Potential of ⁷³Ge High-Purity Germanium Detectors for Reactor Neutrino Detection and Nuclear Monitoring

This presentation investigates the potential of high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors enriched in ⁷³Ge for detecting reactor antineutrinos and supporting non-invasive nuclear reactor monitoring. The study focuses on leveraging two key neutrino interaction channels: the ⁷³Ge-specific charged-current (CC) interaction and neutral current (NC) through coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering (CEνNS), by deploying large-scale detectors in proximity to commercial nuclear reactors.

We begin by reviewing the theoretical foundations of both CC and CEνNS processes, emphasizing their sensitivity to different portions of the reactor neutrino energy spectrum. Owing to the large number of available target nuclei in germanium and the superior energy resolution of HPGe detectors, the proposed system promises high event rates and strong signal discrimination.

Simulated event rate predictions demonstrate that reactor neutrino interactions dominate over backgrounds from solar pp neutrinos and other sources. This highlights the feasibility of real-time monitoring of reactor operations, including plutonium content and thermal power output. Additionally, the ⁷³Ge detection scheme offers opportunities to probe fundamental neutrino properties—such as mixing angles and potential sterile neutrino signatures.

From a practical standpoint, this approach has dual utility: enhancing the transparency and safety of civilian nuclear power operations and contributing to national security applications, such as remote detection of submarine reactors.

We present our overall strategy, preliminary calculations, and discuss the promise of enriched ⁷³Ge detectors as a platform for both next-generation neutrino physics experiments and advanced nuclear non-proliferation monitoring systems.