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SUMMARY:First results from the HENSA/ANAIS collaboration at the Canfranc U
 nderground Laboratory
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20210901T171500Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20210901T173000Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260719T145258Z
UID:indico-contribution-15972@indico.ific.uv.es
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Nil Mont-Geli (Institute of Energy Technologies (INT
 E)\, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC))\nNeutrons are one of the mai
 n sources of experimental background in underground laboratories. A good k
 nowledge of their spectral distribution is required in order to assess the
  effect on low counting rate experiments in astrophysics\, dark matter and
  neutrino research. The High Efficiency Neutron-Spectrometry Array (HENSA)
  has been developed in order to achieve the characterization of the neutro
 n background at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC). \n\nHENSA is a 
 detection system based on the Bonner Spheres principle [THO02]. In order t
 o be sensitive  at different energy ranges (from thermal energies to 10 Ge
 V)\, it is composed by several independent long 3He-filled proportional co
 unters embedded in High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) moderators with differ
 ent sizes. The neutron flux spectrum is obtained from the experimental cou
 nting rates by means of iterative reconstruction algorithms. Key to the re
 liability of the reconstruction process is the use of an initial guess spe
 ctrum close to the true spectrum. Early versions of HENSA have already bee
 n used for characterization of the neutron background at LSC\, before the 
 start of the scientific experiments [JOR13]\, and in the shallow undergrou
 nd facility Felsenkeller in Dresden [GRI20].\n\nThe HENSA/ANAIS collaborat
 ion aims for a precise determination of the neutron background\, including
  its possible seasonal fluctuation\, affecting ANAIS-112\, an experiment l
 ooking for dark matter annual modulation with NaI(Tl) scintillators [AMA21
 ]. For the initial tests some modules of the HENSA setup were installed in
  Hall B at LSC\, in a position close to ANAIS-112 setup. The measurements 
 started in March 2021 and a long term characterization of the neutron back
 ground in this position is foreseen until December 2022. \n\nIn this work\
 , FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations of the neutron background spectrum at the
  LSC facility will be reported. The simulations are based on previous meas
 urements of the rock composition and intrinsic radioactivity [AMA06]. Thes
 e calculations provides a guess input for reconstruction of the spectral d
 istribution in HENSA measurements. In addition\, the first results of HENS
 A/ANAIS experimental measurements in Hall B will be presented and discusse
 d.\n\n[AMA06]  J. Amaré et al.  Journal of Physics: Conference Series 39 
 (2006) 35.\n[AMA21] J. Amaré et al.\, Physical Review D 103\, (2021) 1020
 05.\n[GRI20] M. Grieger et al.\, Physical Review D 101 (2020)  123027.\n[J
 OR13] D. Jordán et al.\, Astroparticle Physics 42 (2013) 1\n[THO02] D.J. 
 Thomas and A.V. Alevra\, NIMA 476 (2002) 12–20.\n\n\n\n`\n\nhttps://indi
 co.ific.uv.es/event/6178/contributions/15972/
LOCATION:
URL:https://indico.ific.uv.es/event/6178/contributions/15972/
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