Note on Antineutrino Cross Sections and on Detection of Antineutrinos from Nuclear Explosions

Part of a broader investigation concerned with developing practical antineutrino detectors for use against nuclear submarines and rockets, communication by means of neutrino radiation, and a system for monitoring nuclear weapons. An earlier proposal suggested that, although the well-known antineutrino reaction of inverse beta decay might not be useful for these purposes, perhaps some other less well-known reactions might have much larger cross sections. This Memorandum considers the available information on all antineutrino reactions. The study concludes that, at least for nuclear-test-detection purposes, no antineutrino reactions are useful.