Nuclear propelled vessels and neutrino oscillation experiments

Area of Science:

• Nuclear physics
• Particle physics
• Astrophysics

Background:

• Neutrino oscillations are a fundamental phenomenon in particle physics, offering insights into neutrino mass and beyond-Standard-Model physics.
• Reactor-based neutrino experiments are crucial for precise measurements of oscillation parameters.
• The potential impact of widespread naval nuclear reactor deployment on these sensitive experiments is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of naval nuclear reactors on the accuracy of long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.
• To assess the feasibility of using nuclear-powered vessels as stable neutrino sources for precision measurements.

Main Methods:

• Simulations modeling neutrino detection.
• Analysis of potential interference from distributed, mobile nuclear reactor sources.
• Evaluation of signal characteristics from a large, mobile nuclear reactor source.

Main Results:

• Undisclosed naval reactor locations and operational times can introduce significant uncertainties, potentially limiting the precision of future very long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.
• A nuclear-powered surface ship, like a large Russian icebreaker, presents a strong, controllable neutrino source suitable for high-precision experiments.

Conclusions:

• The proliferation of naval nuclear reactors poses a challenge for future reactor-based neutrino oscillation research.
• Nuclear-powered vessels offer a promising avenue for conducting next-generation, high-precision neutrino oscillation studies.