Reactor Antineutrino Anomalies : the quest for light sterile neutrinos

Alain Letourneau (Laboratoire Etudes et Applications des Réactions Nucléaires Irfu/DPhN, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, France)

Reactor antineutrino anomalies are a decade-long puzzle in neutrino physics and nuclear modeling. They open the way to the existence of light sterile states for the neutrino and have triggered many experimental and theoretical efforts around the world. They manifest themselves by deviations of the order of a few percent between measurements and predictions and have been observed in all recent high precision experiments close to a nuclear reactor.

In this seminar, I will present the work that has led to the identification of these anomalies and review the experimental and theoretical efforts made by various groups. In particular, I will present the latest results of the STEREO experiment at ILL which rejects the existence of a light sterile neutrino and will provide a possible explanation for the origin of these anomalies.