DUSEL R&D: Fast Neutron Spectroscopy in the Deep Underground Environment

该项目的目标是开发一种光谱仪来探测快中子，这将允许对敏感的地下实验的背景环境进行表征。这些实验，如寻找WIMP暗物质、无中微子双β衰变和探测太阳中微子，是核物理和粒子物理学中最优先考虑的方向，了解它们必须运行的背景对它们的成功至关重要。这里提出的光谱仪将使用一种称为捕获门控光谱的技术，带有一个装载锂的液体闪烁体，并且能够测量高达50兆电子伏特的中子的影响和能量。该技术在国土安全和中子剂量学中也有重要的应用。

The goal of this project is to develop a spectrometer to detect fast neutrons which will allow the characterization of the background environment for sensitive underground experiments. These experiments, such as searches for WIMP dark matter, neutrinoless double beta decay, and detection of solar neutrinos, are some of the highest priority directions in nuclear and particle physics, and understanding the backgrounds in which they must operate is essential to their success. The spectrometer proposed here will use a technique called capture-gated spectroscopy, with a lithium-loaded liquid scintillator, and will be able to measure both the fluence and energy of neutrons up to 50 MeV. This technique also has important applications in homeland security and neutron dosimetry.