Invited Article: miniTimeCube

Abstract

We present the development of the miniTimeCube (mTC), a novel compact neutrino detector. The mTC is a multipurpose detector, aiming to detect not only neutrinos but also fast/thermal neutrons. Potential applications include the counterproliferation of nuclear materials and the investigation of antineutrino short-baseline effects. The mTC is a plastic 0.2% 10B–doped scintillator (13 cm)3 cube surrounded by 24 Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) photon detectors, each with an 8 × 8 anode totaling 1536 individual channels/pixels viewing the scintillator. It uses custom-made electronics modules which mount on top of the MCPs, making our detector compact and able to both distinguish different types of events and reject noise in real time. The detector is currently deployed and being tested at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research nuclear reactor (20 MWth) in Gaithersburg MD. A shield for further tests is being constructed, and calibration and upgrades are ongoing. The mTC’s improved spatiotemporal resolution will allow for determination of incident particle directions beyond previous capabilities.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2016
Source ID
10.1063/1.4942243

Entities

People

  • Gary Sim Varner
  • Glenn Jocher
  • H. P. Mumm
  • J. G. Learned
  • J. Koblanski
  • J. Murillo
  • K. Engel
  • Kurtis Nishimura
  • L. Macchiarulo
  • M. J. Duvall
  • M. Sakai
  • Michelle Rosen
  • R. Dorrill
  • S. M. Usman
  • S. Matsuno
  • S. Negrashov
  • Scott A Wipperfurth
  • V. A. Li
  • William F. McDonough

Organizations

  • George Mason University
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
  • University of Maryland

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.
  • Research Science/Academic Research
  • Solar Physics

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics