A new hybrid gadolinium nanoparticles-loaded polymeric material for neutron detection in rare event searches

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2404.18492
• Publication Date: 2024-09-01
• Authors: Acerbi, F.; Adhikari, P.; Agnes, P.; Ahmad, I.; Albergo, S.; Albuquerque, I. F.; Alexander, T.; Alton, A. K.; Amaudruz, P.; Angiolilli, M.; Aprile, E.; Ardito, R.; Atzori Corona, M.; Auty, D. J.; Ave, M.; Avetisov, I. C.; Azzolini, O.; Back, H. O.; Balmforth, Z.; Barrado Olmedo, A.; Barrillon, P.; Batignani, G.; Bhowmick, P.; Bocci, V.; Bonivento, W.; Bottino, B.; Boulay, M. G.; Buchowicz, A.; Bussino, S.; Busto, J.; Cadeddu, M.; Cadoni, M.; Calabrese, R.; Camillo, V.; Caminata, A.; Canci, N.; Capra, A.; Caravati, M.; Cárdenas-Montes, M.; Cargioli, N.; Carlini, M.; Castellani, A.; Castello, P.; Cavalcante, P.; Cavallo, D.; Cebrian, S.; Cela Ruiz, J.; Chashin, S.; Chepurnov, A.; Cifarelli, L.; Cintas, D.; Citterio, M.; Cleveland, B.; Coadou, Y.; Cocco, V.; Colaiuda, D.; Conde Vilda, E.; Consiglio, L.; Costa, B. S.; Czubak, M.; D'Aniello, M.; D'Auria, S.; Da Rocha Rolo, M. D.; Darbo, G.; Davini, S.; De Cecco, S.; De Guido, G.; Dellacasa, G.; Derbin, A. V.; Devoto, A.; Di Capua, F.; Di Ludovico, A.; Di Noto, L.; Di Stefano, P.; Dias, L. K.; Díaz Mairena, D.; Ding, X.; Dionisi, C.; Dolganov, G.; Dordei, F.; Dronik, V.; Elersich, A.; Ellingwood, E.; Erjavec, T.; Fernandez Diaz, M.; Ficorella, A.; Fiorillo, G.; Franchini, P.; Franco, D.; Frandini Gatti, H.; Frolov, E.; Gabriele, F.; Gahan, D.; Galbiati, C.; Galiński, G.; Gallina, G.; Gallus, G.; Garbini, M.; Garcia Abia, P.; Gawdzik, A.; Gendotti, A.; Ghisi, A.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Goicoechea Casanu...; Gola, A.; Grandi, L.; Grauso, G.; Grilli di Cortona...; Grobov, A.; Gromov, M.; Guerzoni, M.; Gulino, M.; Guo, C.; Hackett, B. R.; Hallin, A.; Hamer, A.; Haranczyk, M.; Harrop, B.; Hessel, T.; Hill, S.; Horikawa, S.; Hu, J.; Hubaut, F.; Hucker, J.; Hugues, T.; Hungerford, E. V.; Ianni, A.; Ippolito, V.; Jamil, A.; Jillings, C.; Kachru, P.; Keloth, R.; Kemmerich, N.; Kemp, A.; Kendziora, C. L.; Kimura, M.; Kondo, K.; Korga, G.; Kotsiopoulou, L.; Koulosousas, S.; Kubankin, A.; Kunzé, P.; Kuss, M.; Kuźniak, M.; Kuzwa, M.; La Commara, M.; Lai, M.; Le Guirriec, E.; Leason, E.; Leoni, A.; Lidey, L.; Lissia, M.; Luzzi, L.; Lychagina, O.; Macfadyen, O.; Machulin, I. N.; Manecki, S.; Manthos, I.; Mapelli, L.; Marasciulli, A.; Mari, S. M.; Mariani, C.; Maricic, J.; Marini, A.; Martinez, M.; Martoff, C. J.; Matteucci, G.; Mavrokoridis, K.; McDonald, A. B.; Mclaughlin, J.; Merzi, S.; Messina, A.; Milincic, R.; Minutoli, S.; Mitra, A.; Moharana, A.; Moioli, S.; Monroe, J.; Moretti, E.; Morrocchi, M.; Mroz, T.; Muratova, V. N.; Murphy, M.; Murra, M.; Muscas, C.; Musico, P.; Nania, R.; Nessi, M.; Nieradka, G.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Nikoloudaki, E.; Nowak, J.; Olchanski, K.; Oleinik, A.; Oleynikov, V.; Organtini, P.; Ortiz de Solórza...; Pallavicini, M.; Pandola, L.; Pantic, E.; Paoloni, E.; Peddis, D.; Pino, N.; Plante, G.; Price, D.; Queiroga Bazetto, M.; Ravinthiran, S.; Rossi, M.; Rubbia, A.; Sabia, M.; Salomone, P.; Sandford, E.; Simeone, M.; Slimani, S.; Sotnikov, A.; Stornelli, V.; Stracka, S.; Sunny, C.; Szelc, A. M.; Thieme, K.; Tosi, S.; Vicini, S.; Zabihi, A.
• Keywords: fast neutrons); axions; neutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons); Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors; [PHYS.HEXP] Physics [physics]/High Energy Physics - Experiment [hep-ex]; FOS: Physical sciences; 530; dark matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.); thermal; Materials for solid-state detectors; Neutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons); Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.); Particle identification methods; High Energy Physics - Experiment; Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.); Particle identification methods; High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex); etc.); 539; [PHYS.HEXP]Physics [physics]/High Energy Physics - Experiment [hep-ex]; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det]; Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs; Dark Matter detectors (WIMPs, axions, etc.); Materials for solid-state detectors; Neutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons); Particle identification methods; Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det); particle identification methods; Neutron detectors (cold; Materials for solid-state detectors; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET] Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det]; materials for solid-state detectors; Neutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons)

Abstract Experiments aimed at direct searches for WIMP dark matter require highly effective reduction of backgrounds and control of any residual radioactive contamination. In particular, neutrons interacting with atomic nuclei represent an important class of backgrounds due to the expected similarity of a WIMP-nucleon interaction, so that such experiments often feature a dedicated neutron detector surrounding the active target volume. In the context of the development of DarkSide-20k detector at INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS), several R&D projects were conceived and developed for the creation of a new hybrid material rich in both hydrogen and gadolinium nuclei to be employed as an essential element of the neutron detector. Thanks to its very high cross-section for neutron capture, gadolinium is one of the most widely used elements in neutron detectors, while the hydrogen-rich material is instrumental in efficiently moderating the neutrons. In this paper results from one of the R&Ds are presented. In this effort the new hybrid material was obtained as a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix, loaded with gadolinium oxide in the form of nanoparticles. We describe its realization, including all phases of design, purification, construction, characterization, and determination of mechanical properties of the new material.