Simulation of the background from 13C(α, n)16O reaction in the JUNO scintillator

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11320%2F25%3A10510532" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11320/25:10510532 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=poK-6sJdZl" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=poK-6sJdZl</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-14333-4" target="_blank" >10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-14333-4</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Simulation of the background from 13C(α, n)16O reaction in the JUNO scintillator

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Large-scale organic liquid scintillator detectors are highly efficient in the detection of MeV-scale electron antineutrinos. These signal events can be detected through inverse beta decay on protons, which produce a positron accompanied by a neutron. A noteworthy background for antineutrinos coming from nuclear power reactors and from the depths of the Earth (geoneutrinos) is generated by (alpha, n) reactions. In organic liquid scintillator detectors, alpha particles emitted from intrinsic contaminants such as U-238, Th-232, and Pb-210/Po-210, can be captured on C-13 nuclei, followed by the emission of a MeV-scale neutron. Three distinct interaction mechanisms can produce prompt energy depositions preceding the delayed neutron capture, leading to a pair of events correlated in space and time within the detector. Thus, (alpha, n) reactions represent an indistinguishable background in liquid scintillator-based antineutrino detectors, where their expected rate and energy spectrum are typically evaluated via Monte Carlo simulations. This work presents results from the open-source SaG4n software, used to calculate the expected energy depositions from the neutron and any associated de-excitation products. Also simulated is a detailed detector response to these interactions, using a dedicated Geant4-based simulation software from the JUNO experiment. An expected measurable C-13(alpha, n)O-16 event rate and reconstructed prompt energy spectrum with associated uncertainties, are presented in the context of JUNO, however, the methods and results are applicable and relevant to other organic liquid scintillator neutrino detectors.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Simulation of the background from 13C(α, n)16O reaction in the JUNO scintillator

Popis výsledku anglicky

Large-scale organic liquid scintillator detectors are highly efficient in the detection of MeV-scale electron antineutrinos. These signal events can be detected through inverse beta decay on protons, which produce a positron accompanied by a neutron. A noteworthy background for antineutrinos coming from nuclear power reactors and from the depths of the Earth (geoneutrinos) is generated by (alpha, n) reactions. In organic liquid scintillator detectors, alpha particles emitted from intrinsic contaminants such as U-238, Th-232, and Pb-210/Po-210, can be captured on C-13 nuclei, followed by the emission of a MeV-scale neutron. Three distinct interaction mechanisms can produce prompt energy depositions preceding the delayed neutron capture, leading to a pair of events correlated in space and time within the detector. Thus, (alpha, n) reactions represent an indistinguishable background in liquid scintillator-based antineutrino detectors, where their expected rate and energy spectrum are typically evaluated via Monte Carlo simulations. This work presents results from the open-source SaG4n software, used to calculate the expected energy depositions from the neutron and any associated de-excitation products. Also simulated is a detailed detector response to these interactions, using a dedicated Geant4-based simulation software from the JUNO experiment. An expected measurable C-13(alpha, n)O-16 event rate and reconstructed prompt energy spectrum with associated uncertainties, are presented in the context of JUNO, however, the methods and results are applicable and relevant to other organic liquid scintillator neutrino detectors.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10300 - Physical sciences

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/EH22_008%2F0004632" target="_blank" >EH22_008/0004632: Výzkum základních stavebních kamenů hmoty s využitím špičkových technologií</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

European Physical Journal C

ISSN

1434-6044

e-ISSN

1434-6052

Svazek periodika

85

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

9

Stát vydavatele periodika

DE - Spolková republika Německo

Počet stran výsledku

21

Strana od-do

1080

Kód UT WoS článku

001614926100001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105018460225