English

Gamma Backgrounds for Experiments at the High Flux Isotope Reactor

High Energy Physics - Experiment 2026-07-07 v1 Nuclear Experiment
Authors: M. Andriamirado , A. B. Balantekin , C. Baldenegro , C. D. Bass , O. Benevides Rodrigues , E. P. Bernard , N. S. Bowden , C. D. Bryan , R. Carr , T. Classen , A. J. Conant , N. Craft , G. Deichert , A. Delgado , M. J. Dolinski , A. Erickson , M. D. Fuller , A. Galindo-Uribarri , S. Ghosh , C. E. Gilbert , D. C. Glasgow , S. Gokhale , C. G. Grant , B. T. Hackett , S. Hans , A. B. Hansell , T. E. Haugen , K. M. Heeger , B. A. Heffron , A. Irani , D. E. Jaffe , J. Koblanski , C. E. Lane , B. R. Littlejohn , A. Lozano Sanchez , X. Lu , F. Machado , J. Maricic , M. P. Mendenhall , A. M. Meyer , R. Milincic , P. E. Mueller , H. P. Mumm , R. Neilson , J. R. Newby , D. Norcini , N. Patel , C. Roca , E. Romero-Romero , R. Rosero , D. Venegas-Vargas , B. White , J. Wilhelmi , M. Yeh , C. Zhang , X. Zhang
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Abstract

This article describes the deployment of a germanium detector at Oak Ridge National Lab's High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) for the purpose of understanding the energy and spatial distribution of the gamma field in the experiment hall where the Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment (PROSPECT) took data and future neutrino experiments could be located. The sources from both the reactor and the neutron beamlines are described in detail, along with their temporal variations due to reactor power and their spatial variations due to the geometry of the beamlines and building materials in the vicinity. Additionally, a shielding study was performed to assess the amount that backgrounds in tens of keV range can be mitigated. This work helps inform backgrounds for future experiments at reactors such as IBD-based neutrino measurements and CEvNS measurements.

Keywords

gamma background High Flux Isotope Reactor neutrino experiment shielding PROSPECT

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.05834,
  title  = {Gamma Backgrounds for Experiments at the High Flux Isotope Reactor},
  author = {M. Andriamirado and A. B. Balantekin and C. Baldenegro and C. D. Bass and O. Benevides Rodrigues and E. P. Bernard and N. S. Bowden and C. D. Bryan and R. Carr and T. Classen and A. J. Conant and N. Craft and G. Deichert and A. Delgado and M. J. Dolinski and A. Erickson and M. D. Fuller and A. Galindo-Uribarri and S. Ghosh and C. E. Gilbert and D. C. Glasgow and S. Gokhale and C. G. Grant and B. T. Hackett and S. Hans and A. B. Hansell and T. E. Haugen and K. M. Heeger and B. A. Heffron and A. Irani and D. E. Jaffe and J. Koblanski and C. E. Lane and B. R. Littlejohn and A. Lozano Sanchez and X. Lu and F. Machado and J. Maricic and M. P. Mendenhall and A. M. Meyer and R. Milincic and P. E. Mueller and H. P. Mumm and R. Neilson and J. R. Newby and D. Norcini and N. Patel and C. Roca and E. Romero-Romero and R. Rosero and D. Venegas-Vargas and B. White and J. Wilhelmi and M. Yeh and C. Zhang and X. Zhang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.05834},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

31 pages, 28 figures