The CENNS-10 Liquid Argon Detector to measure CEvNS at the Spallation Neutron Source

TL;DR

The paper discusses the deployment and initial results of the CENNS-10 liquid argon detector at the SNS, aiming to measure CEvNS on argon and test its cross section dependence on nuclear size.

Contribution

It introduces the CENNS-10 liquid argon detector and reports initial operational success and readiness for CEvNS measurement on argon.

Findings

Detector is operational and capable of measuring CEvNS on argon.

Light output and background suppression are sufficient for the measurement.

First results demonstrate detector's suitability for CEvNS detection.

Abstract

The COHERENT collaboration is deploying a suite of low-energy detectors in a low-background corridor of the ORNL Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to measure coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) on an array of nuclear targets employing different detector technologies. A measurement of CEvNS on different nuclei will test the $N^2$-dependence of the CEvNS cross section and further the physics reach of the COHERENT effort. The first step of this program has been realized recently with the observation of CEvNS in a 14.6 kg CsI detector. Operation and deployment of Ge and NaI detectors are also underway. A 22 kg, single-phase, liquid argon detector (CENNS-10) started data-taking in Dec. 2016 and will provide results on CEvNS from a lighter nucleus. Initial results indicate that light output, pulse-shape discrimination, and background suppression are sufficient for a measurement of CEvNS on argon.