Research area: non-accelerator Neutrino physics, low energy particle physics.

Research projects:

Concluded: Palo Verde Neutrino Oscillation Experiment. Intermediate baseline (750-890 m) neutrino oscillation search at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, near Phoenix, Az. Goal of this experiment was to search for neutrino oscillations, in the allowed neutrino mass-mixing parameter range derived from Kamiokande's atmospheric neutrino anomaly.
Our collaboration, made of groups of Caltech, Stanford University, the University of Alabama and Arizona State University, used an 11.3 tons of Gd loaded liquid scintillation detector, to measure the reactor anti-neutrino flux.
The analysis of data taken from 1998 to 2000 yielded no evidence for neutrino oscillations. This data excludes electron to muon neutrino oscillations as the dominant channel for atmospheric neutrino oscillations, and places a stringent limit on the still unknown mixing angle theta13.


KamLAND is a 1000 ton liquid scintillation detector, set-up in the underground cavity of the former Kamiokande experiment. This device is used to explore long baseline neutrino oscillations, specifically the large mixing angle solution of the solar neutrino anomaly. Low energy reactor anti-neutrinos are utilized, with a baseline of 150-200 km, disappearance experiment. The experiment addresses various other topics like e.g. supernova neutrinos and terrestrial anti-neutrinos.
2006 the detector is being equipped with a new scintillator purification facility. Goals of the low background phase are the detection of solar 7Be neutrinos and of terrestrial anti-neutrinos.


KamLAND Results:

Evidence for Reactor Neutrino Disappearance

High Sensitivity Search for Solar anti-Neutrinos

Measurement of Neutrino Oscillations: Evidence for Spectral Distortion.

Experimental investigation of geologically produced antineutrinos with KamLAND

Search for the Invisible Decay of Neutrons with KamLAND

Precision Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters with KamLAND
Our experiment proposal gives a detailed description of the project.

EXO is a new large double beta decay project. A very large source strength coupled with a new detection technique might allow to test Majorana neutrino masses down to 10-50 meV. An R&D proposal has been submitted to DoE.

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Links to projects

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Some more information

Email: andreas@bama.ua.edu

Mail: Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Alabama 206 Gallalee Hall Box 870324 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0324, USA

Telephone: (Tel) 205-348-6066 (Fax) 205-348-5051