Measurement of cosmic-ray muons and muon-induced neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory

Journal Article · Thu Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Physical Review D

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.93.072005· OSTI ID:1257960

Yeh, M.; Chan, Y. L.; Chen, X. C.; Chu, M. C.; Cui, K. X.; Hahn, R. L.; Ho, T. H.; Hsiung, Y. B.; Hu, B. Z.; Kwan, K. K.; Kwok, M. W.; Kwok, T.; Lau, Y. P.; Leung, J. K. C.; Leung, K. Y.; Lin, G. L.; Lin, Y. C.; Luk, K. B.; Luk, W. H.; Ngai, H. Y. ; Ngan, S. Y.; Pun, C. S. J.; Shih, K.; Tam, Y. H.; Tsang, R. H. M.; Wang, C. H.; Wong, C. M.; Wong, H. L. H.; Wong, K. K.; Zhang, B. J.

In this study, we have measured the muon flux and production rate of muon-induced neutrons at a depth of 611 m water equivalent. Our apparatus comprises three layers of crossed plastic scintillator hodoscopes for tracking the incident cosmic-ray muons and 760 L of a gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator for producing and detecting neutrons. The vertical muon intensity was measured to be I_μ = (5.7±0.6)×10^–6 cm^–2 s^–1 sr^–1. The yield of muon-induced neutrons in the liquid scintillator was determined to be Y_n = (1.19 ± 0.08(stat) ± 0.21(syst)) × 10^–4 neutrons/(μ•g•cm^–2). A fit to the recently measured neutron yields at different depths gave a mean muon energy dependence of < E_μ >^0.76±0.03 for liquid-scintillator targets.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC00112704; AC-02-05CH11231; AC-02-98CH10886
• OSTI ID: 1257960
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1246181
• Report Number(s): BNL-112292-2016-JA; PRVDAQ; R&D Project: CO001; KC0401022
• Journal Information: Physical Review D, Vol. 93, Issue 7; ISSN 2470-0010
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY