Scientists detect a nuclear reactor’s ghostly afterglow for the first time
Scientists have successfully detected antineutrinos emitted by a shut-down nuclear reactor, confirming that radioactive decay continues in the core. This measurement was achieved using a liquid scintillator detector in France.
Why it matters
The ability to monitor reactors during shutdown enhances nuclear safety, security, and international safeguards against unauthorized activity.
Even after a nuclear reactor is switched off, activity continues deep inside its core. Long-lived radioactive fission products keep decaying for months or even years, releasing a weak stream of particles called antineutrinos. (Anti)neutrinos are the lightest and most elusive known particles in the Universe, and they can pass through both the reactor and its surrounding shielding with little interference.
Scientists with the Double Chooz collaboration have now measured this lingering antineutrino emission for the first time. The research, recently published in Physical Review Letters, was led by Anthony Onillon and Thierry Lassere of the Max-Planck-Institut f r Kernphysik (MPIK) in Heidelberg, Germany. The findings show that antineutrino detectors can gather information about nuclear reactors even while they are shut down, potentially creating new opportunities for reactor monitoring, nuclear safety, and safeguards.
Detecting Antineutrinos From a Shutdown Reactor
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