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.
It would be possible to test this anomaly in JUNO, detecting neutrinos via 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 discuss the requirements for the experiment, presenting the expected event and background rates under different assumptions.
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.
