Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

SNO Collaboration

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

SNO Collaboration

Laurentian University
Queen's University Kingston
University of Texas at Austin
Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas
University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences
Carleton University
University of Alberta
University of Guelph
Berkeley National Laboratory
University of Oxford
University of California, Berkeley
University of Washington
Los Alamos National Laboratory
SNOLAB
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Louisiana State University
Brookhaven National Laboratory
University of British Columbia
TRIUMF

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(g·μ), is measured to be 7.28±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB.

Original language	English
Article number	112005
Journal	Physical Review D
Volume	100
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005
State	Published - Dec 12 2019
Externally published	Yes

Scopus Subject Areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

Cite this

@article{1a3ec9beb6fb4eec863bd1f7c32341c4,

title = "Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory",

abstract = "Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(g·μ), is measured to be 7.28±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB.",

author = "\{SNO Collaboration\} and B. Aharmim and Ahmed, \{S. N.\} and Anthony, \{A. E.\} and N. Barros and Beier, \{E. W.\} and A. Bellerive and B. Beltran and M. Bergevin and Biller, \{S. D.\} and R. Bonventre and K. Boudjemline and Boulay, \{M. G.\} and B. Cai and Callaghan, \{E. J.\} and J. Caravaca and Chan, \{Y. D.\} and D. Chauhan and M. Chen and Cleveland, \{B. T.\} and Cox, \{G. A.\} and R. Curley and X. Dai and H. Deng and Descamps, \{F. B.\} and Detwiler, \{J. A.\} and Doe, \{P. J.\} and G. Doucas and Drouin, \{P. L.\} and M. Dunford and Elliott, \{S. R.\} and Evans, \{H. C.\} and Ewan, \{G. T.\} and J. Farine and H. Fergani and F. Fleurot and Ford, \{R. J.\} and Formaggio, \{J. A.\} and N. Gagnon and K. Gilje and Goon, \{J. T.M.\} and K. Graham and E. Guillian and S. Habib and Hahn, \{R. L.\} and Hallin, \{A. L.\} and Hallman, \{E. D.\} and Harvey, \{P. J.\} and R. Hazama and Heintzelman, \{W. J.\} and Secrest, \{J. A.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the {"}https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/{"} Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.",

year = "2019",

month = dec,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005",

language = "English",

volume = "100",

journal = "Physical Review D",

issn = "2470-0010",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

AU - SNO Collaboration

AU - Aharmim, B.

AU - Ahmed, S. N.

AU - Anthony, A. E.

AU - Barros, N.

AU - Beier, E. W.

AU - Bellerive, A.

AU - Beltran, B.

AU - Bergevin, M.

AU - Biller, S. D.

AU - Bonventre, R.

AU - Boudjemline, K.

AU - Boulay, M. G.

AU - Cai, B.

AU - Callaghan, E. J.

AU - Caravaca, J.

AU - Chan, Y. D.

AU - Chauhan, D.

AU - Chen, M.

AU - Cleveland, B. T.

AU - Cox, G. A.

AU - Curley, R.

AU - Dai, X.

AU - Deng, H.

AU - Descamps, F. B.

AU - Detwiler, J. A.

AU - Doe, P. J.

AU - Doucas, G.

AU - Drouin, P. L.

AU - Dunford, M.

AU - Elliott, S. R.

AU - Evans, H. C.

AU - Ewan, G. T.

AU - Farine, J.

AU - Fergani, H.

AU - Fleurot, F.

AU - Ford, R. J.

AU - Formaggio, J. A.

AU - Gagnon, N.

AU - Gilje, K.

AU - Goon, J. T.M.

AU - Graham, K.

AU - Guillian, E.

AU - Habib, S.

AU - Hahn, R. L.

AU - Hallin, A. L.

AU - Hallman, E. D.

AU - Harvey, P. J.

AU - Hazama, R.

AU - Heintzelman, W. J.

AU - Secrest, J. A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

PY - 2019/12/12

Y1 - 2019/12/12

N2 - Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(g·μ), is measured to be 7.28±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB.

AB - Neutrons produced in nuclear interactions initiated by cosmic-ray muons present an irreducible background to many rare-event searches, even in detectors located deep underground. Models for the production of these neutrons have been tested against previous experimental data, but the extrapolation to deeper sites is not well understood. Here we report results from an analysis of cosmogenically produced neutrons at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. A specific set of observables are presented, which can be used to benchmark the validity of geant4 physics models. In addition, the cosmogenic neutron yield, in units of 10-4 cm2/(g·μ), is measured to be 7.28±0.09(stat)-1.12+1.59(syst) in pure heavy water and 7.30±0.07(stat)-1.02+1.40(syst) in NaCl-loaded heavy water. These results provide unique insights into this potential background source for experiments at SNOLAB.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85076507370

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85076507370

SN - 2470-0010

VL - 100

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

IS - 11

M1 - 112005

ER -

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Abstract

Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this