https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-023-12375-0
Regular Article – Experimental Physics
A plastic scintillation muon veto for sub-Kelvin temperatures
1
Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, 85748, Garching, Germany
2
IRFU, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
3
Atominstitut, Technische Universität Wien, 1020, Vienna, Austria
4
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, 80805, Munich, Germany
5
LIBPhys-UC, Departamento de Fisica, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004 516, Coimbra, Portugal
6
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy
7
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma “Tor Vergat”, 00133, Rome, Italy
8
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, Italy
9
Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy
10
Institut für Hochenergiephysik der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1050, Vienna, Austria
11
IRFU (DPhP & APC), Université Paris-Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
12
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Ferrara, 44122, Ferrara, Italy
13
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, 67100, Assergi (L’Aquila), Italy
14
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara, 44122, Ferrara, Italy
Received:
8
October
2023
Accepted:
20
December
2023
Published online:
23
January
2024
Rare-event search experiments located on-surface, such as short-baseline reactor neutrino experiments, are often limited by muon-induced background events. Highly efficient muon vetos are essential to reduce the detector background and to reach the sensitivity goals. We demonstrate the feasibility of deploying organic plastic scintillators at sub-Kelvin temperatures. For the NUCLEUS experiment, we developed a cryogenic muon veto equipped with wavelength shifting fibers and a silicon photo multiplier operating inside a dilution refrigerator. The achievable compactness of cryostat-internal integration is a key factor in keeping the muon rate to a minimum while maximizing coverage. The thermal and light output properties of a plastic scintillation detector were examined. We report first data on the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the polystyrene-based scintillator UPS-923A over a wide range of temperatures extending below one Kelvin. The light output was measured down to 0.8 K and observed to increase by a factor of 1.61 ± 0.05 compared to 300 K. The development of an organic plastic scintillation muon veto operating in sub-Kelvin temperature environments opens new perspectives for rare-event searches with cryogenic detectors at sites lacking substantial overburden.
© The Author(s) 2024
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Funded by SCOAP3. SCOAP3 supports the goals of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.
