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B. C. Koh

Publications and source records attributed to B. C. Koh.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Charged-particle topology reconstruction with an in-liquid SiPM array

Liquid scintillator detectors instrumented with photosensors inside the scintillation volume preserve local optical information that is largely lost in conventional boundary-readout geometries. We demonstrate that this information is sufficient for charged-particle topology reconstruction using a sparse three-dimensional lattice of silicon photomultipliers. After validating the Geant4 detector response against measured photon-count distributions, a simulation-trained, time-informed convolutional neural network reconstructs the entry and exit points of through-going muons with median residuals of 1.91~cm and 2.39~cm, respectively. The reconstructed endpoints are geometrically consistent with acceptance regions defined by external trigger counters in cosmic-ray muon data. The same framework also reconstructs the production vertices of simulated positron starting-track events with a median residual of about 4.5~cm. These results establish the feasibility of topology-sensitive reconstruction using sparse in-liquid photosensor arrays in homogeneous liquid scintillator detectors.

physics.ins-det↗

Characterization of immersed SiPM arrays in liquid scintillator between room temperature and $-30\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$

Liquid scintillator detectors instrumented with distributed silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays can be used in compact, topology-sensitive, and low-background experiments, but the temperature dependence of SiPMs immersed directly in the scintillation medium has not been widely characterized. We report the operation of a 125-liter linear-alkylbenzene-based liquid scintillator detector read out by 125 SiPM channels immersed in the active volume, over the range from room temperature to $-30\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. The detector response was measured with cosmic-ray muons, including stopping muons followed by their Michel-electron decay. Cooling from $+15\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ to $-30\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ reduced the SiPM dark-count rate by a factor of 13.5, increased the single-photoelectron response by 49.1%, and increased the cosmic-ray muon light yield by 16.7%. The improved photoelectron separation and baseline stability at low temperature enabled a selection of stopping-muon events, from which the effective muon lifetime was measured to be $1959\pm132\,\mathrm{ns}$, consistent with the value expected for a hydrocarbon scintillator once $μ^{-}$ capture on carbon is taken into account.

physics.ins-det↗

Probing unexplored spin-dependent dark matter-proton coupling with few-photoelectron threshold in COSINE-100

We report new constraints on the spin-dependent scattering cross section between low-mass dark matter and protons using data collected by the COSINE-100 experiment. By implementing a specialized event selection process using a multi-layer perceptron and robust noise mitigation, this analysis pioneers a detection threshold of 3 and 4 isolated peaks, corresponding to the reconstructed photoelectrons, which are significantly lower than the 8 photoelectron threshold used in previous analyses. In this unstudied few-photoelectron regime, where instrumental noise and phosphorescence are prevalent, we utilize a phenomenological background model to search for the annual modulation signal expected from the Standard Halo Model. No statistically significant annual modulation is observed in our data. We derive new 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits for the spin-dependent DM-proton cross section, establishing the world's most stringent constraints in the 1.75-2.25 GeV/c$^2$ mass range. Furthermore, by incorporating the Migdal effect, we extend the experimental sensitivity to the sub-GeV/c$^2$ regime, setting world-leading limits in the 15-58 MeV/c$^2$ range. These results demonstrate the capability of NaI(Tl) target materials to probe previously unexplored regions of the dark matter parameter space.

hep-ex↗

First Direct Search for Light Dark Matter Using the NEON Experiment at a Nuclear Reactor

We report new results from the Neutrino Elastic Scattering Observation with NaI (NEON) experiment in the search for light dark matter (LDM) using 2,636 kg$\cdot$days of NaI(Tl) exposure. The experiment employs an array of NaI(Tl) crystals with a total mass of 16.7 kg, located 23.7 meters away from a 2.8 GW thermal power nuclear reactor. We investigated LDM produced by the $\textit{invisible decay}$ of dark photons generated by high-flux photons during reactor operation. The energy spectra collected during reactor-on and reactor-off periods were compared within the LDM signal region of $1-10$ keV. No signal consistent with LDM interaction with electrons was observed, allowing us to set 90% confidence level exclusion limits for the dark matter-electron scattering cross-section ($σ_e$) across dark matter masses ranging from 1 keV/c$^2$ to 1 MeV/c$^2$. Our results set a 90% confidence level upper limit of $σ_e = 3.17\times10^{-35}~\mathrm{cm^2}$ for a dark matter mass of 100 keV/c$^2$, marking the best laboratory result in this mass range. Additionally, our search extends the coverage of LDM below 100 keV/c$^2$ first time.

