{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/105649"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/105649","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Neutron backgrounds in the Ricochet experiment","abstract":"This 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.","abstract_html":"This 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.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Newman, Elise (Elise S.)"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Joseph A. Formaggio."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016","date_published":"2016","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:00Z","subjects":["Physics."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.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."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105649","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Joseph A. Formaggio."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Newman, Elise (Elise S.)"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-12-05T19:56:28Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-12-05T19:56:28Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Physics."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.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."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105649"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, 2016.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 59)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This 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."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.B."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Neutron backgrounds in the Ricochet experiment"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Joseph A. Formaggio."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics."],"dc:creator":["Newman, Elise (Elise S.)"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-12-05T19:56:28Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-12-05T19:56:28Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2016"],"dc:description":["Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, 2016.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 59)."],"dc:description.abstract":["This 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."],"dc:description.degree":["S.B."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105649"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.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."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Physics."],"dc:title":["Neutron backgrounds in the Ricochet experiment"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:00Z"}