structural:summarization, information:filtering, information:extraction
Reactor neutrinos

Nuclear reactors are the major source of human-generated neutrinos. The majority of energy in a nuclear reactor is generated by fission (the four main fissile isotopes in nuclear reactors are 235 U, 238 U, 239 Pu and 241 Pu), the resultant neutron-rich daughter nuclides rapidly undergo additional beta decays, each converting one neutron to a proton and an electron and releasing an electron antineutrino. Including these subsequent decays, the average nuclear fission releases about 200 MeV of energy, of which roughly 95.5% remains in the core as heat, and roughly 4.5% (or about 9 MeV) is radiated away as antineutrinos. For a typical nuclear reactor with a thermal power of 4000 MW, the total power production from fissioning atoms is actually 4185 MW, of which 185 MW is radiated away as antineutrino radiation and never appears in the engineering. This is to say, 185 MW of fission energy is lost from this reactor and does not appear as heat available to run turbines, since antineutrinos penetrate all building materials practically without interaction.