Speaker
Description
The $\nu$GeN experiment is aimed to studying neutrino properties in the close vicinity of the reactor core of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) at Udomlya, Russia. The experimental setup is installed under reactor unit #3 of KNPP at the moving platform, which allows changing the distance from the center of the 3.1 GW$_{th}$ core from 11.1 to 12.2 m. In this way, we obtain an enormous antineutrino flux of (3.6-4.4)x10$^{13}$ $\nu$/cm$^2$/s. Materials of the reactor surrounding provide about 50 m w.e. overburden, which serves as a good shielding against cosmic radiation. In combination with a low ambient background, it gives us a unique opportunity to investigate antineutrino properties at the best experimental location in the world. To detect signals from the neutrino scattering, we use a high-purity, low-threshold germanium detector surrounded by passive and active shielding. A specially developed acquisition system allows suppressing events that correspond to noise. The current status of the experimental setup, data taking, and results will be presented.
