Observation of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

The coherent elastic scattering of neutrinos off nuclei has eluded detection for four decades, even though its predicted cross section is by far the largest of all low-energy neutrino couplings. This mode of interaction offers new opportunities to study neutrino properties and leads to a miniaturization of detector size, with potential technological applications. We observed this process at a 6.7σ confidence level, using a low-background, 14.6-kilogram CsI[Na] scintillator exposed to the neutrino emissions from the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Characteristic signatures in energy and time, predicted by the standard model for this process, were observed in high signal-to-background conditions. Improved constraints on nonstandard neutrino interactions with quarks are derived from this initial data set.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Akimov, D; Albert, JB; An, P; Awe, C; Barbeau, PS; Becker, B; Belov, V; Brown, A; Bolozdynya, A; Cabrera-Palmer, B; Cervantes, M; Collar, JI; Cooper, RJ; Cooper, RL; Cuesta, C; Dean, DJ; Detwiler, JA; Eberhardt, A; Efremenko, Y; Elliott, SR; Erkela, EM; Fabris, L; Febbraro, M; Fields, NE; Fox, W; Fu, Z; Galindo-Uribarri, A; Green, MP; Hai, M; Heath, MR; Hedges, S; Hornback, D; Hossbach, TW; Iverson, EB; Kaufman, LJ; Ki, S; Klein, SR; Khromov, A; Konovalov, A; Kremer, M; Kumpan, A; Leadbetter, C; Li, L; Lu, W; Mann, K; Markoff, DM; Miller, K; Moreno, H; Mueller, PE; Newby, J; Orrell, JL; Overman, CT; Parno, DS; Penttila, S; Perumpilly, G; Ray, H; Raybern, J; Reyna, D; Rich, GC; Rimal, D; Rudik, D; Scholberg, K; Scholz, BJ; Sinev, G; Snow, WM; Sosnovtsev, V; Shakirov, A; Suchyta, S; Suh, B; Tayloe, R; Thornton, RT; Tolstukhin, I; Vanderwerp, J; Varner, RL; Virtue, CJ; Wan, Z; Yoo, J; Yu, C-H; Zawada, A; Zettlemoyer, J; Zderic, AM; COHERENT Collaboration,

Published Date

  • September 2017

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 357 / 6356

Start / End Page

  • 1123 - 1126

PubMed ID

  • 28775215

Pubmed Central ID

  • 28775215

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1095-9203

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0036-8075

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/science.aao0990

Language

  • eng