Bernadette Cogswell

Center for Neutrino Physics, Virginia Tech

Zoom link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/99506196663

Abstract: Analogous to the physics behind solid state nuclear track detectors used in dosimetry, coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering (CEvNS) in crystals results in nuclear recoils, which in turn permanently damages the host crystal by the creation of damage tracks and vacancies in the lattice. In certain types of crystals these vacancies are optically active and can be individually detected by laser-induced fluorescence, a technique which has recently been demonstrated in applications in quantum computing.

This allows for entirely passive antineutrino detectors, whose information about the history of an antineutrino source, such as a nuclear reactor, can be read-out at a later time off-site. We present detailed simulations of the damage creation in various possible crystals. Early results indicate that 100 grams of detector mass are sufficient to detect reactor powers below 50 megawatts-thermal, even in the presence of sea-level cosmic ray neutron backgrounds. Given the very small (fits in the palm of the hand) detector size, sensitivity to fissile material production in reactor cores, and possibility of off-site read-out, such passive crystal CEvNS detectors may be uniquely suited to reactor safeguards.

Bio: Dr. Bernadette K. Cogswell is a Research Scientist at the Virginia Tech University Center for Neutrino Physics. She has previously been a Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow at the University of Manchester’s School of Physics and Astronomy and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security. She works on technical and policy issues at the intersection of particle physics and nuclear nonproliferation. Dr. Cogswell is also an Associate Editor for the journal Science & Global Security. Her current research focuses on antineutrino detectors for treaty verification and safeguards and issues surrounding plutonium disposition.