Search for a Light Sterile Neutrino at Daya Bay

Abstract

A search for light sterile neutrino mixing was performed with the first 217 days of data from the Daya Bay ReactorAntineutrinoExperiment. Theexperiment’suniqueconfigurationofmultiplebaselinesfromsix2.9GWth nuclear reactors to six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 m and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls makes it possible to test for oscillations to a fourth (sterile) neutrino in the 10−3 eV2 < |∆m241| < 0.3 eV2 range. The relative spectral distortion due to electron antineutrinodisappearancewasfoundtobeconsistentwiththatofthethree-flavoroscillationmodel. Thederivedlimits on sin2 2θ14 cover the 10−3 eV2 .|∆m2 41|. 0.1 eV2 region, which was largely unexplored.