Prototype reactor-antineutrino detector based on 6 Li-doped pulse-shape-discriminating plastic scintillator
An aboveground 60-kg reactor-antineutrino detector prototype, comprising a two-dimensional array of 36 6 Li-doped pulse-shape-sensitive plastic scintillator bars, is described. Each bar is 50 cm long with a square cross section of 5.5 cm. Doped with 6 Li at 0.1% by mass, the detector is capable of identifying correlated energy depositions for the detection of reactor antineutrinos via the inverse-𝛽-decay (IDB) reaction. Each bar is wrapped with a specular reflector that directs photons toward photomultiplier tubes mounted at both ends of the bar. Here, this paper highlights the construction, key features, and main performance characteristics of the system. The system, which relies on multiple observables such as pulse-shape discrimination, energy, position, and timing, is capable of detecting IBD-like neutron-correlated backgrounds, long-lived decay chains, and cosmogenic isotopes.