Invited Article: MiniTimeCube

Published

June 13, 2016

Author(s)

Hans P. Mumm

Abstract

We present the development of the miniTimeCube (mTC), the world’s smallest neutrino detector. The mTC is a multipurpose detector, aiming to detect not only neutrinos but also fast/thermal neutrons and gammas. Potential applications include the counterproliferation of nuclear materials and the investigation of antineutrino short-baseline effects. The mTC is a plastic 0.2 % 10B– doped scintillator 13 × 13 × 13 cm^3 cube surrounded by 24 8×8 Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) photon detectors totaling 1536 individual channels/pixels viewing the scintillator. It uses custom-made electronics modules which mount on top of the MCPs, making our detector compact and able to both distinguish different types of events and reject noise in real time. The detector is currently deployed and being tested at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) nuclear reactor (20 MWth) in Gaithersburg MD, where it has undergone tests using neutron sources. The shield for further tests is being constructed, calibration is ongoing, and we are currently preparing the electronics for a major upgrade. As a novel design with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, this detector will be able to determine particle directions beyond previous capabilities.

Citation

Review of Scientific Instruments

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.93.065502

Keywords

neutrino oscillation, fast neutron recoil, reactor neutrino, micro-channel plate, Fermat surface

Citation

Mumm, H. (2016), Invited Article: MiniTimeCube, Review of Scientific Instruments, [online], https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.93.065502 (Accessed May 8, 2026)

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