Evaluation of reactor neutrino flux: issues and uncertainties

Abstract

Evaluation of the reactor $\bar{\nu}_e$ flux and spectrum is an essential ingredient of their application in the neutrino oscillation studies. Two anomalies, i.e. discrepancies between the observed and expected count rates, are widely discussed at the resent time. The total rate is $\sim$ 6\% lower than the expectation at all distances $>$ 10 m from the reactor. And there is a shoulder (often referred to as "bump") at neutrino energies 5-7 MeV, not predicted in the calculated spectrum. I review the ways the flux and spectrum is evaluated and concentrate on the error budget. I argue that far reaching conclusions based on these anomalies should await a thorough understanding of the uncertainties of the spectrum, and point out possible standard physics sources of the anomalies.