DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

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

Abstract

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 Iμ = (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 Yn = (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 < Eμ >0.76±0.03 for liquid-scintillator targets.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; « less
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1257960
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1246181
Report Number(s):
BNL-112292-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; PRVDAQ; R&D Project: CO001; KC0401022
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC00112704; AC-02-05CH11231; AC-02-98CH10886
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review D
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 93; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

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., and Zhang, B. J. Measurement of cosmic-ray muons and muon-induced neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.93.072005.
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. Measurement of cosmic-ray muons and muon-induced neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.93.072005
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., and Zhang, B. J. Thu . "Measurement of cosmic-ray muons and muon-induced neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.93.072005. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1257960.
@article{osti_1257960,
title = {Measurement of cosmic-ray muons and muon-induced neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory},
author = {Yeh, M. and Chan, Y. L. and Chen, X. C. and Chu, M. C. and Cui, K. X. and Hahn, R. L. and Ho, T. H. and Hsiung, Y. B. and Hu, B. Z. and Kwan, K. K. and Kwok, M. W. and Kwok, T. and Lau, Y. P. and Leung, J. K. C. and Leung, K. Y. and Lin, G. L. and Lin, Y. C. and Luk, K. B. and Luk, W. H. and Ngai, H. Y. and Ngan, S. Y. and Pun, C. S. J. and Shih, K. and Tam, Y. H. and Tsang, R. H. M. and Wang, C. H. and Wong, C. M. and Wong, H. L. H. and Wong, K. K. and Zhang, B. J.},
abstractNote = {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 Iμ = (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 Yn = (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 < Eμ >0.76±0.03 for liquid-scintillator targets.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.93.072005},
journal = {Physical Review D},
number = 7,
volume = 93,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

Journal Article:

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Review of Particle Physics
journal, August 2014


Backgrounds to Sensitive Experiments Underground
journal, December 2004


Muon-induced neutron and pion production in an organic liquid scintillator at a shallow depth
journal, December 1995


Neutron production by cosmic-ray muons at shallow depth
journal, October 2000


Production of radioactive isotopes through cosmic muon spallation in KamLAND
journal, February 2010


Cosmogenic Backgrounds in Borexino at 3800 m water-equivalent depth
journal, August 2013


Neutron flux generated by cosmic-ray mouns at 5200 hg/cm2 s.r. underground. Depth-neutron intensity curve
journal, July 1989

  • Aglietta, M.; Badino, G.; Bologna, G.
  • Il Nuovo Cimento C, Vol. 12, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF02525079

An apparatus for studying spallation neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel laboratory
journal, September 2013

  • Blyth, S. C.; Chan, Y. L.; Chen, X. C.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 723
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2013.04.035

Geant4—a simulation toolkit
journal, July 2003

  • Agostinelli, S.; Allison, J.; Amako, K.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 506, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1016/S0168-9002(03)01368-8

A three-dimensional code for muon propagation through the rock: MUSIC
journal, October 1997


Predicting neutron production from cosmic-ray muons
journal, June 2001


High-energy hadron background in proton decay experiments
journal, May 1983

  • Khalchukov, F. F.; Mal'gin, A. S.; Ryassny, V. G.
  • Il Nuovo Cimento C, Vol. 6, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1007/BF02507819

Atmospheric muon flux at sea level, underground, and underwater
journal, July 1998


Muon-induced production of radioactive isotopes in scintillation detectors
journal, August 2000


Simulations of muon-induced neutron flux at large depths underground
journal, June 2003

  • Kudryavtsev, V. A.; Spooner, N. J. C.; McMillan, J. E.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 505, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1016/S0168-9002(03)00983-5

Works referencing / citing this record:

Investigation of the limits of high-definition muography for observation of Mt Sakurajima
journal, December 2018

  • Oláh, László; Tanaka, Hiroyuki K. M.; Hamar, Gergő
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 377, Issue 2137
  • DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2018.0135

Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
journal, December 2019


Cosmogenic neutron production at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
text, January 2020