Searches for Sterile Neutrinos at Reactor

Abstract

We show that in a reactor disappearance oscillation experiment the sensitivity to the mixing parameter can be substantially improved for $(1 - 5\cdot10^{-4}) eV^{2}$ mass parameter range which includes both the LSND and the atmospheric neutrino oscillation regions. The objectives are: to search for the sterile neutrinos and to get a better understanding of the atmospheric neutrino oscillation mechanism. The parameters of the underground (600 m.w.e.) Krasnoyarsk reactor and data from the CHOOZ reactor oscillation experiment are used to estimate the effect and background rates.