Abstract:

Antineutrinos emitted by nuclear reactors have served as effective messengers of fundamental particle physics. They enabled the first detection of these elusive particles, and have provided the most distinct evidence in support of lepton flavor oscillation and neutrino mass. Despite these successes, measurements of the absolute rate and energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos have not quite matched our expectations. We will discuss these recent observations, new insights, and the implications they have for our understanding of antineutrinos, nuclear physics, and fission reactors.