Efficient Calibration and Characterization of Segmented Antineutrino Detectors

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Engineering/Physics, 2013-14

Liaison(s): Dr. Nathaniel Bowden, Dr. Timothy Classen
Advisor(s): Tom Donnelly
Students(s): Anthony Corso (TL-S), Courtney Keeler (TL-F), Bryan Monroy, Vivian Steyert (S), Sean Messenger (F)

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Clinic Team designed, built, and tested a method for calibrating the energy and position of an antineutrino event within a scintillator detector. The calibration method was automated so minimal human input is needed. Such detectors will be deployed near nuclear reactors and used in the search for the sterile neutrino. The team verified the calibration results using a particle interaction simulation which will also be used to predict the performance of future scintillator detectors.