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dc.contributor.advisorJoseph A. Formaggio.en_US
dc.contributor.authorNewman, Elise (Elise S.)en_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-12-05T19:56:28Z
dc.date.available2016-12-05T19:56:28Z
dc.date.copyright2016en_US
dc.date.issued2016en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105649
dc.descriptionThesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, 2016.en_US
dc.descriptionCataloged from PDF version of thesis.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (page 59).en_US
dc.description.abstractThis paper explores the impact of neutron backgrounds on the Ricochet experiment. The purpose of the Ricochet experiment is to determine the existence of sterile neutrinos via coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering. Coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering is an ideal detection method because it is a neutral current process. All active neutrino flavors will therefore be detected uniformly (no non-active, or sterile neutrinos will be detected because they do not couple to the Z boson). By varying the distance between the detector and the neutrino source, we consider deficits in neutrino flux to be evidence of oscillation to a fourth, non-active neutrino. Neutron backgrounds could interfere with neutrino detection. We therefore calibrate and employ Neutral Current Detectors (NCD's) for the purpose of neutron detection to measure the expected neutron spectrum incident on the detector. We furthermore design a Monte Carlo simulation to model the expected neutron capture rate of the neutrino detector in this setup.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Elise Newman.en_US
dc.format.extent59 pagesen_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582en_US
dc.subjectPhysics.en_US
dc.titleNeutron backgrounds in the Ricochet experimenten_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeS.B.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
dc.identifier.oclc963850265en_US


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