Reactor Anti-Neutrino Oscillations and Gadolinium Loaded Super-Kamiokande Detector

Abstract

We explore the potential of measuring the solar neutrino oscillation parameters in the proposed gadolinium loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK-Gd) detector. Gadolinium dissolved in water can detect neutrons much more efficiently than pure water. This imparts the detector the ability to observe electron type antineutrinos, transforming Super-Kamiokande into a huge reactor antineutrino detector with an event rate approximately 43 times higher than that observed in KamLAND. We simulate the reactor antineutrino data expected in this high statistics detector. We use these prospective data to study the precision with which the solar neutrino oscillation parameters, $\Delta m^2_{\odot}$ and $\sin^2\theta_{\odot}$, can be determined i) with the SK-Gd detector, and ii) by combining the SK-Gd data with the global data on solar neutrino oscillations. For comparison and completeness the allowed regions of $\Delta m^2_{\odot}$ and $\sin^2\theta_{\odot}$, expected to be obtained from the data of the solar neutrino and KamLAND experiments, are also presented.Comment: Includes Addendum with a brief discussion of the implications of the 766.3 kTy KamLAND spectrum data on the sensitivity of the SK-Gd experiment; two new figures added in the Addendum; typos in Table 1 correcte