arXiv subjects

T. Lasserre

Publications and source records attributed to T. Lasserre.

88 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

White paper: CeLAND - Investigation of the reactor antineutrino anomaly with an intense 144Ce-144Pr antineutrino source in KamLAND

We propose to test for short baseline neutrino oscillations, implied by the recent reevaluation of the reactor antineutrino flux and by anomalous results from the gallium solar neutrino detectors. The test will consist of producing a 75 kCi 144Ce - 144Pr antineutrino source to be deployed in the Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector (KamLAND). KamLAND's 13m diameter target volume provides a suitable environment to measure energy and position dependence of the detected neutrino flux. A characteristic oscillation pattern would be visible for a baseline of about 10 m or less, providing a very clean signal of neutrino disappearance into a yet-unknown, "sterile" state. Such a measurement will be free of any reactor-related uncertainties. After 1.5 years of data taking the Reactor Antineutrino Anomaly parameter space will be tested at > 95% C.L.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2013

First Measurement of θ_13 from Delayed Neutron Capture on Hydrogen in the Double Chooz Experiment

The Double Chooz experiment has determined the value of the neutrino oscillation parameter $θ_{13}$ from an analysis of inverse beta decay interactions with neutron capture on hydrogen. This analysis uses a three times larger fiducial volume than the standard Double Chooz assessment, which is restricted to a region doped with gadolinium (Gd), yielding an exposure of 113.1 GW-ton-years. The data sample used in this analysis is distinct from that of the Gd analysis, and the systematic uncertainties are also largely independent, with some exceptions, such as the reactor neutrino flux prediction. A combined rate- and energy-dependent fit finds $\sin^2 2θ_{13}=0.097\pm 0.034(stat.) \pm 0.034 (syst.)$, excluding the no-oscillation hypothesis at 2.0 σ. This result is consistent with previous measurements of $\sin^2 2θ_{13}$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

First Test of Lorentz Violation with a Reactor-based Antineutrino Experiment

We present a search for Lorentz violation with 8249 candidate electron antineutrino events taken by the Double Chooz experiment in 227.9 live days of running. This analysis, featuring a search for a sidereal time dependence of the events, is the first test of Lorentz invariance using a reactor-based antineutrino source. No sidereal variation is present in the data and the disappearance results are consistent with sidereal time independent oscillations. Under the Standard-Model Extension (SME), we set the first limits on fourteen Lorentz violating coefficients associated with transitions between electron and tau flavor, and set two competitive limits associated with transitions between electron and muon flavor.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Direct Measurement of Backgrounds using Reactor-Off Data in Double Chooz

Double Chooz is unique among modern reactor-based neutrino experiments studying $\bar ν_e$ disappearance in that data can be collected with all reactors off. In this paper, we present data from 7.53 days of reactor-off running. Applying the same selection criteria as used in the Double Chooz reactor-on oscillation analysis, a measured background rate of 1.0$\pm$0.4 events/day is obtained. The background model for accidentals, cosmogenic $β$-$n$-emitting isotopes, fast neutrons from cosmic muons, and stopped-$μ$ decays used in the oscillation analysis is demonstrated to be correct within the uncertainties. Kinematic distributions of the events, which are dominantly cosmic-ray-produced correlated-background events, are provided. The background rates are scaled to the shielding depths of two other reactor-based oscillation experiments, Daya Bay and RENO.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Reactor electron antineutrino disappearance in the Double Chooz experiment

The Double Chooz experiment has observed 8,249 candidate electron antineutrino events in 227.93 live days with 33.71 GW-ton-years (reactor power x detector mass x livetime) exposure using a 10.3 cubic meter fiducial volume detector located at 1050 m from the reactor cores of the Chooz nuclear power plant in France. The expectation in case of theta13 = 0 is 8,937 events. The deficit is interpreted as evidence of electron antineutrino disappearance. From a rate plus spectral shape analysis we find sin^2 2θ13 = 0.109 \pm 0.030(stat) \pm 0.025(syst). The data exclude the no-oscillation hypothesis at 99.8% CL (2.9σ).

