Test of Decay Rate Parameter Variation due to Antineutrino Interactions

High precision measurements of a weak interaction decay were conducted to search for possible variation of the decay rate parameter caused by an antineutrino flux. The experiment searched for variation of the ⁵⁴Mn electron capture decay rate parameter to a level of precision of 1 part in ∼ 10⁵ by comparing the difference between the decay rate in the presence of an antineutrino flux ∼ 3×10¹² cm^-2sec^-1 and no flux measurements. The experiment is located 6.5 meters from the reactor core of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) in Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A measurement to this level of precision requires a detailed understanding of both systematic and statistical errors. Otherwise, systematic errors in the measurement may mimic fundamental interactions. The measured variation in the ⁵⁴Mn decay rate parameter is found to be δλ/λ=(0.034±1.38)×10^-5. This measurement in the presence of the HFIR flux is equivalent to a cross-section of σ=(0.097±1.24)×10^-25cm². These results are consistent with no measurable decay rate parameter variation due to an antineutrino flux. The cross-section upper limit obtained in this null or no observable effect experiment is ∼ 10⁴ times more sensitive than past experiments reporting positive results in ⁵⁴Mn.