PT Journal
AU Jordan, D
   Tain, JL
   Algora, A
   Agramunt, J
   Domingo-Pardo, C
   Gomez-Hornillos, MB
   Caballero-Folch, R
   Cortes, G
   Cano-Ott, D
   Mendoza, E
   Bandac, I
   Bettini, A
   Fraile, LM
   Domingo, C
TI Measurement of the neutron background at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory LSC
SO Astroparticle Physics
JI Astropart Phys.
PY 2013
BP 1
EP 6
VL 42
DI 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2012.11.007
LA English
DE Neutron background; Underground physics; He-3 proportional counters
AB The energy distribution of the neutron background was measured for the first time at Hall A of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. For this purpose we used a novel approach based on the combination of the information obtained with six large high-pressure He-3 proportional counters embedded in individual polyethylene blocks of different size. In this way not only the integral value but also the flux distribution as a function of neutron energy was determined in the range from 1 eV to 10 MeV. This information is of importance because different underground experiments show different neutron background energy dependence. The high sensitivity of the setup allowed to measure a neutron flux level which is about four orders of magnitude smaller that the neutron background at sea level. The integral value obtained is Phi(Hall A) = (3.44 +/- 0.35) x 10(-6) cm(-2) s(-1).
ER