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Commissioning of the NUCLEUS Experiment at the Technical University of Munich

H. Abele1, G. Angloher2, B. Arnold3, M. Atzori Corona4, A. Bento2,*, E. Bossio5,†, F. Buchsteiner3, J. Burkhart3, F. Cappella6 et al. (NUCLEUS Collaboration)

F. Cappella6, M. Cappelli7,6, N. Casali6, R. Cerulli4, A. Cruciani6, G. Del Castello6, M. del Gallo Roccagiovine7,6, S. Dorer1, A. Erhart8, M. Friedl3, S. Fichtinger3, V. M. Ghete3, M. Giammei9,4, C. Goupy5,‡, D. Hauff2,8, F. Jeanneau5, E. Jericha1, M. Kaznacheeva8, H. Kluck3, A. Langenkämper2, T. Lasserre5,8,‡, D. Lhuillier5, M. Mancuso2, R. Martin5,1, B. Mauri2, A. Mazzolari10,11, L. McCallin5, H. Neyrial5, C. Nones5, L. Oberauer8, T. Ortmann8,§, L. Peters8,5,‡, F. Petricca2, W. Potzel8, F. Pröbst2, F. Pucci2, F. Reindl3,1, M. Romagnoni10,11, J. Rothe8, N. Schermer8, J. Schieck3,1, S. Schönert8, C. Schwertner3,1, L. Scola5, G. Soum-Sidikov5, L. Stodolsky2, R. Strauss8, R. Thalmeier3, C. Tomei6, M. Vignati7,6, M. Vivier5, and A. Wex8 (NUCLEUS Collaboration)

  • 1Atominstitut, Technische Universität Wien, Stadionallee 2, Wien, A-1020, Austria
  • 2Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Boltzmannstraße 8, Garching, D-85748, Germany
  • 3Institut für Hochenergiephysik der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Dominikanerbastei 16, Wien, A-1010, Austria
  • 4Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Roma, I-00133, Italy
  • 5IRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 141, Gif-sur-Yvette, F-91191, France
  • 6Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, Roma, I-00185, Italy
  • 7Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, I-00185, Italy
  • 8Physik-Department, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Straße 1, Garching, D-85748, Germany
  • 9Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Roma, I-00133, Italy
  • 10Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Sezione di Ferrara, Via Giuseppe Saragat 1c, Ferrara, I-44122, Italy
  • 11Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara, Via Giuseppe Saragat 1, Ferrara, I-44122, Italy

  • *Also at: LIBPhys-UC, Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Larga 3004-516, Coimbra, P3004-516, Portugal.
  • †Contact author: elisabetta.bossio@cea.fr
  • ‡Permanent address: Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, Heidelberg, D-69117, Germany.
  • §Permanent address: Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Boltzmannstraße 8, Garching, D-85748, Germany.
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 072013 – Published 28 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/c95p-8kh2

Abstract

The NUCLEUS experiment aims to detect coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering of reactor antineutrinos on CaWO4 targets in the fully coherent regime, using gram-scale cryogenic calorimeters. The experimental apparatus will be installed at the Chooz nuclear power plant in France, in the vicinity of two 4.25  GWth reactor cores. This work presents results from the commissioning of an essential version of the experiment at the shallow Underground Laboratory of the Technical University of Munich. For the first time, two cryogenic target detectors were tested alongside active and passive shielding systems. Over a period of two months, all detector subsystems were operated with stable performance. Background measurements were conducted, providing important benchmarks for the modeling of background sources at the reactor site. Finally, we present ongoing efforts to upgrade the detector systems in preparation for a technical run at Chooz in 2026, and highlight the remaining challenges to achieving neutrino detection.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 072013– Published 28 October, 2025
  • Received 5 August 2025
  • Accepted 25 September 2025
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