Nuclear Security Applications of Antineutrino Detectors: Current Capabilities and Future Prospects

TLDR

Antineutrinos, electrically neutral and nearly massless particles emitted in vast numbers by nuclear reactors and explosions, have become a focus of applied physics due to advances in detector technology and their intrinsic link to fission, making them valuable for nuclear nonproliferation. The paper surveys applied antineutrino physics for nonproliferation, reviews recent advances, outlines overlaps with other research, and proposes future R&D directions, serving as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and the broader nonproliferation community. The authors conduct a comprehensive survey of applied antineutrino physics, summarizing recent advances, mapping overlaps with other research, and outlining a roadmap for future R&D.

Abstract

Antineutrinos are electrically neutral, nearly massless fundamental particles produced in large numbers in the cores of nuclear reactors and in nuclear explosions. In the half century since their discovery, major advances in the understanding of their properties, and in detector technology, have opened the door to a new discipline: Applied Antineutrino Physics. Because antineutrinos are inextricably linked to the process of nuclear fission, many applications of interest are in nuclear nonproliferation. This white paper presents a comprehensive survey of applied antineutrino physics relevant for nonproliferation, summarizes recent advances in the field, describes the overlap of this nascent discipline with other ongoing fundamental and applied antineutrino research, and charts a course for research and development for future applications. It is intended as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and the wider nuclear nonproliferation community.