Seminari INFN

Exploring coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering with NU-CLEUS

by Raimund Strauss (Max-Planck-Institut fur Physik - Monaco)

Europe/Rome
Aula 4 (Dip. di Fisica - Edificio F. Fermi)

Aula 4

Dip. di Fisica - Edificio F. Fermi

Description
The detection of coherent-neutrino nucleus scattering opens up new opportunities to probe physics beyond the Standard Model such as the search for a neutrino magnetic moment or sterile neutrinos. This weak neutral current process has only recently been discovered by the COHERENT experiment at a spallation neutron source. After reviewing recent results in the field and I will focus on the NU-CLEUS experiment that we initiated in Munich. NU-CLEUS is a novel cryogenic neutrino experiment at a nuclear power reactor which allows for precision measurements with a miniaturized detector size. With a demonstrator we have achieved ultra-low thresholds of 20eV, one order of magnitude lower than previous devices, using a novel type of detector based on CRESST technology. The NU-CLEUS experiment aims to be operated at close distance to a power reactor. A promising site about 80m away from the twin reactor cores of the CHOOZ power plant is currently being characterized by on-site background measurements. This talk will report on the most recent results on the NU-CLEUS cryogenic detector, the ongoing background measurements at CHOOZ and the experimental strategy of NU-CLEUS.