Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches

H. J. Kim; I. S. Hahn; M. J. Hwang; R. K. Jain; U. K. Kang; S. C. Kim; S. K. Kim; T. Y. Kim; Y. D. Kim; Y. J. Kwon; H. S. Lee; J. H. Lee; J. I. Lee; M. H. Lee; D. S. Lim; S. H. Noh; H. Park; I. H. Park; E. S. Seo; E. Won; M. S. Yang; I. Yu

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2003.09.001

Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches

H. J. Kim, I. S. Hahn, M. J. Hwang, R. K. Jain, U. K. Kang, S. C. Kim, S. K. Kim, T. Y. Kim, Y. D. Kim, Y. J. Kwon, H. S. Lee, J. H. Lee, J. I. Lee, M. H. Lee, D. S. Lim, S. H. Noh, H. Park, I. H. Park, E. S. Seo, E. WonM. S. Yang, I. Yu

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Searches for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) can be carried out based on the detection of nuclear recoil energy in CsI(Tℓ) crystals. It is crucial to minimize the neutron background as well as to fully understand the remaining background sources through adequate shielding when using the pulse shape discrimination method for WIMP detection. We have measured the neutron flux at 350 m minimum depth, where the CheongPyung underground laboratory (CPL) is located, to be 3.00±0.02 (stat.)± 0.05 (syst.)×10^-5 neutrons/cm²/s with the neutron energy in the range 1.5<E_n<6 MeV. Using the GEANT4 simulation,have demonstrated that the neutron flux can be reduced sufficiently for dark matter searches with 30 cm of polyethylene passive shield and 20 cm of BC501A liquid scintillator active shield. The neutron induced background at a few keV energy deposit in CsI crystal is less than 0.001 counts/keV/kg/day. An active shield not only reduces the neutron background but can also reduce the uncertainty in the neutron background estimation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	549-557
Number of pages	9
Journal	Astroparticle Physics
Volume	20
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2003.09.001
Publication status	Published - 2004 Feb

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work is supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology under a Creative Science Research Initiative program. Y.J. Kwon wishes to acknowledge the financial support of the atomic research and development project of the year of 1999. Y.D. Kim also acknowledges the support by Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-99-015-DP0078). We are grateful to J.P. Wellisch for assistance with the GEANT4 neutron simulation.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics

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10.1016/j.astropartphys.2003.09.001

Cite this

Kim, H. J., Hahn, I. S., Hwang, M. J., Jain, R. K., Kang, U. K., Kim, S. C., Kim, S. K., Kim, T. Y., Kim, Y. D., Kwon, Y. J., Lee, H. S., Lee, J. H., Lee, J. I., Lee, M. H., Lim, D. S., Noh, S. H., Park, H., Park, I. H., Seo, E. S., ... Yu, I. (2004). Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches. Astroparticle Physics, 20(5), 549-557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2003.09.001

@article{25f5f5be30e14e8ab99e0759c9e69abe,

title = "Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches",

abstract = "Searches for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) can be carried out based on the detection of nuclear recoil energy in CsI(Tℓ) crystals. It is crucial to minimize the neutron background as well as to fully understand the remaining background sources through adequate shielding when using the pulse shape discrimination method for WIMP detection. We have measured the neutron flux at 350 m minimum depth, where the CheongPyung underground laboratory (CPL) is located, to be 3.00±0.02 (stat.)± 0.05 (syst.)×10-5 neutrons/cm2/s with the neutron energy in the range 1.5<En<6 MeV. Using the GEANT4 simulation,have demonstrated that the neutron flux can be reduced sufficiently for dark matter searches with 30 cm of polyethylene passive shield and 20 cm of BC501A liquid scintillator active shield. The neutron induced background at a few keV energy deposit in CsI crystal is less than 0.001 counts/keV/kg/day. An active shield not only reduces the neutron background but can also reduce the uncertainty in the neutron background estimation.",

author = "Kim, {H. J.} and Hahn, {I. S.} and Hwang, {M. J.} and Jain, {R. K.} and Kang, {U. K.} and Kim, {S. C.} and Kim, {S. K.} and Kim, {T. Y.} and Kim, {Y. D.} and Kwon, {Y. J.} and Lee, {H. S.} and Lee, {J. H.} and Lee, {J. I.} and Lee, {M. H.} and Lim, {D. S.} and Noh, {S. H.} and H. Park and Park, {I. H.} and Seo, {E. S.} and E. Won and Yang, {M. S.} and I. Yu",

