Characterizing and validating the PROSPECT segmented scintillator detector design

The PROSPECT experiment will use two segmented liquid scintillator detectors positioned 7-20m from the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) core to perform a search for eV-scale sterile neutrinos and measure the antineutrino spectrum of uranium-235. A multi-year R\&D program focused on background studies at the HFIR reactor, lithium-loaded liquid scintillator development, and characterization of multiple prototype detectors has culminated in the design of a segmented, 3-ton liquid scintillator detector for PROSPECT Phase I. This detector design is being validated with a 50~liter, 2-segment prototype detector, PROSPECT-50. We will report results of on-going performance and calibration studies and discuss implications for the PROSPECT physics program.