Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 2507.22376

RENE experiment for the sterile neutrino search using reactor neutrinos

Abstract

This paper summarizes the details of the Reactor Experiment for Neutrinos and Exotics (RENE) experiment. It covers the detector construction, Monte Carlo (MC) simulation study, and physics expectations. The primary goal of the RENE project is to investigate the sterile neutrino oscillation at $Δ{m}^{2}_{41}\sim 2\,{\rm{eV}^{2}}$. which overlap with the allowed region predicted by the Reactor Antineutrino Anomaly (RAA). On the other hand, the STEREO and PROSPECT experiments have excluded certain regions of the parameter space with 95 \% confidence level (C.L.), while the joint study conducted by RENO and NEOS suggests possible indications of sterile neutrinos at $Δ{m}^{2}_{41}\sim2.4\,{\rm{eV}^{2}}$ and $\sim{1.7}{\,\rm{eV}^{2}}$ with sin$^{2}θ_{41} < 0.01$. Accordingly, a more meticulous investigation of these remaining regions continues to be a scientifically valuable endeavor. This paper reports the technical details of the detector and physics objectives.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Byeongsu Yang, Da Eun Jung, Dong Ho Moon, Eungyu Yun, HyeonWoo Park, Jae Sik Lee, Jisu Park, Ji Young Choi, Junkyo Oh, Kyung Kwang Joo, Ryeong Gyoon Park, Sang Yong Kim, Sunkyu Lee, Insung Yeo, Myoung Youl Pac, Jee-Seung Jang, Eun-Joo Kim, Hyunho Hwang, Junghwan Goh, Wonsang Hwang, Jiwon Ryu, Jungsic Park, Kyu Jung Bae, Mingi Choe, SeoBeom Hong, Jubin Park, Myung-Ki Cheoun, Hyunsoo Kim, Han Il Jang, Dojin Kim, Jonghee Yoo, Seok-Gyeong Yoon, Wonjun Lee, Intae Yu. 2025-07-30. RENE experiment for the sterile neutrino search using reactor neutrinos. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.22376

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Charge-dependent atmospheric muon flux at 17 GV geomagnetic cutoff with the mini-ICAL detector

The Iron CALorimeter (ICAL) detector at the India-Based Neutrino Observatory (INO) was conceived as an underground experiment designed to measure atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters. As part of the R\&D programme, a scaled prototype (mini-ICAL), 85\,ton, approximately 1/600$^{\mathrm{th}}$ the mass of the full detector, was constructed at the IICHEP Transit Campus, Madurai (altitude 150\,m; latitude 9.9372$^\circ$\,N; longitude 78.013$^\circ$\,E; geomagnetic latitude 1.44$^\circ$\,N; vertical cutoff rigidity 17\,GV) and operated between 2018 and 2022. The prototype enabled measurements of charge-dependent cosmic muon spectra in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equator and provided an important validation of detector performance, reconstruction algorithms, and simulation frameworks for the ICAL experiment. Differential fluxes of $μ^{-}$ and $μ^{+}$ were measured over the momentum range $\sim$\,1--5\,GeV/c. The obtained momentum spectra are systematically lower than those reported at sites with smaller geomagnetic cutoff rigidities, consistent with the suppression of low- and intermediate-rigidity primary cosmic rays at the 17\,GV cutoff. The measurements are compared with predictions from different hadronic interaction models available in CORSIKA simulations.

hep-ex

Laboratory constraints on peV-scale mass splitting between ordinary and sterile neutron states

Sterile states of matter, represented by a parallel ``mirror'' sector, may contribute to the observed dark matter in the Universe. We investigated the parameter space of neutron $(n)$ to mirror-neutron $(n')$ oscillations, in the case where the two states are not necessarily mass-degenerate, taking into account interactions in the mirror sector. By tuning the magnitude of an applied magnetic-field in the range $5~μ\mathrm{T} < B < 360~μ\mathrm{T}$ to corresponding resonance conditions for finite mass splitting, we derive exclusion limits for the $n-n'$ oscillation time constant reaching about $20~\text{s}$ over the mass-difference range $0.3 - 22~\text{peV}$. In parts of this parameter range, our limits exceed the model-dependent neutron-star-cooling bound, providing the first experimental constraints in this scenario that are more stringent than this astrophysical estimate.

hep-ex

Search for the $^{16}\text{O}(ppp) \rightarrow ^{13}\text{C} π^+ π^+ e^+$ Decay Mode in Super-Kamiokande Using Machine Learning Techniques

We report a new partial lifetime limit of $4.2 \times 10^{32}$ years for the trinucleon decay mode $^{16}\text{O}(ppp) \rightarrow ^{13}\text{C} π^+ π^+ e^+$, obtained from a search conducted using the Super-Kamiokande detector with 0.401 megaton-years of exposure across five operational periods (SK-I: 1996--2001, SK-II: 2002--2005, SK-III: 2006--2008, SK-IV: 2008--2018, SK-V: 2019--2020). This represents an improvement of six orders of magnitude over previous experimental constraints. The analysis utilizes a convolutional neural network (CNN) incorporating an attention mechanism---a computational technique that enables the model to focus on the most relevant regions of Cherenkov ring patterns---to enhance event classification, thereby improving the sensitivity of the search. This is the first application of a CNN to a nucleon decay search in Super-Kamiokande. Furthermore, the large dataset available in Super-Kamiokande (hereafter "SK") strengthens the statistical power of the study, enabling a more stringent constraint than those set by prior experiments.

hep-ex