note = "Funding Information: This work is supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology under a Creative Science Research Initiative program. Y.J. Kwon wishes to acknowledge the financial support of the atomic research and development project of the year of 1999. Y.D. Kim also acknowledges the support by Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-99-015-DP0078). We are grateful to J.P. Wellisch for assistance with the GEANT4 neutron simulation.",

year = "2004",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1016/j.astropartphys.2003.09.001",

language = "English",

volume = "20",

pages = "549--557",

journal = "Astroparticle Physics",

issn = "0927-6505",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "5",

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Kim, HJ, Hahn, IS, Hwang, MJ, Jain, RK, Kang, UK, Kim, SC, Kim, SK, Kim, TY, Kim, YD, Kwon, YJ, Lee, HS, Lee, JH, Lee, JI, Lee, MH, Lim, DS, Noh, SH, Park, H, Park, IH, Seo, ES, Won, E, Yang, MS & Yu, I 2004, 'Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches', Astroparticle Physics, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 549-557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2003.09.001

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T1 - Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches

AU - Kim, H. J.

AU - Hahn, I. S.

AU - Hwang, M. J.

AU - Jain, R. K.

AU - Kang, U. K.

AU - Kim, S. C.

AU - Kim, S. K.

AU - Kim, T. Y.

AU - Kim, Y. D.

AU - Kwon, Y. J.

AU - Lee, H. S.

AU - Lee, J. H.

AU - Lee, J. I.

AU - Lee, M. H.

AU - Lim, D. S.

AU - Noh, S. H.

AU - Park, H.

AU - Park, I. H.

AU - Seo, E. S.

AU - Won, E.

AU - Yang, M. S.

AU - Yu, I.

N1 - Funding Information: This work is supported by the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology under a Creative Science Research Initiative program. Y.J. Kwon wishes to acknowledge the financial support of the atomic research and development project of the year of 1999. Y.D. Kim also acknowledges the support by Korea Research Foundation Grant (KRF-99-015-DP0078). We are grateful to J.P. Wellisch for assistance with the GEANT4 neutron simulation.

PY - 2004/2

Y1 - 2004/2

N2 - Searches for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) can be carried out based on the detection of nuclear recoil energy in CsI(Tℓ) crystals. It is crucial to minimize the neutron background as well as to fully understand the remaining background sources through adequate shielding when using the pulse shape discrimination method for WIMP detection. We have measured the neutron flux at 350 m minimum depth, where the CheongPyung underground laboratory (CPL) is located, to be 3.00±0.02 (stat.)± 0.05 (syst.)×10-5 neutrons/cm2/s with the neutron energy in the range 1.5<En<6 MeV. Using the GEANT4 simulation,have demonstrated that the neutron flux can be reduced sufficiently for dark matter searches with 30 cm of polyethylene passive shield and 20 cm of BC501A liquid scintillator active shield. The neutron induced background at a few keV energy deposit in CsI crystal is less than 0.001 counts/keV/kg/day. An active shield not only reduces the neutron background but can also reduce the uncertainty in the neutron background estimation.

AB - Searches for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) can be carried out based on the detection of nuclear recoil energy in CsI(Tℓ) crystals. It is crucial to minimize the neutron background as well as to fully understand the remaining background sources through adequate shielding when using the pulse shape discrimination method for WIMP detection. We have measured the neutron flux at 350 m minimum depth, where the CheongPyung underground laboratory (CPL) is located, to be 3.00±0.02 (stat.)± 0.05 (syst.)×10-5 neutrons/cm2/s with the neutron energy in the range 1.5<En<6 MeV. Using the GEANT4 simulation,have demonstrated that the neutron flux can be reduced sufficiently for dark matter searches with 30 cm of polyethylene passive shield and 20 cm of BC501A liquid scintillator active shield. The neutron induced background at a few keV energy deposit in CsI crystal is less than 0.001 counts/keV/kg/day. An active shield not only reduces the neutron background but can also reduce the uncertainty in the neutron background estimation.

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JO - Astroparticle Physics

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ER -

Measurement of the neutron flux in the CPL underground laboratory and simulation studies of neutron shielding for WIMP searches

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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