| Summary: | Experimental anomalies hint at the possible existence of a sterile neutrino. Several experiments have been searching for the sterile neutrino, but none can claim either its discovery
or fully rule it out. To test the sterile neutrino hypothesis, we search for short baseline oscillations using antineutrinos from nuclear reactors. We have developed a reactor antineutrino
detection technology based on solid plastic scintillator, called CHANDLER, which could be
used to search for short baseline reactor antineutrino oscillations. An 80 kg prototype was
deployed at a commercial nuclear reactor for four and a half months with minimal shielding
and no overburden. We detected an antineutrino signal of 2880 inverse beta decay events,
with 5.5σ significance. This measurement represents the first observation of reactor antineutrinos in a surface-deployed, mobile neutrino detector. We envisioned several improvements
to the detector from this deployment, which will be tested in an upgrade of this prototype.
The full-scale detector will be able to search for sterile neutrinos and could also be used for
nuclear non-proliferation applications. === Doctor of Philosophy === Along with light, the Sun emits a huge number of particles, called neutrinos. These neutrinos
can pass through the matter without interacting as light passes through glass. Only a tiny
fraction of neutrinos will interact in the materials through which they pass; therefore, they
are extremely difficult to observe. There are three known types of neutrinos, but some theory
and experiments require a new type of neutrinos, called a sterile neutrino. Nuclear power
plants also emit neutrinos. We have developed a technology to observe these neutrinos from
the nuclear power plants. We deployed a small prototype detector at a power plant and
observed the neutrinos. From the deployment, we envisioned some improvements that will
be tested in an upgraded detector. A full-scale detector will be able to search for sterile
neutrinos. The detector might also have some real-life applications. It could be used to
detect an elicit extraction of weapons-grade material from the nuclear power plant.
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