A Neutron Multiplicity Meter for Deep Underground Muon-Induced High Energy Neutron Measurements

Abstract

We present the design of an instrument capable of measuring the high energy ($>$60 MeV) muon-induced neutron flux deep underground. The instrument is based on applying the Gd-loaded liquid-scintillator technique to measure the rate of high-energy neutrons underground based on the neutron multiplicity induced in a Pb target. We present design studies based on Monte Carlo simulations that show that an apparatus consisting of a Pb target of 200 cm by 200 cm area by 60 cm thickness covered by a 60 cm thick Gd-loaded liquid scintillator (0.5% Gd content) detector could measure, at a depth of 2000 meters of water equivalent, a rate of $70\pm 8$ (stat) events/year. Based on these studies, we also discuss the benefits of using a neutron multiplicity meter as a component of active shielding in such experiments.

arXiv comment22 pages including 10 figures; corrected typos, extended references and improved description; revised version accepted for publication in NIM

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• Muon-Induced Background Study for Underground Laboratories
• The physics models of FLUKA: status and recent development
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• New Results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment
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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Measurements of neutrons produced by high-energy muons at the Boulby Underground Laboratory
• Simulation of neutrons produced by high-energy muons underground
• A Note on Neutron Capture Correlation Signals, Backgrounds, and Efficiencies
• A detection system to measure muon-induced neutrons for direct Dark Matter searches
• Direct WIMP identification: Physics performance of a segmented noble-liquid target immersed in a Gd-doped water veto