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Indication for the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos in the Double Chooz experiment

The Double Chooz Experiment presents an indication of reactor electron antineutrino disappearance consistent with neutrino oscillations. A ratio of 0.944 $\pm$ 0.016 (stat) $\pm$ 0.040 (syst) observed to predicted events was obtained in 101 days of running at the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant in France, with two 4.25 GW$_{th}$ reactors. The results were obtained from a single 10 m$^3$ fiducial volume detector located 1050 m from the two reactor cores. The reactor antineutrino flux prediction used the Bugey4 measurement as an anchor point. The deficit can be interpreted as an indication of a non-zero value of the still unmeasured neutrino mixing parameter \sang. Analyzing both the rate of the prompt positrons and their energy spectrum we find \sang = 0.086 $\pm$ 0.041 (stat) $\pm$ 0.030 (syst), or, at 90% CL, 0.015 $<$ \sang $\ <$ 0.16.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Improved Predictions of Reactor Antineutrino Spectra

We report new calculations of reactor antineutrino spectra including the latest information from nuclear databases and a detailed error budget. The first part of this work is the so-called ab initio approach where the total antineutrino spectrum is built from the sum of all beta-branches of all fission products predicted by an evolution code. Systematic effects and missing information in nuclear databases lead to final relative uncertainties in the 10 to 20% range. A prediction of the antineutrino spectrum associated with the fission of 238U is given based on this ab initio method. For the dominant isotopes 235U and 239Pu, we developed a more accurate approach combining information from nuclear databases and reference electron spectra associated with the fission of 235U, 239Pu and 241Pu, measured at ILL in the 80's. We show how the anchor point of the measured total beta-spectra can be used to suppress the uncertainty in nuclear databases while taking advantage of all the information they contain. We provide new reference antineutrino spectra for 235U, 239Pu and 241Pu isotopes in the 2-8 MeV range. While the shapes of the spectra and their uncertainties are comparable to that of the previous analysis of the ILL data, the normalization is shifted by about +3% on average. In the perspective of the re-analysis of past experiments and direct use of these results by upcoming oscillation experiments, we discuss the various sources of errors and their correlations as well as the corrections induced by off equilibrium effects.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

A large HPGe detector for the non-destructive radioassay of an ultra-low-background counting facility

We present the use of a low background counting facility, equipped with a p-type 80% relative efficiency HPGe detector, protected by active and passive shielding, and large enough to count a 10" photo-multiplier tube (PMT). A GEANT4 Monte-Carlo of this detector was developed and tuned to 3% accuracy. We report the U, Th, and K contents in three different types of PMTs used in current neutrino experiments, with accuracies of $\sim 10$ ppb for U and Th and of $\sim 15$ ppm for K.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2007

Limits on the Macho Content of the Galactic Halo from the EROS-2 Survey of the Magellanic Clouds

The EROS-2 project was designed to test the hypothesis that massive compact halo objects (the so-called ``machos'') could be a major component of the dark matter halo of the Milky Way galaxy. To this end, EROS-2 monitored over 6.7 years $33\times10^6$ stars in the Magellanic clouds for microlensing events caused by such objects. In this work, we use only a subsample of $7\times10^6$ bright stars spread over $84 °^2$ of the LMC and $9 °^2$ of the SMC. The strategy of using only bright stars helps to discriminate against background events due to variable stars and allows a simple determination of the effects of source confusion (blending). The use of a large solid angle makes the survey relatively insensitive to effects that could make the optical depth strongly direction dependent. Using this sample of bright stars, only one candidate event was found, whereas $\sim39$ events would have been expected if the Halo were entirely populated by objects of mass $M\sim0.4M_{\odot}$. Combined with the results of EROS-1, this implies that the optical depth toward the Large Magellanic Cloud (\object{LMC}) due to such lenses is $τ<0.36\times10^{-7}$ (95%CL), corresponding to a fraction of the halo mass of less than 8%. This optical depth is considerably less than that measured by the MACHO collaboration in the central region of the LMC. More generally, machos in the mass range $0.6\times10^{-7}M_\odot<M<15M_{\odot}$ are ruled out as the primary occupants of the Milky Way Halo.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Type Ia supernova rate at a redshift of ~ 0.1

We present the type Ia rate measurement based on two EROS supernova search campaigns (in 1999 and 2000). Sixteen supernovae identified as type Ia were discovered. The measurement of the detection efficiency, using a Monte Carlo simulation, provides the type Ia supernova explosion rate at a redshift ~ 0.13. The result is $0.125^{+0.044+0.028}_{-0.034-0.028} h_{70}^2$ SNu where 1 SNu = 1 SN / $10^{10} L_{sun}^B$ / century. This value is compatible with the previous EROS measurement (Hardin et al. 2000), done with a much smaller sample, at a similar redshift. Comparison with other values at different redshifts suggests an evolution of the type Ia supernova rate.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

