GADZOOKS! The Future of Super–Kamiokande?

An inexpensive, effective technique is being developed to allow tagging of antineutrinos in water Cherenkov [WC] detectors via the addition to water of a solute with a large neutron cross section and energetic gamma daughters. Gadolinium is an excellent candidate since in recent years it has become...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear physics. Section B, Proceedings supplement Proceedings supplement, 2007-06, Vol.168, p.128-130, Article 128
Main Author: Vagins, M.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:An inexpensive, effective technique is being developed to allow tagging of antineutrinos in water Cherenkov [WC] detectors via the addition to water of a solute with a large neutron cross section and energetic gamma daughters. Gadolinium is an excellent candidate since in recent years it has become very inexpensive, now less than $8 per kilogram in the form of commercially-available gadolinium trichloride. This non-toxic, non-reactive substance is highly soluble in water. Neutron capture on gadolinium yields an 8.0 MeV gamma cascade easily seen in detectors like Super–Kamiokande [Super–K, SK]. The uses of GdCl 3 as a possible upgrade for the Super–Kamiokande detector — with a view toward improving its performance as an antineutrino detector for supernova neutrinos and reactor neutrinos — are discussed, as are the ongoing R&D efforts which aim to make this dream a reality within the next two years.
ISSN:0920-5632
1873-3832
DOI:10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2007.02.011