Browsing by Author "Li, X. Q."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 20

A high precision calibration of the nonlinear energy response at Daya Bay
(2019-10-01)
Adey, D.
;
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
A high precision calibration of the nonlinearity in the energy response of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment's antineutrino detectors is presented in detail. The energy nonlinearity originates from the particle-dependent light yield of the scintillator and charge-dependent electronics response. The nonlinearity model is constrained by.. calibration points from deployed and naturally occurring radioactive sources, the.. spectrum from B-12 decays, and a direct measurement of the electronics nonlinearity with a new flash analog-to-digital converter readout system. Less than 0.5% uncertainty in the energy nonlinearity calibration is achieved for positrons of kinetic energies greater than 1 MeV.
A side-by-side comparison of Daya Bay antineutrino detectors
(1970-01-01)
An, F. P.
;
An, Q.
;
Bai, J. Z.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
"The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is designed to determine precisely the neutrino mixing angle theta(13) with a sensitivity better than 0.01 in the parameter sin(2) 2 theta(13) at the 90% confidence level. To achieve this goal, the collaboration will build eight functionally identical antineutrino detectors. The first two detectors have been constructed, installed and commissioned in Experimental Hall 1, with steady data-taking beginning September 23, 2011. A comparison of the data collected over the subsequent three months indicates that the detectors are functionally identical, and that detector-related systematic uncertainties are smaller than requirements. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved."
Cosmogenic neutron production at Daya Bay
(2018-03-26)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
;
Blyth, S.
Neutrons produced by cosmic ray muons are an important background for underground experiments studying neutrino oscillations, neutrinoless double beta decay, dark matter, and other rare-event signals. A measurement of the neutron yield in the three different experimental halls of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment at varying depth is reported. The neutron yield in Daya Bay's liquid scintillator is measured to be Y-n = (10.26 +/- 0.86) x 10(-5), (10.22 +/- 0.87) x 10(-5), and (17.03 +/- 1.22) x 10(-5) mu(-1)g(-1)cm(2) at depths of 250, 265, and 860 meters-water-equivalent. These results are compared to other measurements and the simulated neutron yield in FLUKA and GEANT4. A global fit including the Daya Bay measurements yields a power law coefficient of 0.77 +/- 0.03 for the dependence of the neutron yield on muon energy.
Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay
(2017-06-19)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
;
Blyth, S.
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(th) reactor cores at the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power plants. Using detector data spanning effective Pu-239 fission fractions F-239 from 0.25 to 0.35, Daya Bay measures an average IBD yield (sigma) over bar (f) of (5.90 +/- 0.13) x 10(-43) cm(2)/fission and a fuel-dependent variation in the IBD yield, d sigma(f)/dF(239), of (-1.86 +/- 0.18) x 10(-43) cm(2)/fission. This observation rejects the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino flux as a function of the Pu-239 fission fraction at 10 standard deviations. The variation in IBD yield is 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 the measured flux with respect to predictions does not result from equal fractional deficits from the primary fission isotopes U-235, Pu-239, U-238, and Pu-241. Based on measured IBD yield variations, yields of (6.17 +/- 0.17) and (4.27 +/- 0.26) x 10(-43) cm(2)/fission have been determined for the two dominant fission parent isotopes U-235 and Pu-239. A 7.8% discrepancy between the observed and predicted U-235 yields suggests that this isotope may be the primary contributor to the reactor antineutrino anomaly.
Extraction of the U-235 and Pu-239 Antineutrino Spectra at Daya Bay
(2019-09-13)
Adey, D.
;
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
This Letter reports the first extraction of individual antineutrino spectra from U-235 and Pu-239 fission and an improved measurement of the prompt energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay. The analysis uses 3.5 x 10(6) inverse beta-decay candidates in four near antineutrino detectors in 1958 days. The individual antineutrino spectra of the two dominant isotopes, U-235 and Pu-239, are extracted using the evolution of the prompt spectrum as a function of the isotope fission fractions. In the energy window of 4-6 MeV, a 7% (9%) excess of events is observed for the U-235 (Pu-239) spectrum compared with the normalized Huber-Mueller model prediction. The significance of discrepancy is 4.0 sigma for U-235 spectral shape compared with the Huber-Mueller model prediction. The shape of the measured inverse beta-decay prompt energy spectrum disagrees with the prediction of the Huber-Mueller model at 5.3 sigma. In the energy range of 4-6 MeV, a maximal local discrepancy of 6.3 sigma is observed.
Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments
(2020-08-10)
Adamson, P.
;
An, F. P.
;
Anghel, I.
;
Aurisano, A.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
Searches for electron antineutrino, muon neutrino, and muon antineutrino disappearance driven by sterile neutrino mixing have been carried out by the Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborations. This Letter presents the combined results of these searches, along with exclusion results from the Bugey-3 reactor experiment, framed in a minimally extended four-neutrino scenario. Significantly improved constraints on the theta(mu e) mixing angle are derived that constitute the most constraining limits to date over five orders of magnitude in the mass-squared splitting Delta m(41)(2), excluding the 90% C.L. sterile-neutrino parameter space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE observations at 90% CLs for Delta m(41)(2) < 13 eV(2). Furthermore, the LSND and MiniBooNE 99% C.L. allowed regions are excluded at 99% CLs for Delta m(41)(2) < 1.6 eV(2).
Improved measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay
(2013-01-01)
An, F. P.
;
An, Q.
;
Bai, J. Z.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
We report an improved measurement of the neutrino mixing angle theta(13) from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. We exclude a zero value for sin(2)2 theta(13) with a significance of 7.7 standard deviations. Electron antineutrinos from six reactors of 2.9 GW(th) were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baselines of 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. Using 139 days of data, 28909 (205308) electron antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to the expected number of antineutrinos assuming no oscillations at the far hall is 0.944 +/- 0.007(stat.)+/- 0.003(syst.). An analysis of the relative rates in six detectors finds sin(2)2 theta(13)= 0.089 +/- 0.010(stat.)+/- 0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.
Improved measurement of the reactor antineutrino flux at Daya Bay
(2019-09-09)
Adey, D.
;
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
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 (5.91 +/- 0.09) x 10(-43) cm(2)/fission with total uncertainty improved by 29%. The corresponding mean fission fractions from the four main fission isotopes U-235, U-238, Pu-239, 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 0.952 +/- 0.014 +/- 0.023 (1.001 +/- 0.015 +/- 0.027) 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.
Independent measurement of the neutrino mixing angle theta(13) via neutron capture on hydrogen at Daya Bay
(2014-10-03)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Beriguete, W.
;
Bishai, M.
A new measurement of the theta(13) mixing angle has been obtained at the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment via the detection of inverse beta decays tagged by neutron capture on hydrogen. The antineutrino events for hydrogen capture are distinct from those for gadolinium capture with largely different systematic uncertainties, allowing a determination independent of the gadolinium-capture result and an improvement on the precision of the theta(13) measurement. With a 217-day antineutrino data set obtained with six antineutrino detectors and from six 2.9 GWth reactors, the rate deficit observed at the far hall is interpreted as sin(2)2 theta(13) = 0.083 +/- 0.018 in the three-flavor oscillation model. When combined with the gadolinium-capture result from Daya Bay, we obtain sin(2)2 theta(13) = 0.089 +/- 0.008 as the final result for the six-antineutrino-detector configuration of the Daya Bay experiment.
Measurement of the Electron Antineutrino Oscillation with 1958 Days of Operation at Daya Bay
(2018-12-14)
Adey, D.
;
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
We report a measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment with nearly 4 million reactor (nu) over bar (e) inverse beta decay candidates observed over 1958 days of data collection. The installation of a flash analog-to-digital converter readout system and a special calibration campaign using different source enclosures reduce uncertainties in the absolute energy calibration to less than 0.5% for visible energies larger than 2 MeV. The uncertainty in the cosmogenic Li-9 and He-8 background is reduced from 45% to 30% in the near detectors. A detailed investigation of the spent nuclear fuel history improves its uncertainty from 100% to 30%. Analysis of the relative (nu) over bar (e) rates and energy spectra among detectors yields sin(2)2 theta(13) = 0.0856 +/- 0.0029 and Delta m(32)(2) = (2.471(-0.070)(+0.068)) x 10(-3) eV(2) assuming the normal hierarchy, and Delta m(32)(2) = -(2.575(-0.070)(+0.068)) x 10(-3) eV(2) assuming the inverted hierarchy.
Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay
(2016-02-12)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
;
Blyth, S.
