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A measurement of the surface radioactivity and its time dependence in the SNO+ detector
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- Author / Creator
- Yazigi, Karl
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This thesis provides an investigation of various aspects of the major background in
the SNO+ experiment and its associated detector.
The initial chapters present an overview of neutrino physics and the SNO+ detector, providing relevant background information.
The impact of light reflection on the detector surface and its influence on event
position reconstruction is investigated. A novel methodology is introduced to detect
mis-reconstructed events, effectively mitigating the issue. Mis-reconstruction is eliminated within a radius of 5.1m from the detector center and significantly reduced by
a factor of 400 within a radius of 5.5m.
The flow patterns of unmixed 210Po within the detector are investigated, and the
volume flow rate of this material is estimated to be V
t = 0.11±0.019 m3
h
. The origin of
this material is traced to approximately 10cm from the surface of the detector using
the authors mis-reconstruction detection algorithm.
The thesis also focuses on the examination and separation of individual event rates
for major backgrounds on the detector surface: 210Po, 210Bi, and 14C. A theoretical
simulation of the 210Bi energy spectrum is employed, which is then compared to the
observed energy spectrum within the detector. Through analysis, separate event
rates for each isotope are determined. Rates of 210Po and 210Bi are found to be in
equilibrium. -
- Subjects / Keywords
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2023
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Science
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.