Invited Article: miniTimeCube

TL;DR

The miniTimeCube (mTC) is a compact, multipurpose neutrino and neutron detector with advanced spatiotemporal resolution, designed for applications like nuclear material counterproliferation and neutrino research, currently tested at NIST.

Contribution

This paper introduces the miniTimeCube, a novel compact detector with integrated electronics and high-resolution capabilities for neutrino and neutron detection.

Findings

Successfully deployed at NIST NCNR reactor

Enhanced spatial and temporal resolution achieved

Potential for directional detection of incident particles

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% $^{10}$B - doped scintillator (13 cm)$^3$ cube surrounded by 24 Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) photon detectors, each with an $8\times8$ 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 (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) nuclear reactor (20 MW$_\mathrm{th}$) 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.