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 and 561 m) and one far (1579 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 +/- 0.04) x 10(-18) cm(2) GW(-1) day(-1) or (5.92 +/- 0.14) x 10(-43) cm(2) fission(-1). This flux measurement is consistent with previous short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments and is 0.946 +/- 0.022 (0.991 +/- 0.023) 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 similar to 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.
New Measurement of Antineutrino Oscillation with the Full Detector Configuration at Daya Bay
(2015-09-11)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
;
Blyth, S.
We report a new measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using the fully constructed Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. The final two of eight antineutrino detectors were installed in the summer of 2012. Including the 404 days of data collected from October 2012 to November 2013 resulted in a total exposure of 6.9 x 10(5) GW(th) ton days, a 3.6 times increase over our previous results. Improvements in energy calibration limited variations between detectors to 0.2%. Removal of six Am-241-C-13 radioactive calibration sources reduced the background by a factor of 2 for the detectors in the experimental hall furthest from the reactors. Direct prediction of the antineutrino signal in the far detectors based on the measurements in the near detectors explicitly minimized the dependence of the measurement on models of reactor antineutrino emission. The uncertainties in our estimates of sin(2)2 theta(13) and vertical bar Delta m(ee)(2)vertical bar were halved as a result of these improvements. An analysis of the relative antineutrino rates and energy spectra between detectors gave sin(2)2 theta(13) = 0.084 +/- 0.005 and vertical bar Delta m(ee)(2)vertical bar = (2.42 +/- 0.11) x 10(-3) eV(2) in the three-neutrino framework.
Observation of Electron-Antineutrino Disappearance at Daya Bay
(2012-04-23)
An, F. P.
;
Bai, J. Z.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Beavis, D.
The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle 0(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GW(th) reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43 000 ton-GW(th)-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10 416 (80 376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R = 0.940 +/- 0.011(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2 theta(13) = 0.092 +/- 0.016(stat.) +/- 0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.
Results from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment
(2014-01-01)
Tsang, K. V.
;
An, F. P.
;
An, Q.
;
Bai, J. Z.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment was designed to achieve a sensitivity on the value of sin(2) 2 theta(13). to better than 0.01 at 90% CL. The experiment consists of eight antineutrino detectors installed underground at different baselines from six nuclear reactors. With data collected with six antineutrino detectors for 55 days, Daya Bay announced the discovery of a non-zero value for sin(2) 2 theta(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations in March 2012. The most recent analysis with 139 days of data acquired in a six-detector configuration yields sin(2) 2 theta(13) = 0.089 +/- 0.010(stat.) +/- 0.005(syst.), which is the most precise measurement of sin(2) 2 theta(13) to date.
Search for a Light Sterile Neutrino at Daya Bay
(2014-10-01)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Beriguete, W.
;
Bishai, M.
A search for light sterile neutrino mixing was performed with the first 217 days of data from the Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment. The experiment's unique configuration of multiple baselines from six 2.9 GW(th) nuclear reactors to six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 m and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls makes it possible to test for oscillations to a fourth (sterile) neutrino in the 10(-3) eV(2) < vertical bar Delta m(41)(2)vertical bar < 0.3 eV(2) range. The relative spectral distortion due to the disappearance of electron antineutrinos was found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. The derived limits on sin(2) 2 theta(14) cover the 10(-3) eV(2) less than or similar to vertical bar Delta m(41)(2)vertical bar less than or similar to 0.1 eV(2) region, which was largely unexplored.
Search for a time-varying electron antineutrino signal at Daya Bay
(2018-11-20)
Adey, D.
;
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
A search for a time-varying (nu) over bar (e) signal was performed with 621 days of data acquired by the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment over 704 calendar days. The time spectrum of the measured (nu) over bar (e) flux normalized to its prediction was analyzed with a Lomb-Scargle periodogram, which yielded no significant signal for periods ranging from 2 hours to nearly 2 years. The normalized time spectrum was also fit for a sidereal modulation under the Standard Model Extension (SME) framework to search for Lorentz and CPT violation (LV-CPTV). Limits were obtained for all six flavor pairs (e) over bar(mu) over bar, (e) over bar(tau) over bar, (mu) over bar(tau) over bar, (e) over bar(e) over bar, (mu) over bar(mu) over bar and (tau) over bar(tau) over bar by fitting them one at a time, constituting the first experimental constraints on the latter three. Daya Bay's high statistics and unique layout of multiple directions from three pairs of reactors to three experimental halls allowed the simultaneous constraint of individual SME LV-CPTV coefficients without assuming others contribute negligibly, a first for a neutrino experiment.
