NuFact 2008 The ANGRA Neutrino Project João dos Anjos On behalf of the Angra Collaboration: Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana  ABSTRACT We present the status of the Angra Neutrino Project, describing the development of an antineutrino detector aimed to monitor nuclear reactor activity. The experiment will take place at the Brazilian nuclear power plant located in Angra dos Reis. The Angra II reactor, with 4GW of thermal power, will be used as a source of antineutrinos. We expect to observe about one thousand events per day. We will use the measured neutrino rate and energy spectrum to monitor the thermal power delivered by the reactor and to have an estimate of the fuel isotopic composition at the end of the fuel cycle, introducing a new tool to control the non proliferation of nuclear weapons.  MOTIVATION ~ 438 reactors worldwide: The International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA inspects nuclear facilities under safeguards agreements ~200kg plutonium produced at each reactor cycle (~1.5years) ~90 tons of plutonium produced every year worldwide IAEA verify that fissile materials are used for civil appliances. IAEA is the verification authority: Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): Keep track of all plutonium produced ! Very interesting project for the Brazilian science: Possibility to do frontier experimental neutrino physics profiting from already existing facilities (Angra-I and Angra II nuclear reactors). Relative low cost investments compared with reactor costs. Possibility to do neutrino applied physics: nuclear safeguards applications.  Expected Signal & Background Ratio of spectra: time evolution: N =  · (1 + k) · P th Dependence on fuel composition Dependence on detector features Reactor power in % of nominal value MW [ 2 ] Neutrino rate/ 10 5 seconds DAQ- Standalone Prototype- SPRO A  Target: acrilic vesel with liquid scintillator + Gd. B  Gama Catcher: liquid scintillator C  Buffer: mineral oil D  Veto System: plastic scintillator E  Outer Veto System: plastic scintillator PMT  Photomultipliers Near Site Far Site Very Near Detector 1.85 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x year3 months1 day Counting rate [ev/sec] Distance (m) Total number of events  PROTOTYPE DETECTOR The Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) The Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) is a binational agency created by the governments of Brazil and Argentina (1991), responsible for verifying the pacific use of nuclear materials that could be used, either directly or indirectly, for the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. Why the interest in antineutrino detectors? (~ antineutrinos/s)Antineutrinos can not be shielded and are produced in very large amounts in nuclear reactors (~ antineutrinos/s) Antineutrinos produced in reactors can reveal fissile composition of nuclear fuel Non-intrusive, Real Time, Remote reactor monitoring: thermal power & fissile material Search for new methods on safeguards verification Reactor Thermal Power and Antineutrino flux S(t)/S(t=0) time (days) after reactor starts ANGRA I and II nuclear power plants Cylindrical Detector dimensions R3= 1.40m; H=3.10m target=1ton Conclusions Depth (mwe) Muons (Hz) Previous experiments demonstrate a good capability of using antineutrinos for nuclear reactor distant monitoring. High precision thermal power and fuel composition measurement can be achieved. Better accuracy for antineutrino spectra of U & Pu is needed. Good opportunity to develop experimental neutrino physics in Brazil and to contribute to new safeguards techniques. Short baseline Neutrino Oscillations : Collaboration with Double Chooz High precision experiment for theta13 around 2013? PRESENT STATUS OF THE PROJECT Project presented to the Minister of Science and Technology in September 2006, who then gave the “GO AHEAD” Detailed project presented to funding agency FINEP in December 2006 Project Neutrinos Angra approved by FINEP Board of Directors in March 05, 2007 ~ 0.5 million dollars Contract FINEP-CBPF finally signed in November 06, 2007 First funds available in December 2007 Reactor Management Company Eletronuclear: Meeting September 05, 2006 with Eletronuclear President to define cooperation agreement and next steps. Eletronuclear-CBPF-UNICAMP draft Agreement submitted in March 2007 Agreement presently being analyzed by Electronuclear lawyers Informal authorization to place container next to the reactor building to start experimental activities and background measurements. R&D Phase I: Setup infrastructure at CBPF & UNICAMP R&D Phase I: Setup infrastructure at CBPF & UNICAMP : Started testing of components at CBPF and UNICAMP: - Central detector: test Hamamatsu 8” phototubes - Muon veto: test 64-channel multianode PMT’s - DAQ: design VME electronics - High Voltage: design power supply - Radioactivity background: test local material - - Network communications: build infrastructure Waveform digitizer: Waveform digitizer: VME 6U standard Each module: ADC: 8 analogic 125 MHz or 4 analogic 250 MHz Dinamic range = 1.2 Vpp buffer per channel = 64k samples TDC: 8 channels for time measurements time resolution 81ps dinamic range = 9.8  s 2 firmware versions (8 ou 4 channels) control and status registers slow control:CAN communication Outer Veto – plastic scintillator + optical fiber Liquid Scintillator: Testing first LAB samples Gd loaded LAB in collaboration with Max Planck - Heidelberg