Comprehensive revision of the summation method for the prediction of reactor <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi>ν</mml:mi><mml:mo>¯</mml:mo></mml:mover><mml:mi>e</mml:mi></mml:msub></mml:math> fluxes and spectra
Lorenzo Périssé, A. Onillón, X. Mougeot, M. Vivier, T. Lasserre, A. Letourneau, D. Lhuillier, G. Mention
Abstract
Nuclear reactors are the most copious human-made source of electron antineutrinos (${\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{e}$) on Earth; yet, determining their flux and spectrum with accuracy remains a considerable challenge. In fact, measurements of the antineutrino flux from reactors have shown a deficit with respect to predictions, which has become known as the reactor antineutrino anomaly. This work combines a careful analysis of up-to-date nuclear decay data with advanced theoretical corrections to the $V$-$A$ theory of $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay to produce, for the first time, a flux prediction with a comprehensive uncertainty budget. This new prediction achieves a better agreement with existing experimental neutrino data and methodically pins down points for improvements. It will likely stimulate targeted research to check and improve the experimental inputs, with potentially wide-ranging impact, from weak-interaction physics to many aspects of nuclear reactor science and technology.