dc.contributor.author	Jaffke, Patrick John	en
dc.contributor.committeechair	Huber, Patrick	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Link, Jonathan M.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Piilonen, Leo E.	en
dc.contributor.committeemember	Sharpe, Eric R.	en
dc.contributor.department	Physics	en
dc.date.accessioned	2017-11-09T19:37:07Z	en
dc.date.available	2017-11-09T19:37:07Z	en
dc.date.issued	2015-11-16	en
dc.description.abstract	In this work, the antineutrino spectrum as specifically generated by nuclear reactors is studied. The topics covered include corrections and higher-order effects in reactor antineutrino experiments, one of which is covered in Ref. [1] and another contributes to Ref. [2]. In addition, a practical application, antineutrino safeguards for nuclear reactors, as summarized in Ref. [3,4] and Ref. [5], is explored to determine its viability and limits. The work will focus heavily on theory, simulation, and statistical analyses to explain the corrections, their origins, and their sizes, as well as the applications of the antineutrino signal from nuclear reactors. Chapter [1] serves as an introduction to neutrinos. Their origin is briefly covered, along with neutrino properties and some experimental highlights. The next chapter, Chapter [2], will specifically cover antineutrinos as generated in nuclear reactors. In this chapter, the production and detection methods of reactor neutrinos are introduced as well as a discussion of the theories behind determining the antineutrino spectrum. The mathematical formulation of neutrino oscillation will also be introduced and explained. The first half of this work focuses on two corrections to the reactor antineutrino spectrum. These corrections are generated from two specific sources and are thus named the spent nuclear fuel contribution and the non-linear correction for their respective sources. Chapter [3] contains a discussion of the spent fuel contribution. This correction arises from spent nuclear fuel near the reactor site and involves a detailed application of spent fuel to current reactor antineutrino experiments. Chapter [4] will focus on the non-linear correction, which is caused by neutron-captures within the nuclear reactor environment. Its quantification and impact on future antineutrino experiments are discussed. The research projects presented in the second half, Chapter [5], focus on neutrino applications, specifically reactor monitoring. Chapter [5] is a comprehensive examination of the use of antineutrinos as a reactor safeguards mechanism. This chapter will include the theory behind safeguards, the statistical derivation of power and plutonium measurements, the details of reactor simulations, and the future outlook for non-proliferation through antineutrino monitoring.	en
dc.description.degree	Ph. D.	en
dc.format.medium	ETD	en
dc.identifier.other	vt_gsexam:90761	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10919/80031	en
dc.language.iso	en_US	en
dc.publisher	Virginia Tech	en
dc.rights	In Copyright	en
dc.rights.uri	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/	en
dc.subject	Neutrino Physics	en
dc.subject	Reactor Physics	en
dc.subject	Spent Nuclear Fuel Correction	en
dc.subject	Non-linear Correction	en
dc.subject	Antineutrino Safeguards	en
dc.subject	Nuclear Non-proliferation	en
dc.title	Corrections to and Applications of the Antineutrino Spectrum Generated by Nuclear Reactors	en
dc.type	Dissertation	en
thesis.degree.discipline	Physics	en
thesis.degree.grantor	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	en
thesis.degree.level	doctoral	en
thesis.degree.name	Ph. D.	en

Corrections to and Applications of the Antineutrino Spectrum Generated by Nuclear Reactors

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