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Title: Cryogenic Design and Operation of Liquid Helium in Electron Bubble Chamber

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2202445· OSTI ID:20800221
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Columbia University, Nevis Laboratories, P. O. Box 137, Irvington, NY 10533 (United States)
  2. Brookhaven National Laboratory, P. O. Box 5000, Upton, NY 11973 (United States)

We are developing a new cryogenic neutrino detector: electron bubble chamber, using liquid helium as the detecting medium, for the detection of low-energy neutrinos (<1 MeV), from the Sun. The program focuses in particular on the interactions of neutrinos scattering off atomic electrons in the detecting medium of liquid helium, resulting in recoil electrons which can be measured. We designed and constructed a small test chamber with 1.5L active volume to start the detector R and D, and performed experimental proofs of the operation principle. The test chamber is a stainless steel cylinder equipped with five optical windows and ten high voltage cables. To shield the liquid helium chamber against the external heat loads, the chamber is made of double-walled jacket cooled by a pumped helium bath and is built into a LN2/LHe cryostat, equipped with 80 K and 4 K radiation shields. A needle valve for vapor helium cooling was used to provide a 1.7{approx}4.5 K low temperature environments. The paper gives an introduction to the liquid helium solar neutrino detector, presents the cryogenic design and operation of the small test chamber.

OSTI ID:
20800221
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 823, Issue 1; Conference: Cryogenic engineering conference, Keystone, CO (United States), 29 Aug - 2 Sep 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2202445; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English