Slow liquid scintillator candidates for MeV-scale neutrino experiments

Abstract

Slow liquid scintillator Cherenkov detectors have been proposed as part of several future neutrino experiments because they can provide both directionality and energy measurements. This feature is expected to enhance the sensitivities for MeV-scale neutrino physics, including solar physics, the search for supernova relic neutrino, and the study of geo-sciences. In this study, the characteristics of a slow liquid scintillator were investigated, along with the light yields and decay time constants for various combinations of linear alkylbenzene (LAB), 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO), and 1,4-bis (2-methylstyryl)-benzene (bis-MSB). The results of our study indicated that LAB with 0.07 g/L of PPO and 13 mg/L of bis-MSB was the best candidate for an effective separation between Cherenkov and scintillation lights with a reasonably high light yield.