Search for Sub-eV Sterile Neutrino at RENO
- Resource Type
- Working Paper
- Authors
- The RENO Collaboration; Choi, J. H.; Jang, H. I.; Jang, J. S.; Jeon, S. H.; Joo, K. K.; Ju, K.; Jung, D. E.; Kim, J. G.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. Y.; Kim, S. B.; Kim, S. Y.; Kim, W.; Kwon, E.; Lee, D. H.; Lee, H. G.; Lim, I. T.; Moon, D. H.; Pac, M. Y.; Seo, H.; Seo, J. W.; Shin, C. D.; Yang, B. S.; Yoo, J.; Yoon, S. G.; Yeo, I. S.; Yu, I.
- Source
- Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 191801 (2020)
- Subject
- High Energy Physics - Experiment
- Language
We report a search result for a light sterile neutrino oscillation with roughly 2200 live days of data in the RENO experiment. The search is performed by electron antineutrino ($\overline{\nu}_e$) disappearance taking place between six 2.8 GW$_{\text{th}}$ reactors and two identical detectors located at 294 m (near) and 1383 m (far) from the center of reactor array. A spectral comparison between near and far detectors can explore reactor $\overline{\nu}_e$ oscillations to a light sterile neutrino. An observed spectral difference is found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. This yields limits on $\sin^{2} 2\theta_{14}$ in the $10^{-4} \lesssim |\Delta m_{41}^2| \lesssim 0.5$ eV$^2$ region, free from reactor $\overline{\nu}_e$ flux and spectrum uncertainties. The RENO result provides the most stringent limits on sterile neutrino mixing at $|\Delta m^2_{41}| \lesssim 0.002$ eV$^2$ using the $\overline{\nu}_e$ disappearance channel.