et al. 2019. "A Low Mass Optical Grid for the PROSPECT Reactor Antineutrino Detector." Journal of Instrumentation . LLNL-JRNL-773339.

––– . 2019. "Lithium-loaded Liquid Scintillator Production for the PROSPECT experiment." Journal of Instrumentation . LLNL-JRNL-764537.

––– . 2019. "Measurement of the Antineutrino Spectrum from 235U Fission at HFIR with PROSPECT." Physical Review Letters . LLNL-JRNL-767132.

––– . 2019. "The Radioactive Source Calibration System of the PROSPECT Reactor Antineutrino Detector." Nuclear Instruments and Methods A . LLNL-JRNL-787281.

Esfahani, A., et al. 2019. "Electron Radiated Power in Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy Experiments." Physical Review C , 99, 055501. LLNL-JRNL-788984.

Heffner, M. 2019. "Background Discrimination for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay in Liquid Xenon Using Cherenkov Light." Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A ., 922, 76–83. doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2018.12.057. LLNL-JRNL-761641.

––– . 2019. "Imaging Individual Barium Atoms in Solid Xenon for Barium Tagging in nEXO." Nature, 569, 203–207. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1169-4. LLNL-JRNL-759458.