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Experimental Determination of the Antineutrino Spectrum of the Fission Products of U238

N. Haag, A. Gütlein, M. Hofmann, L. Oberauer, W. Potzel, K. Schreckenbach, and F. M. Wagner
Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 122501 – Published 24 March 2014

Abstract

An experiment was performed at the scientific neutron source FRM II in Garching to determine the cumulative antineutrino spectrum of the fission products of U238. Target foils of natural uranium were irradiated with a thermal and a fast neutron beam and the emitted β spectra were recorded with a γ-suppressing electron telescope. The obtained β spectrum of the fission products of U235 was normalized to the data of the magnetic spectrometer BILL. This method strongly reduces systematic errors in the U238 measurement. The β spectrum of U238 was converted into the corresponding ν¯e spectrum. The final ν¯e spectrum is given in 250 keV bins in the range from 2.875 to 7.625 MeV with an energy-dependent error of 3.5% at 3 MeV, 7.6% at 6 MeV, and 14% at energies 7MeV (68% confidence level). Furthermore, an energy-independent uncertainty of 3.3% due to the absolute normalization is added. Compared to the generally used summation calculations, the obtained spectrum reveals a spectral distortion of 10% but returns the same value for the mean cross section per fission for the inverse beta decay.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 14 January 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.122501

© 2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

N. Haag*, A. Gütlein, M. Hofmann, L. Oberauer, W. Potzel, and K. Schreckenbach

  • Physik Department, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany

F. M. Wagner

  • Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II), Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany

  • Deceased.
  • *Corresponding author. nils.haag@ph.tum.de

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Issue

Vol. 112, Iss. 12 — 28 March 2014

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