Braidwood R&D tasks

Dear Colleagues:

    Here is an outline of near-term R&D tasks along with some suggested
milestones. We'll discuss this in detail at our upcoming meeting.

Mike and Ed

                      Outline of Near Term Braidwood R&D

Simulation Work:

Detector Modeling (Next baseline: March,2005)
- Improved details in full GEANT4 simulation
- More complete light generation,propagation,detection
- Better PMT modeling (geometry,angular response ...)
- Inclusion of realistic radioactivity backgrounds

Two Zone vs Three Zone Question (Decision Milestone: April,2005)
- Energy scale issue
- Positron leakage
- Fast neutron identification
- Better energy resolution
- Engineering and cost differences
- Thickness of outer oil buffer region
- PMT coverage

Veto System and Performance (New baseline April,2005)
- Investigation of strategies for using a veto system
- Requirements
   a) coverage of active shield and efficiency
   b) spatial and time resolution
   c) energy capabilities
   d) passive (instrumented?) shielding
   e) technology choice
- Engineering of system for support and movement

Elastic Scattering Measurement
- Spallation background reduction
- Tolerable radioactivity levels (Gd etc.)
- Energy scale/offset and calibration requirements
- Fiducial volume issues

Muon fluxes
- Better estimates of muon rates at depth
   a) improved Monte Carlo modeling
   b) incorporation of bore hole data
   c) tuning to external data

Muon Background studies
- Background production modeling
   a) tuning to external data
   b) simple measurements at shallow depths
   c) VSPLAT facility program
- Background reduction
   a) Depth requirements (Decision: April,2005)
   b) Offline techniques using correlation
      of observed muon and event information
   c) pulse shape descrimination
- In situ background measurements
   a) isolating pure background samples
   b) "swapping" techniques

Radioactivity Background studies
- Impact of various radioactive background sources
   (PMTs, steel vessel, acrylic ballon, Gd...)
- Quantify impact on osc measurement as a function of rate

Calibration Studies and Performance (New baseline April,2005)
- Contained radioactive sources
   a) Location strategies
   b) what type and energy of sources are needed
- Dissolved radioactive sources
- Optical sources
   a) what is needed to measure the optical properties
   b) how well do sources need to be understood
- Possible mis-calibrations that go undetected
- How well can sources give the relative near/far relative efficiency

Detector movement and redundancy
- Estimates of movement systematic uncertainties
- Estimates of systematic uncertainty reduction from multiple near and far detectors

Triggering, Electronics and Data Aquisition Scheme
- What will be recorded and with what accuracy
- Neutrino signal triggering
- Cosmic muon tagging

Hardware Work:
- PMT studies, measurments, and characterization
   a) gain,noise,timing,angular response
   b) radioactivity
- Scintillator and oil measurements and characterization
   a) properties for inclusion in Monte Carlo
   b) aging studies
   c) concentration studies
   d) Gd radioactivity measurements
- Other material radioactivity measurements
- Source calibration studies

Civil Design Work:
- Preliminary work toward developing a "Design and Build" Contract Package
- Preliminary detector moving studies

Detector Design Work (New baseline April,2005)
- Studies of support mechnisms for two zone detectors
- Two vs three zone mechanical and cost comparisons
- Implications and capabilities for moving detectors between sites
- Preliminary veto design studies

Liquid Scintillator Studies
- Finalize chemical procedures for making Gd-LS
- Material compatibility studies and decisions
- Radioactivity studies

Outreach Summer Program
- Plan for housing, etc. for 16 students
- Initial program ideas/"Braidwood Suumer School" at UofC
Received on Tue Nov 16 18:16:02 2004