New constraints on coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering by the <i>ν</i>GeN experiment*
A. Lubashevskiy, A. Bystryakov, M. Danilov, S. A. Evseev, M. Fomina, G. D. Ignatov, S. Kazartsev, J. Khushvaktov, T. Khussainov, A. M. Konovalov, С. А. Кузнецов, A. Lubashevskiy, D.V. Medvedev, D. Ponomarev, D. Sautner, K. Shakhov, E. Shevchik, M. Shirchenko, S. Rozov, I. Rozova, S. Vasilyev, E. Yakushev, I. Zhitnikov, D. Zinatulina
Abstract
Abstract The GeN experiment searches for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE NS) at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant. A 1.41 kg high-purity low-threshold germanium detector surrounded by active and passive shielding is deployed at the minimal distance of 11.1 m allowed by the lifting mechanism from the center of the reactor core, utilizing one of the highest antineutrino fluxes among competing experiments. The direct comparison of the count rates obtained during reactor-ON and reactor-OFF periods with the energy threshold of 0.29 keV shows no statistically significant difference. New upper limits on the number of CE NS events are evaluated on the basis of the residual ON OFF count rate spectrum.