Speaker
Description
So far, the Gallium Anomaly has been observed only in Ga detectors, which makes it impossible to distinguish between systematic errors due to the detection method (e.g. as an overestimation of the neutrino absorption cross section) and other causes, such as errors in the estimation of the source activity or sterile neutrino.
I will discuss how to test this anomaly using a different detection method, namely electron-neutrino scattering. If the anomaly is still present, we could exclude any explanation related to the Ga detectors; conversely, we would know where its origin lies.
I will present two possible locations for such an experiment: JNE, located in CJPL, and JUNO, the expected signal and the main source of background.
Even if the cause of the anomaly is not related to Ga detectors, this kind of experiment can provide us with important information to test other explanations as well. Due to the large dimension of the detector, it would be possible to study the dependence of the anomaly on the baseline, which would be expected if it is due to sterile neutrinos. Moreover, either by looking at the spectral shape or by measuring the scattering angle, it would be possible to test independently the BR of $^{51}$Cr decay, which has been cited as a possible explanation for the anomaly. The requirements for such kind of measurement would be considerably steeper, however.
