Optical properties of low background PEN structural components for the Legend-200 experiment. (1st September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Manzanillas, L.; Efremenko, Y.; Febbraro, M.; Fischer, F.; Guitart Corominas, M.; Hackett, B.; Leonhardt, A.; Majorovits, B.; Schulz, O.
• Is Part Of: Journal of instrumentation. Volume 17:Number 9(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09-01
• Subjects: Scintillators and scintillating fibres and light guides -- Scintillators, scintillation and light emission processes (solid, gas and liquid scintillators) -- Detector modelling and simulations I (interaction of radiation with matter, interaction of photons with matter, interaction of hadrons with matter, etc) -- Double-beta decay detectors; Scientific apparatus and instruments -- Periodicals; 502.84
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/17/09/P09007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-0221

Abstract

Abstract: Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN) plastic scintillator has been identified as potential self-vetoing structural material in low-background physics experiments. Radio-pure scintillating components have been produced from PEN using injection compression molding technology. These low-background PEN components will be used as optically active holders to mount the Germanium detectors in the Legend -200 neutrinoless double beta decay experiment. In this paper, we present the measurement of the optical properties of these PEN components. The scintillation light emission spectrum, time constant, attenuation and bulk absorption length as well as light output and light yield are reported. In addition, the surface of these PEN components has been characterized and an estimation of the surface roughness is presented. The light output of the final Legend -200 detector holders has been measured and is reported. These measurements were used to estimate the self-vetoing efficiency of these holders.