Abreu, Y.Amhis, Y.Arnold, L.Ban, G.Beaumont, W.Bongrand, M.Boursette, D.Buhour, J. M.Castle, B. C.Clark, K.Coupe, B.Cucoanes, A. S.Cussans, D.De Roeck, A.D'Hondt, J.Durand, D.Fallot, M.Fresneau, S.Ghys, L.Giot, L.Guillon, B.Guilloux, G.Ihantola, S.Janssen, X.Kalcheva, S.Kalousis, L. N.Koonen, E.Labare, M.Lehaut, G.Mermans, J.Michiels, I.Moortgat, C.Newbold, D.Park, J.Petridis, K.Pinera, I. aPommery, G.Popescu, L.Pronost, G.Rademacker, J.Reynolds, A.Ryckbosch, D.Ryder, N.Saunders, D.Shitov, Yu. A.Schune, M-HScovell, P. R.Simard, L.Vacheret, A.Van Dyck, S.Van Mulders, P.van Remortel, N.Vercaemer, S.Waldron, A.Weber, A.Yermia, F.2019-10-072019-10-072017-041748-0221P04024http://hdl.handle.net/10919/94381The next generation of very-short-baseline reactor experiments will require compact detectors operating at surface level and close to a nuclear reactor. This paper presents a new detector concept based on a composite solid scintillator technology. The detector target uses cubes of polyvinyltoluene interleaved with (LiF)-Li-6:ZnS(Ag) phosphor screens to detect the products of the inverse beta decay reaction. A multi-tonne detector system built from these individual cells can provide precise localisation of scintillation signals, making efficient use of the detector volume. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that a neutron capture efficiency of over 70% is achievable with a sufficient number of 6LiF: ZnS( Ag) screens per cube and that an appropriate segmentation enables a measurement of the positron energy which is not limited by gamma-ray leakage. First measurements of a single cell indicate that a very good neutron-gamma discrimination and high neutron detection efficiency can be obtained with adequate triggering techniques. The light yield from positron signals has been measured, showing that an energy resolution of 14%/root E(MeV) is achievable with high uniformity. A preliminary neutrino signal analysis has been developed, using selection criteria for pulse shape, energy, time structure and energy spatial distribution and showing that an antineutrino efficiency of 40% can be achieved. It also shows that the fine segmentation of the detector can be used to significantly decrease both correlated and accidental backgrounds.application/pdfenCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 UnportedNeutrino detectorsCalorimetersNeutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons)Particle identification methodsArticle - Refereedhttps://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/12/04/P0402412