PROSPECT-II Physics Goals

PROSPECT, the Precision Reactor Oscillation and SPECTrum Experiment, is a reactor antineutrino experiment at a very short baseline designed to search for sterile neutrino oscillation as well as to measure antineutrino energy spectrum from ²³⁵U. The PROSPECT experiment has reported considerable Physics results, namely: demonstrated a decent signal-to-background ratio capabilities for an on-surface detector, set strong limits on eV-scale sterile neutrino oscillation search and a precise measurement of the ²³⁵U antineutrino energy spectrum. The PROSPECT collaboration is planning for PROSEPCT-II, an upgraded version of PROSPECT-I in order to ameliorate the recent Physics results and help solving neutrino anomalies along the way. A two year deployment at HFIR, will extend PROSPECT-II’s sterile neutrino sensitivity allowing the resolution of CP-violation ambiguity at long baseline experiment. At the same time, it will improve the measurement of the ²³⁵U antineutrino spectrum and make a measurement of the absolute ²³⁵U antineutrino flux allowing for detailed studies of discrepancies between theoretical models and experimental data. On top of that, a deployment at a low-enriched Uranium reactor is also envisioned to increase sensitivity coverage at below 3-eV² as well as to study the neutrinos yield from other fission isotopes.