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Title: A search for cosmogenic production of β-neutron emitting radionuclides in water

Abstract

In this study, we present the first results of WATCHBOY, a water Cherenkov detector designed to measure the yield of β-neutron emitting radionuclides produced by cosmic ray muons in water. In addition to the β-neutron measurement, we also provide a first look at isolating single-β producing radionuclides following muon-induced hadronic showers as a check of the detection capabilities of WATCHBOY. The data taken over 207 live days indicates a 9Li production yield upper limit of 1.88 × 10–7μ–1g–1cm2 at ~300 m water equivalent (m.w.e.) overburden at the 90% confidence level. In this work the 9Li signal in WATCHBOY was used as a proxy for the combined search for 9Li and 8He production. This result will provide a constraint on estimates of antineutrino-like backgrounds in future water-based antineutrino detectors.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [2]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
  4. Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
OSTI Identifier:
1241987
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1254323; OSTI ID: 1359640
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-677613; SAND-2015-8590J
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344; AC04-94AL85000; LLNL-JRNL-677613
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; cosmogenic radionuclides; antineutrino; muon; spallation; 46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Dazeley, S., Askins, M., Bergevin, M., Bernstein, A., Bowden, N. S., Shokair, T. M., Jaffke, P., Rountree, S. D., and Sweany, M. A search for cosmogenic production of β-neutron emitting radionuclides in water. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2016.03.014.
Dazeley, S., Askins, M., Bergevin, M., Bernstein, A., Bowden, N. S., Shokair, T. M., Jaffke, P., Rountree, S. D., & Sweany, M. A search for cosmogenic production of β-neutron emitting radionuclides in water. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.03.014
Dazeley, S., Askins, M., Bergevin, M., Bernstein, A., Bowden, N. S., Shokair, T. M., Jaffke, P., Rountree, S. D., and Sweany, M. 2016. "A search for cosmogenic production of β-neutron emitting radionuclides in water". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.03.014. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1241987.
@article{osti_1241987,
title = {A search for cosmogenic production of β-neutron emitting radionuclides in water},
author = {Dazeley, S. and Askins, M. and Bergevin, M. and Bernstein, A. and Bowden, N. S. and Shokair, T. M. and Jaffke, P. and Rountree, S. D. and Sweany, M.},
abstractNote = {In this study, we present the first results of WATCHBOY, a water Cherenkov detector designed to measure the yield of β-neutron emitting radionuclides produced by cosmic ray muons in water. In addition to the β-neutron measurement, we also provide a first look at isolating single-β producing radionuclides following muon-induced hadronic showers as a check of the detection capabilities of WATCHBOY. The data taken over 207 live days indicates a 9Li production yield upper limit of 1.88 × 10–7μ–1g–1cm2 at ~300 m water equivalent (m.w.e.) overburden at the 90% confidence level. In this work the 9Li signal in WATCHBOY was used as a proxy for the combined search for 9Li and 8He production. This result will provide a constraint on estimates of antineutrino-like backgrounds in future water-based antineutrino detectors.},
doi = {10.1016/j.nima.2016.03.014},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1241987}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},
issn = {0168-9002},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Tue Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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Cited by: 6 works
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Works referenced in this record:

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