Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

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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

Bibliographical note

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.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

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@article{ac104456d7664d88be3aca674ff47025,

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 = "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 R. MacLellan",

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.",

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T1 - Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

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 - MacLellan, R.

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.

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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.100.112005

M3 - Article

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VL - 100

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

IS - 11

M1 - 112005

ER -

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Abstract

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