Speaker
Description
The COHERENT Collaboration uses stopped-pion neutrinos from the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Lab to study low-energy neutrino-nucleus interactions on various targets. Neutrino-induced neutrons (NINs) are a contributing background for detector subsystems deployed in Neutrino Alley, generated from charged current neutrino interactions on high-Z shielding materials like lead. In 2021, COHERENT measured a NINs rate 0.29 times lower than predicted. Continuous random phase approximation, used to make nuclear models, predicts a cross section amplitude more sensitive to the direction of the outgoing electron. The Metal Sandwich, a directional detector, will consist of alternating layers of scintillator and lead to recover lepton directionality. Furthermore, by swapping out the target material, the detector will provide a unique opportunity to add to the sparse collection of νe CC cross section measurements at low energies. Presented here is the commissioning and analysis of a prototype detector for the upcoming full-scale deployment in Neutrino Alley.