Seasonal variation of the underground cosmic muon flux observed at Daya Bay
(2018-01-01)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Bishai, M.
;
Blyth, S.
The Daya Bay Experiment consists of eight identically designed detectors located in three underground experimental halls named as EH1, EH2, EH3, with 250, 265 and 860 meters of water equivalent vertical overburden, respectively. Cosmic muon events have been recorded over a two-year period. The underground muon rate is observed to be positively correlated with the effective atmospheric temperature and to follow a seasonal modulation pattern. The correlation coefficient alpha, describing how a variation in the muon rate relates to a variation in the effective atmospheric temperature, is found to be alpha(EH1) = 0 : 362 +/- 0 : 031, alpha(EH2) = 0.433 +/- 0.038 and alpha(EH3) = 0.641 +/- 0.057 for each experimental hall.
Spectral Measurement of Electron Antineutrino Oscillation Amplitude and Frequency at Daya Bay
(2014-02-10)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Beriguete, W.
;
Bishai, M.
A measurement of the energy dependence of antineutrino disappearance at the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment is reported. Electron antineutrinos ((v) over bar (e)) from six 2.9 GW(th) reactors were detected with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls. Using 217 days of data, 41 589 (203 809 and 92 912) antineutrino candidates were detected in the far hall (near halls). An improved measurement of the oscillation amplitude sin(2) 2 theta(13) = 0.090(-0.009)(+0.008) and the first direct measurement of the (v) over bar (e) mass-squared difference vertical bar Delta m(ee)(2)vertical bar = (2.59(-0.20)(+0.19) x 10(-3) eV(2)) is obtained using the observed (v) over bar (e) rates and energy spectra in a three-neutrino framework. This value of vertical bar Delta m(ee)(2)vertical bar eejis consistent with vertical bar Delta m(mu mu)(2)vertical bar measured by muon neutrino disappearance, supporting the three-flavor oscillation model.
The detector system of the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment
(2016-03-01)
An, F. P.
;
Bai, J. Z.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Beavis, D.
The Daya Bay experiment was the first to report simultaneous measurements of reactor antineutrinos at multiple baselines leading to the discovery of (nu) over bar (e) oscillations over km-baselines. Subsequent data has provided the world\'s most precise measurement of sin 2 2013 and the effective mass splitting Delta m(ee)(2). The experiment is located in Daya Bay, China where the cluster of six nuclear reactors is among the world\'s most prolific sources of electron antineutrinos. Multiple antineutrino detectors are deployed in three underground water pools at different distances from the reactor cores to search for deviations in the antineutrino rate and energy spectrum due to neutrino mixing. Instrumented with photomultiplier tubes, the water pools serve as shielding against natural radioactivity from the surrounding rock and provide efficient muon tagging. Arrays of resistive plate chambers over the top of each pool provide additional muon detection. The antineutrino detectors were specifically designed for measurements of the antineutrino flux with minimal systematic uncertainty. Relative detector efficiencies between the near and far detectors are known to better than 0.2%. With the unblinding of the final two detectors\' baselines and target masses, a complete description and comparison of the eight antineutrino detectors can now be presented. This paper describes the Daya Bay detector systems, consisting of eight antineutrino detectors in three instrumented water pools in three underground halls, and their operation through the first year of eight detector data-taking. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The muon system of the Daya Bay Reactor antineutrino experiment
(2015-02-11)
An, F. P.
;
Balantekin, A. B.
;
Band, H. R.
;
Beriguete, W.
;
Bishai, M.
The Daya Bay experiment consists of functionally identical antineutrino detectors immersed in pools of ultrapure water in three well-separated underground experimental halls near two nuclear reactor complexes. These pools serve both as shields against natural, low-energy radiation, and as water Cherenkov detectors that efficiently detect cosmic muons using arrays of photomultiplier tubes. Each pool is covered by a plane of resistive plate chambers as an additional means of detecting muons. Design, construction, operation, and performance of these muon detectors are described. (C) 2014 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.