New ideas in neutrino detection
M R VAGINS
Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4129 Reines Hall,
E-mail: vagins@markie.ps.uci.edu
Abstract. What is
new in the field of neutrino detection?
In addition to new projects
probing both the low and high ends
of the neutrino energy scale, an inexpensive, effective
technique is being developed to
allow tagging of antineutrinos in water Cherenkov
(WC)
detectors via the addition to water
of a solute with a large neutron
cross-section and energetic
$\gamma$ daughters. Gadolinium is an
excellent candidate since in recent
years it has become very
inexpensive, now less than \$8 per
kilogram in the form of
commercially available gadolinium trichloride. This non-toxic,
non-reactive substance is highly
soluble in water. Neutron capture
on gadolinium yields an 8.0~MeV
gamma cascade easily seen in
detectors like Super-Kamiokande. The uses of GdCl$_3$ as a possible
upgrade for the Super-Kamiokande detector -- with a view toward
improving its performance as an
antineutrino detector for supernova
neutrinos and reactor neutrinos --
are discussed, as are the ongoing R\&D efforts
which aim to make this dream a reality within the next two years.
Keywords. Neutrino; antineutrino; supernova; reactor;
Super-Kamiokande;
gadolinium; gadzooks.
PACS No. 14.60.-z