KamLAND, terrestrial heat sources and neutrino oscillations

We comment on the first indication of geo-neutrino events from KamLAND and on the prospects for understanding Earth energetics. Practically all models of terrestrial heat production are consistent with data within the presently limited statistics, the fully radiogenic model being closer to the observed value ($\approx 9$ geo-events). In a few years KamLAND should collect sufficient data for a clear evidence of geo-neutrinos, however discrimination among models requires a detector with the class and size of KamLAND far away from nuclear reactors. We also remark that the event ratio from Thorium and Uranium decay chains is well fixed $N(Th)/N(U) \simeq 0.25$, a constraint that can be useful for determining neutrino oscillation parameters. We show that a full spectral analysis, including this constraint, further reduces the oscillation parameter space compared to an analysis with an energy threshold $E_{vis}>2.6 MeV$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

Variability and spectral classification of LMC giants: results from DENIS and EROS

We present the first cross-identifications of sources in the near-infrared DENIS survey and in the micro-lensing EROS survey in a field of about 0.5 square degrees around the optical center (OC) of the Large Magellanic Cloud. We analyze the photometric history of these stars in the EROS data base and obtain light-curves for about 800 variables. Most of the stars are long period variables (Miras and Semi-Regulars), a few Cepheids are also present. We also present new spectroscopic data on 126 asymptotic giant branch stars in the OC field, 30 previously known and 96 newly discovered by the DENIS survey. The visible spectra are used to assign a carbon- (C-) or oxygen-rich (O-rich) nature to the observed stars on the basis of the presence of molecular bands of TiO, VO, CN, C2. For the remaining of the stars we used the (J-Ks) color to determine whether they are O-rich or C-rich. Plotting Log(period) versus Ks we find three very distinct period-luminosity relations, mainly populated by Semi-Regular of type a (SRa), b (SRb) and Mira variables. Carbon-rich stars occupy mostly the upper part of these relations. We find that 65% of the asymptotic giant branch population are long period variables (LPVs).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Not enough stellar mass Machos in the Galactic halo

We present an update of results from the search for microlensing towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by EROS (Experience de Recherche d'Objets Sombres). We have now monitored 25 million stars over three years. Because of the small number of observed microlensing candidates (four), our results are best presented as upper limits on the amount of dark compact objects in the halo of our Galaxy. We discuss critically the candidates and the possible location of the lenses, halo or LMC . We compare our results to those of the MACHO group. Finally, we combine these new results with those from our search towards the Small Magellanic Cloud as well as earlier ones from the EROS1 phase of our survey. The combined data is sensitive to compact objects in the broad mass range $ 10^{-7} - 10 $ solar masses. The derived upper limit on the abundance of stellar mass MACHOs rules out such objects as the dominant component of the Galactic halo if their mass is smaller than 2 solar masses.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Type Ia supernova rate at $z \sim 0.1$

We present the EROS nearby supernova ($z \sim 0.02 - 0.2$) search and the analysis of the first year of data (1997). A total of 80 square degrees were surveyed. Eight supernovæ were detected, four of which were spectroscopically identified as type Ia supernovæ. The search efficiency was determined with a Monte-Carlo simulation taking into account the efficiencies for both supernova detection and host galaxy identification. Assuming that for a given galaxy the supernova rate is proportional to the galactic luminosity, we compute a type Ia supernova explosion rate of: ${\cal R} = 0.44 {}_{-0.21}^{+0.35} {}_{-0.07}^{+0.13} h^2: / 10^{10} \lbsun / 100 {\rm yrs}$ at an average redshift of $\sim 0.1$ where the errors are respectively statistical and systematic (type misidentification included).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Not enough stellar Mass Machos in the Galactic Halo

We combine new results from the search for microlensing towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by EROS2 (Experience de Recherche d'Objets Sombres) with limits previously reported by EROS1 and EROS2 towards both Magellanic Clouds. The derived upper limit on the abundance of stellar mass MACHOs rules out such objects as an important component of the Galactic halo if their mass is smaller than 1 solar mass.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1999

EROS2 microlensing search towards the Magellanic Clouds

EROS2 is a second generation microlensing experiment operating since mid-1996 at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) at La Silla (Chile). We present the two year analysis from our microlensing search towards the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and report on the intensive observation of the caustic crossing event MACHO-SMC-98-1 and the limit derived on t he location of the lens. We also give preliminary results from our search towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC); 25 square degrees are being analyzed and two candidates have been found. This allows us to set another limit on the halo mass fraction comprised of compact objects.

astro-ph↗