Liquid Scintillator Response to Proton Recoils in the 10-100 keV Range

Abstract

We study the response of EJ-301 liquid scintillator to monochromatic 244.6 $\pm$ 8.4 keV neutrons, targeting the 10-100 keV proton recoil energy interval. Limited experimental information exists for proton light yield in this range, for this or any other organic scintillator. Our results confirm the adequacy of a modified Birks' model, common to all organic scintillator formulations, predicting a marked increase in quenching factor as proton energy approaches the few keV regime. The relevance of this behavior within the context of searches for low-mass particle dark matter is mentioned.

arXiv comment5 pages, 6 figures. V2: Fig. 1 and references updated

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Cited by in corpus (12)

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• First results from a search for coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$\nu$NS) at a reactor site
• Response of CsI[Na] to Nuclear Recoils: Impact on Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CE$\nu$NS)
• New Experimental Constraints in a New Landscape for Composite Dark Matter
• First measurement of the nuclear-recoil ionization yield in silicon at 100 eV
• Simultaneous measurement of organic scintillator response to carbon and proton recoils
• Measurement of ${}^{nat}$Pb(${\nu }_e$,X$n$) production with a stopped-pion neutrino source
• Starburst Nuclei as Light Dark Matter Laboratories
• Nuclear Recoil Scintillation Linearity of a High Pressure ${}^4$He Gas Detector
• Measurement of scintillation response of CsI[Na] to low-energy nuclear recoils by COHERENT
• A portable and high intensity 24 keV neutron source based on ${}^{124}$Sb-${}^9$Be photoneutrons and an iron filter