hep-ex↗

Real-time portable muography with Hankuk Atmospheric-muon Wide Landscaping : HAWL

Cosmic ray muons prove valuable across various fields, from particle physics experiments to non-invasive tomography, thanks to their high flux and exceptional penetrating capability. Utilizing a scintillator detector, one can effectively study the topography of mountains situated above tunnels and underground spaces. The Hankuk Atmospheric-muon Wide Landscaping (HAWL) project successfully charts the mountainous region of eastern Korea by measuring cosmic ray muons with a detector in motion. The real-time muon flux measurement shows a tunnel length accuracy of 6.0 %, with a detectable overburden range spanning from 8 to 400 meter-water-equivalent depth. This is the first real-time portable muon tomography.

hep-ex↗

Upgrade of NaI(Tl) crystal encapsulation for the NEON experiment

The Neutrino Elastic-scattering Observation with NaI(Tl) experiment (NEON) aims to detect coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering~(\cenns) in a NaI(Tl) crystal using reactor anti-electron neutrinos at the Hanbit nuclear power plant complex. A total of 13.3 kg of NaI(Tl) crystals were initially installed in December 2020 at the tendon gallery, 23.7$\pm$0.3\,m away from the reactor core, which operates at a thermal power of 2.8\,GW. Initial engineering operation was performed from May 2021 to March 2022 and observed unexpected photomultiplier-induced noise and a decreased light yield that were caused by leakage of liquid scintillator into the detector due to weakness of detector encapsulation. We upgraded the detector encapsulation design to prevent the leakage of the liquid scintillator. Meanwhile two small-sized detectors were replaced with larger ones resulting in a total mass of 16.7\,kg. With this new design implementation, the detector system has been operating stably since April 2022 for over a year without detector gain drop. In this paper, we present an improved crystal encapsulation design and stability of the NEON experiment.

physics.ins-det↗

Waveform Simulation for Scintillation Characteristics of NaI(Tl) Crystal

The lowering of the energy threshold in the NaI detector is crucial not only for comprehensive validation of DAMA/LIBRA but also for exploring new possibilities in the search for low-mass dark matter and observing coherent elastic scattering between neutrino and nucleus. Alongside hardware enhancements, extensive efforts have focused on refining event selection to discern noise, achieved through parameter development and the application of machine learning. Acquiring pure, unbiased datasets is crucial in this endeavor, for which a waveform simulation was developed. The simulation data were compared with the experimental data using several pulse shape discrimination parameters to test its performance in describing the experimental data. Additionally, we present the outcomes of multi-variable machine learning trained with simulation data as a scintillation signal sample. The distributions of outcomes for experimental and simulation data show a good agreement. As an application of the waveform simulation, we validate the trigger efficiency alongside estimations derived from the minimally biased measurement data.

physics.ins-det↗

Exploring coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering using reactor electron antineutrinos in the NEON experiment

Neutrino elastic scattering observation with NaI (NEON) is an experiment designed to detect neutrino-nucleus coherent scattering using reactor electron antineutrinos. NEON is based on an array of six NaI(Tl) crystals with a total mass of 13.3 kg, located at the tendon gallery that is 23.7 m away from a reactor core with a thermal power of 2.8 GW in the Hanbit nuclear power complex. The installation of the NEON detector was completed in December 2020, and since May 2021, the detector has acquired data at full reactor power. Based on the observed light yields of the NaI crystals of approximately 22, number of photoelectrons per unit keV electron-equivalent energy (keVee), and 6 counts/kg/keV/day background level at 2-6 keVee energy, coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering observation sensitivity is evaluated as more than 3$σ$ assuming one-year reactor-on and 100 days reactor-off data, 0.2 keVee energy threshold, and 7 counts/keV/kg/day background in the signal region of 0.2-0.5 keVee. This paper describes the design of the NEON detector, including the shielding arrangement, configuration of NaI(Tl) crystals, and associated operating systems. The initial performance and associated sensitivity of the experiment are also presented.

hep-ex↗