16 research outputs found

    A radium assay technique using hydrous titanium oxide adsorbent for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

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    As photodisintegration of deuterons mimics the disintegration of deuterons by neutrinos, the accurate measurement of the radioactivity from thorium and uranium decay chains in the heavy water in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is essential for the determination of the total solar neutrino flux. A radium assay technique of the required sensitivity is described that uses hydrous titanium oxide adsorbent on a filtration membrane together with a beta-alpha delayed coincidence counting system. For a 200 tonne assay the detection limit for 232Th is a concentration of 3 x 10^(-16) g Th/g water and for 238U of 3 x 10^(-16) g U/g water. Results of assays of both the heavy and light water carried out during the first two years of data collection of SNO are presented.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

    The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

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    The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is a second generation water Cherenkov detector designed to determine whether the currently observed solar neutrino deficit is a result of neutrino oscillations. The detector is unique in its use of D2O as a detection medium, permitting it to make a solar model-independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by comparison of the charged- and neutral-current interaction rates. In this paper the physical properties, construction, and preliminary operation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are described. Data and predicted operating parameters are provided whenever possible.Comment: 58 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Nucl. Inst. Meth. Uses elsart and epsf style files. For additional information about SNO see http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca . This version has some new reference
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